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It’s 2020 and the world is all abuzz about one of my favorite art activities: Vision Boards. A few years ago I lead some vision board workshops with my friend Sheila and about the role they can play in Christian spirituality, and we had a lot of fun praying and hanging out together with some incredible people. It was a really special time to learn from each other. I highly recommend making vision boards with people that you can share with. That way you can also encourage each other in whatever you learn about yourself and the goals that you are setting for the new season.

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This year, I was excited to start a new Art Journal for the new year and the first few pages are dedicated to some vision boards! If you’ve never made one before, I highly recommend it! It can be intimidating to try something new, but I’ve found with some guidance and straightforward steps laid out it sure does help. I am thankful for my art therapist who taught me how to do this a few years back, and it really opened the gateway into what my collage art practice looks like now.

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I made three vision boards for the season of new year. Making several is a great way to tease out what’s below the surface in my mind, and also helps me find focus and inspiration! Some people choose to make boards thinking about certain areas of their life—so a board for business, personal life, relationship, etc. I enjoy making them on different days and then seeing what comes out of them.

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Here are my tips/ instructions on how to make a vision board if you’ve never done it before. (Or another way to approach it if you have!)

Find the thing you’re gonna put your vision board on. I like to put mine in my art journal so that I can go back to it and reference it for inspiration and accountability!
Don’t put any expectations on yourself. If you’re a perfectionist like me, having an idea of what your board should look like is going to hinder the whole experience. Just gather your materials, sit down, take a minute to clear your mind and pray and meditate and THEN start.
Gather a variety of materials like old books, magazines, and catalogues.
Make sure you have carved out time in your schedule to enjoy the quiet experience of this and a great place to do so.
Begin! I like to write a prayer and or quotes on my board/pages before I start cutting things out.
Go through all your magazines/books/etc. first and cut out every IMAGE you are drawn to. Don’t think too hard about why or what it is yet. Just cut it out and make a pile.
Once you’re done collecting images, do the same thing but with words. Like I said, just grab the things you’re drawn to—don’t set out looking for certain words.
NOW you can start gluing down the pictures on your page. After that, take a second to reflect on what you pulled out of the books and why.
After you have your pictures, then glue down your words. Sometimes you can make a poem, prayer or song out of the words. If you aren’t feeling that ambitious, that’s okay too! Just glue them down. Think about the words you picked and why.
Now you’re done. I recommend taking some time to journal about why you think you pulled out these images, pray some more, and generally process the whole experience. It can be fun to do this with a friend.