Michelle Casey, "Aurora's Dream: Part II: Song Bird", Artist Trading Card, Collage/Mixed Media, 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches, 2013
Tired of the Same Old, Same Old?
Happy New Year! It’s been a treat to take some time off from blogging to re-energize myself. Well, the New Year’s here and it gives us another chance to reinvent our lives. Good thing too because 2013, as Queen Elizabeth II once put it, was my “annus horribilis”! I’m celebrating 2014 by creating a vision board! In the past, I’ve made them to inspire and direct my art business. Having had my faith in things shaken last year and suffering some personal losses, I feel the need to renew my outlook on life and create something that gives me hope for the future. I know some of you may be feeling the same way so I’m writing this post especially for you. Whether its focus is on personal, business or spiritual goals, a vision board is the way to go. We vision boarders don’t want the same old, same old – we yearn for change and transformation! We want to make the most of every year of our lives or at least know we died trying! 🙂
Invoke a New Life…
Vision boards come in all sizes, shapes and formats. Some people make large poster-size boards while others I’ve seen get really creative making decorative file boxes containing inspiring/action-oriented cards/messages; story books; hanging mobiles and even bracelets! Whatever surface you prefer to collage or do mixed media on, it’s all vision board worthy (with a few exceptions). This year mine will be a postcard-size accordion fold out book. Something I can put in my purse and take with me wherever I go to draw on its spirit when needed. This week I began the process by completing a simple meditation exercise that helped me to imagine how I wished to transform my world and attitude in 2014. I did this for ten minutes… also putting on some calming instrumental music to help me invoke my vision. As I relaxed and closed my eyes, I evoked this world using my five senses. I wanted to get a feel for its: sights, sounds, tastes, colours, textures and smells, etc. in order to make it a reality I could eventually concretize through imagery. While doing this, I kept in mind something Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield posted on a recent blog: “Clarity”; she mentioned choosing a “word” to describe your New Year. I thought it was a great idea to add to the mix. I’ve got plenty of ideas to draw words from too on my Pinterest Quotes Board! And, I might even add a quote as well!
Embark on an Exciting Journey…
I’ve never been one to envision my life’s goals, but ever since I took Ariane Goodwin’s and Jennifer Lee’s challenge several years ago to turn my art career around through vision boarding, I’ve discovered how beneficial and positive the process is. A vision board seminar by Dr. Lucia Capacchione and Joyce Schwarz’s book: The Vision Board: The Secret to An Extraordinary Life also convinced me of the practical and psychological benefits of using it as a tool to transform my life. My belief in the process is further reinforced as I watch vision board students gain momentum in their lives through its powers to: transition into new jobs, phases of life or relationships; to re-imagine their homes, studios, gardens and bodies; to create memorials to loved ones or improve their sense of self-esteem. Creating a vision board is like embarking on an exciting and often magical journey! Answering the call of the vision board has made many of my dreams come true. The process has shown me nothing ever happens unless we take some action to change our lives ourselves.
So my dear friends, if you’re really ready for a change and are willing to work towards building a new life or attitude step by small step, why not consider making a vision board? It’s a great time to start. You never know… it may yield some surprising results. If even one really good thing you envisioned through it came to be, imagine what else that in turn could inspire!
Seven Steps to Creating Your Own Vision Board:
1) Ask yourself what aspect(s) of your life you’d like to transform.
2) Put aside ten minutes to meditate in a quiet space to envision this/these things. Consider using some instrumental music to help you to “travel” through your vision – here’s a link to “Jalan Jalan – Barong Forest” a piece I love to meditate to.
3) Take ten minutes to jot down the types of images and words that came to mind while you were meditating.
4) Search for your images and words in: magazines, books, photo albums, poetry books or other media to help to evoke your vision. Let your notes and intuitions guide you.
5) Take an hour or two to collage (glue/write or pin) your images and words onto a surface of some kind. Use other mixed media mediums to enhance your piece if you like: rubber stamps, paint, pencil crayons, glitter, stickers, fabric, etc…
6) Put your finished piece in a place where you can contemplate on it for a few minutes each day to remind yourself of your goal(s)/dream(s).
7) Share your piece with like-minded friends. They may be able to give you tips on how to work towards your goal(s).
Note: And most importantly, don’t worry whether or not your vision board piece looks like a work of “Art”. The ideas it evokes must speak to you personally; don’t fret if others don’t think it’s “beautiful”. The true beauty of a vision board is that it allows you to re-imagine and activate a new and improved existence for yourself – nothing could be more beautiful than that!
If you decide to take up the vision board challenge, I’d love to hear how you felt about the process. If you’ve got more questions about the steps, feel free to email me. I’d be glad to clarify or give more details. Do check out my Vision Board Board on Pinterest – it’ll give you lots of ideas for the different shapes they can take. I’ll be sharing my vision board book with you soon! Good luck my friends!
Other Related Links:
50 Ways to Glue Your Collage
How to Choose a Magazine for Collaging
Going Gaga for Magazine Textures
Anne’s Vision Board: Words to Live By
Imagine: Making Your Dreams Real
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