Creative Spark #19: Vision Board

Go and get your Little Spark book. We are back to fostering “a beginning, a seed, a whisper” (pg.6). Today  is all about vision boards and this is not my thing. Perhaps I don’t believe they will work, so they don’t work, though everyone who has used one says they do work. Perhaps I am just scared of making one and getting what I think I want?

Bloomstad says “A vision board is simply a collage of images you pull from magazines and other places and paste to a board. This exercise puts you directly in touch with your desires. It leaves you with a visual inventory of all the stuff that bubles up from your unconscious mind and hear to illuminate your path and remind you of what you want” (pg.81).

This is the spark that I wish I had a direct line to the author. I think it is my fear talking, but I have questions. Do I really want what I think I want?

The directions for making a vision board are pretty clear. “To make a vision board, tune into your heart and soul. Sidestep your mind by banishing your inner critic, judge, and editor. Those parts of yourself are not welcome for this exercise. Ask them to leave the building. Why? because you are only going to be listening to your desire. Not your desire for your partner, your children, your friends, or your family. Just your desire, for you” (pg.81).

Carrie gives a list of materials to the reader (pg.83) and directions:

  • “…don’t ‘should’ on yourself — no ‘I should pick this image’ or ‘I should want this one” (pg.83)
  • “When you see something you like rip it out” (pg.83)
  • “…for an hour, rip or cut out images. Then for the next hour paste them down” (pg.83)
  • ” Remove your notions of how pretty your board will look, how perfect, and let it just be…” (pg.83)
  • “Put your board in a spot where you can see it every day. After you look at your board and assimilate its wisdom, you may notice some themes” (pg.83)

She also gives some explanations, such as “sometimes we aren’t always aware of our own greatness  or even what awaits us. Using pleasure and desire as a guide keeps you in your heart and soul and out of your editor and judge” (pg.83)

Finally, Bloomston says something that doesn’t scare me. “New Year’s is a great time to make a new board for setting your intentions for the new year” (pg.83). I watch everyone else set intentions, pick a word, make New Years resolutions and I do nothing. Not because I don’t want to, but because I want to do something meaningful and sustainable. I can probably spend two hours making a vision board for my year. We’ll see.

 

Nota bene: we are working through Carrie Bloomston’s book, The Little Spark. Buy it. Support the artist. Play along. There is much more to each spark than what I am writing. The original chapters will help you. Go buy Carrie Bloomston’s book, so you get the full benefit of her fabulousness! You can see my book review, which is what started this flight of fancy.

You can find the last spark on the blog from a few weeks ago.

Author: JayeL

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.