Vision Boarding 101
I’ve been creating and using visions boards long before I knew what they were. Even as a child, I was a huge fan of collage art, finding bright and colorful images from books and magazines, cutting them up, and putting them together with old school glue and tape. My masterpiece would be a collage of all my favorite things. Now granted at the time, my collage was probably filled with the faces of teen heart throbs collected from various issues of Teen Beat (hello Jared Leto, I’m looking at you!) but that’s besides the point. And twenty years later I’m still making them, though my goals are a little more refined other than crushing on Jordan Catalano.
Vision boarding is so much more than curating and creating beautiful images and inspiring quotes. It’s really about the intentions behind the vision board. It’s about MANIFESTATION! How does looking at it make you feel? What emotions is it evoking in you? Are these images a visual representation of your life goals and aspirations?
Think vision boards are bullshit? Well for those of you who need more science to back up the claims, visualization is an incredibly powerful tool when used effectively. You can read more about some of the studies on Psychology Today or in this book which is one of my favorites.
Above is a photo of my actual vision board I hung over my desk at work. I had it up for 3 years, and every morning I looked at it, and felt inspired and hopeful that my life could take a different direction. At the time, I remember not even having a “clear” vision — all I knew I wanted things to change. So I simply found images and phrases that made me feel good. That left me feeling inspired and hopeful of my future. I still have this vision board today — which I’m actually thinking about framing and keeping on my wall permanently. Though my visions have changed (they’ve since become more specific and clear) I really credit this one specifically to push me to create a life that lights me up, even when I didn’t know what that looked like yet!
New to vision boarding and don’t know where to start? Here's a few my own tips to get started:
Set the scene and mood. Light some candles or incense, put on some music you love, pour yourself a hot cup of tea or relaxing glass of wine. This is your future you’re creating after all, so make this a special time for self-care.
Better yet, do it with friends! I’ve made quite a few vision boards with friends, listening to music, talking about the things that excite us. It turns out to be such a fun way to connect with your friends, learn about their goals and dreams, and holds us accountable to each other to make them happen!
Set aside time to create this. You are creating your dream. YOUR VISION. This should be given the time and space it needs. Don’t rush it and enjoy the process. And if you’re not feeling inspired, perhaps put it away and come back to it another time when you’re feeling more creative.
Don’t have a vision? Thats ok! I’ve done this activity with my students before who had no idea what they wanted to be when they “grew up.” Don’t put pressure on yourself to know what your vision is. Just start with whatever catches your eye, whatever makes you feel inspired, hopeful, relaxed and happy. Maybe it’s simply a pretty image of a beach that you’re drawn to. Or a beautiful quote that just speaks to your heart. Save those images and towards the end you’ll be surprised how certain THEMES and VALUES start to come forward. Maybe you value travel, nature and beautiful landscapes? Perhaps that’s giving you a hint to the things that light you up. Just clip and save what appeals to you and see what vision develops.
Curate your sources. Come prepared for your vision boarding activity loaded with all your inspirational goodies. Magazines, old greeting cards, photos, markers, scrapbooking items, scissors and glue sticks - you name it! And PRO TIP: Google images! If you know what you’re looking for but can’t find it in a magazine? Google images and websites like Pinterest are perfect for finding exactly what you’re looking for! The more creative and the more enthusiasm and energy you put into your vision board the better! You are quite literally setting that intention into your goals and dreams.
Don’t forget to include YOU in your vision. That’s right! Include at photo of YOU in your vision board. Preferably one where you are laughing, happy, and looking downright amazing! It’s one thing to have glossy magazine models and athletes holding your vision of a dream house in Hawaii, it’s another to see YOUR FACE there. It sounds silly, but this one is really important for the manifestation process. This is your dream, and YOU are capable and worthy of obtaining this.
Think about the FEELING. While it’s nice to have a vision board full of amazing THINGS - houses, cars, the perfect body, loads of money etc., it’s really about what those things will make you feel. Does that huge house equate to security for you? Is the perfect body really about living a healthy lifestyle? Or more about aesthetics? There is not right or wrong here, but visualization an manifestation work best when you focus on how obtaining said goal will make you FEEL.
Put it somewhere you can see it DAILY. Placing it somewhere you can see it daily is key. For me, that was right above my desk at work. I had access to that visions M-F for 8 hours + a day. Eventually those visions and messages sink in! But for you maybe that means your home office or bedroom. I had students take pictures of theirs and make it their phone wallpaper! Whatever works! Just make sure you’re looking at it daily.
Stay consistent to your goals. Just pasting photos on a board won’t magically get you a house in Hawaii. We all wish that were true! So you HAVE TO DO THE WORK! If you need to save for a house, look at your finances! Start a savings account for your trip to Hawaii. Do some research on real estate and the housing market in Hawaii. Do your part and the Universe will do theirs.
HAVE FUN! If you’re not having fun dreaming, creating and visualizing about your future, then you’re doing it wrong! Remember this is about the energy and intentions you put into this! So have some fun and create that vision of a life that lights you up!.
These are my tips and tricks for creating a kick ass vision board! I hope this helps and inspires you to do the same! Anyone else out there a vision board believer? Share your own tips and tricks with me below!
Steph xx