Well, if you dismiss anyone who has done collage as uncreative, then you need to add Braque, Picasso, and Matisse to the list. Saying collage is just sticking down photos with glue is like saying writing is just stringing one word after another. It's what the creator brings to the artwork that makes the difference.
Collage can be done by using other people's images, or tearing photos or shapes of color from magazines. But it can also be a way to creatively used paintings done on paper that didn't work out the way you wanted. Or you can paint individual sheets specific colors to use as the 'source material' for a collage.
One thing that makes a big difference in the end result and feel of a collage is whether you've cut the pieces with a pair of scissors or a knife (which leaves a sharp, neat edge, see example), or torn them (which leaves rough edges, see example).
Collage and mixed-media are extremely popular with artists for using in art journals.
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