5 Steps to Working with Images

by Sara Marchessault

Last week a fellow preschool mom asked about my business. She’s someone I went to high school with, but didn’t know very well. Side note: I kind of like getting to know cool women as grown ups that I didn’t know in high school, but that I knew in high school. Know what I mean?

Anyway, she asked what some of the things were that we did in the group I offered over the summer. She stopped me when I told her we made vision boards. Her question was pretty simple:

“How do you do that?”

I literally opened my mouth, took a deep breath, and then closed it. I had to think for a second.

How do I do that?

I have books about vision boards. I have watched videos on vision boards. I have gone to day-long workshops to create vision boards. I get the purpose, the science behind why they work, and how much I like making and having them.

But in that moment, when I only had a few seconds to talk, I wasn’t sure what to say.

Obviously, I’ve been thinking about it. And I’ve paid close attention to her question. She didn’t ask me why we should do vision boards. She asked me how.

So, here goes. Five simple steps to create a vision board, or work with images.

visionboard

Decide on your format. This determines the supplies you will need, so it’s helpful to decide up front. Are you looking for a poster board to hang on a wall in your office? Do you want a smaller piece that you can fold up and carry with you? Maybe that would be scored foam core board that you can trifold. Or perhaps you want your vision work to be in your journal or

in a special book. (I’m working on a book that can help you with that – stay tuned!)

Choosing images. This could be photos of loved ones or places you’ve been. Or, the really fun part of doing this activity is to grab a stack of magazines, sit down in a quiet place (a favorite beverage or snacks are cool too), and give yourself time to turn the pages and just see what pops out at you. Rip out the pages that have an image you like and put them in a pile. You can sort them later. For now, just allow yourself to be open and see what comes to you. This is the fun part – the time to dream part!

Sort images and reflect. Once you have a pile of images, it’s time to go back through them. Use scissors to cut out the images you’ve chosen and while you’re cutting, really think about why that image spoke to you. What does it make you think of? Does it represent something from your past or is it about an experience you’d like to have? You can take this a step further and write about the images in your journal. Really let yourself connect with the images you’ve chosen, soak them in and let them become clear in your mind.

Prepare display. When it’s time to arrange your images, you can organize them however you like. There is some cool Feng Shui info that you can Google to get some ideas for arranging a vision board to represent the different areas of your life (career, family, travel, etc.). Or you might be doing a single theme board (money, health, relationships) and then you would simply arrange the images in a way that makes sense for you. If you are putting your images in a book or journal so they are portable, then you might have sections for different areas of your life. The sky is the limit here. Be as creative as you want, it’s your vision work!

Share. Doing the work of making a vision board (or vision journal) is powerful and sends a message to the universe that you are clear about what want to be, do, or have in your life (I had to sneak in some of the why we do this). The shared vision is even more powerful because you are claiming what you want to be, do, or have with your voice as well as your image work. You are also setting the stage for others to hold you accountable, which can push you into action. When you are actively seeking what you have the told the universe you want to be, do, or have, things have a way of coming together for you. So, share your dreams! Share your vision boards! Talk about what the images mean to you. And then put it on display as a daily reminder and motivation. If you use a book or journal, look through it on a regular basis.

One of my favorite resources on vision boards is a free download from one of my coaches and mentors, Christine Kane. You can download her eBook “The Complete Guide to Vision Boards” at: www.christinekane.com.

What’s your favorite vision boarding technique or practice? Leave a note below and share with us what works for you!

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