In today's episode of Material Whirl, host Kelly Bryden is joined by Polina Belenchuk, a London-based collage artist, illustrator, and creative educator who champions bold self-expression over perfectionism.

Polina graduated with a BA in Graphic and Media Design from the University of the Arts London and has since built her creative career with a specialty in vibrant collage portraits. She runs regular workshops in the UK designed to offer judgment-free spaces where participants can process emotions and express themselves freely.

Together, Kelly and Polina take on this week's DIY challenge using three surprise materials and share the full creative process behind their finished projects.

Polina opens up about her journey from graphic design offices to live painting at DJ sets, battling imposter syndrome, and how collage became the medium that finally felt like home. She talks through the challenges of working with unfamiliar materials, why first attempts are never meant to be perfect, and how she plans to keep building on her project.

Kelly shares how she completely ditched her original idea after finding unexpected inspiration, brought in an additional material to hold everything together, and ended up making something deeply personal that she'll continue working on long after the episode.

Throughout the episode, Kelly and Polina discuss:

• Pivoting completely from your first idea when something better clicks
• Working with materials that are all embellishments and no structure
• Why your first attempt is never meant to be the final version
• Imposter syndrome and the courage it takes to share creative work
• Finding your niche while still craving creative variety
• The dream of a dedicated creative space (and the reality of a kitchen table)

By the end of this episode, you'll feel encouraged to ditch your first idea if a better one comes along, embrace the messiness of trying something new, and start a project even if you know it won't be finished in one sitting.

Want to join the challenge? Try creating something with this week's materials and share your project by tagging @MaterialWhirlPodcast or using #MaterialWhirl.

Follow Polina on Instagram at @belenchuk to see her collage portraits, workshops, and creative projects.

This episode — and Material Whirl as a whole — was brought to life using Google tools, including filming on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, planning and prep with Google Gemini, and production notes on a Google Pixel Tablet.