A Guide to Vision Boarding with Purpose
Two weekends ago I sat on the couch and read the NYTimes. It was cold and rainy outside. If all went according to plan, we would have been in the desert, a place I go once a year during the off-season to rest, reset, and renew inspiration. But life changed very quickly for all of us.
Then it occurred to me that yes, life is very different now. But can’t we still find inspiration around us? Dream about the future?
“Hope will not be cancelled. May we lean into the good stuff that remains.”
I think we can all benefit from hope and inspiration right about now. So I’d like to share with you a creative process I implement for both my personal life and my business: vision boarding. Vision boards serve as a tool to not only clarify your goals, but actually manifest destiny. I know it sounds cheesy, but hear me out. Here’s what you’ll find in this post:
The truth about vision boards
Step-by-step instructions to create an effective vision board
3 real life examples of vision boards
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A VISION BOARD?
A vision board is a physical representation of your aspirations, curated by you and for you, to serve as a tool to help those aspirations come to life. It can be a collage of magazine clippings on a bulletin board, a PDF of imagery that’s saved as your phone’s wallpaper, or anything in between. Also known as a mood board, dream board, inspiration board, or design board.
Think of it as like...Pinterest, but intentional? And without targeted ads.
WHY MAKE A VISION BOARD?
The majority of people are visual learners. Consider the Law of Attraction, which is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. By putting images in front of you, you are sending a message to the universe about your hopes and dreams, and opening yourself up to inspiration and guidance.
If you’re eye-rolling right now, I totally get it. That used to be me. But then I tried vision boarding and, seriously, I found it really helpful. As a creative process, vision boarding:
Takes you away from your daily routine and gets creative juices flowing
Brings you clarity, by taking the noisy jumbled thoughts in your head and organizing them into a crystal clear picture of what it is you want
Serves as a daily reminder to stay motivated to achieve your goals
Opens you up to new sources of inspiration as you start to hone your vision
HOW CAN I MAKE ONE THAT WORKS FOR ME?
By looking at your vision board as a tool with a specific purpose, rather than just a collage of pretty pictures, it’s more likely to help you manifest your vision.
Below are 8 steps to creating a vision board that works for you.
#1 - Have a Purpose
Think about what areas of your life seem most overwhelming or in need of a change, or a challenge ahead. Lean into that one specific goal as you design your board. Here are some examples of specific purposes:
Business - a design visualization for a client
Special Event - inspiration for hosting your friend’s bridal shower
Personal - images that propel your health goals
Career - what your dream business looks like
Travel - places, people, food for the trip of a lifetime
Home - how you envision your first home, or a room makeover
#2 - Set the Mood
I recommend finding some uninterrupted time and space for yourself to do this solo. Grab your beverage of choice, light your fave candle. If you’re into journaling, put pen to paper and list out your goals for the board. If you meditate, or rely on music, do it. By setting the mood, you will find that you’re already on the right path.
#3 - Curate Imagery
Start by looking around you to find what inspires you most: the architecture in your neighborhood, the views from your window, the colors and textures of your wardrobe, books or magazines, photos from past travels, quotes or lyrics.
The secret to finding imagery that evokes feelings is to have no agenda. Aim to collect images that speak to you. Avoid the literal interpretations of what you want in your life, and instead simply focus on how an image makes you FEEL. Here are a few platforms I use for this:
Pinterest: This tool can be especially overwhelming. But instead of using keywords to find the exact thing you have in mind, simply start saving images that are beautiful to you. From there, Pinterest will serve you related images via the ‘More Ideas’ feature and eventually you’ll find images you love.
Instagram: Your feed is likely already curated with images relevant to you, your style, and your aesthetic. Instagram’s Save feature comes in handy. Under ‘Saved’ you can save everything you love in one spot or under separate folders.
Tumblr: For tons and tons of images and content
#4 - Add Variety
Your vision board doesn’t need to be limited to just images. Try adding color palettes, fabric swatches, quotes or mantras you find inspirational, or sketches. Nothing’s off limits. By adding some variety, the board will have more depth.
#5 - Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
It’s okay if you end up with a ton of inspiration. But the point of a vision board is not to overwhelm yourself. It should instead give you clarity when you need it most. Try limiting your board to 7-15 images that truly speak to you. By limiting clutter and chaos on your board, you can limit clutter and chaos in your mind. And a selective vision will feel that much more attainable.
#6 - Choose your Medium
You’ll want to showcase your vision board via a medium that suits your lifestyle.This could be your phone or desktop background, cork board, wire grid panel, or simply a collection of images taped to your wall.
#7 - Get to Designing
It’s time to pull everything together. If you’re going the old-fashioned route, all you really need are scissors, glue or tape, and a place to put it all. If you’re going digital, here are a few tools I’ve tried:
Adobe: I’ve used both InDesign and Spark for boards before and love them. Note: Adobe is subscription-based and comes with a learning curve.
Canva: The most user-friendly and cost-effective in my opinion. Their free version is where I design my floral design clients’ design boards as well as my own vision boards (examples below).
Google Doc: A familiar tool never fails. This is a simple and free option to organize your images.
#8 - Look at it Daily
Display your vision board prominently in a place you frequent, e.g. above your desk, on your closet door, as your phone background or computer wallpaper. Let it serve as your daily reminder that your dreams can be your reality.
Here are a few real life examples of vision boards to give you some ideas and help you get started.
SAMPLE A. —
CLIENT DESIGN
SAMPLE B. — MY BUSINESS
SAMPLE C. — MY WEDDING
I hope you feel inspired to try this creative process. At the very least, may this bring you light, or inspiration, or some sense of clarity or purpose during these uncertain times.