Today, I'm teaching you how to learn more about yourself and get inspired for the new year through creating an intuitive vision board with collage

What is a vision board and how do I make one?

It’s a new day, a new year, and there is hope and excitement in the air. You’ve got big plans for growth, to dive deep into your passion, and make the world a better place with your creativity. One of my favorite New Year traditions is making vision boards, and I’ve been doing it every year for the last six years! I usually make at least two, one for my personal life and one for my art business. Today, I’m going to walk you through step by step on how to make a vision board and why it’s one of the best traditions I’ve incorporated into my New Year’s routine.

WHAT IS A VISION BOARD?

Google “vision board” and you’ll get a million different ideas about exactly what one is. Generally speaking, a vision board is a place to put pictures and words that give you a visual of what you want in an upcoming season. There are many different ways that people go about doing this, but today, we are going to talk about how to create a physical, intuitive vision board. This means we’ll clear our minds, cut out a bunch of words and pictures from magazines, and then make meaning of it all.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to answer a few of your questions about vision boards:

What does a vision board look like?
Why does a vision board work?
When is the best time to make a vision board?

WHAT DOES A VISION BOARD LOOK LIKE?

What does a vision board look like? A vision board looks like a collage of images and words on a poster board. (Or in a journal. Or a piece of paper. Or in your planner.) It’s pretty straightforward. Vision boards can also be created virtually, by using an app like Canva, or you can create a Pinterest Board as a vision board. Some people I know enjoy creating their vision boards on circular poster boards--Today, I’m going to walk you through creating a physical vision board on a piece of paper or poster board that you can hang in your space and be inspired by every day.

WHY DOES A VISION BOARD WORK?

A vision board works because it reminds you of what you want and where you want to go. The only thing magical about a vision board is you! It’s an incredible tool to give you insight into what you actually want, what truly inspires you, and where you want to go in whatever area of life you set your focus on before you begin to create it. Basically, it’s like that reminder sticky note that you have on your bathroom mirror or the inspiring quote that’s on the front of your planner. Sort of like when you think about a red car and all you see are red cars--your attention is drawn to them. When you’ve got your dreams on your mind, you will be constantly moving toward them!

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO MAKE A VISION BOARD?

While people usually have vision boards on their minds around the New Year, any time you are getting ready to start a new thing in your life is a great time to make a vision board. If you’re getting ready to move or change jobs, feel the pull toward being more creative in life or anytime, really--it could be a great idea for you to do a vision board. I make vision boards pretty frequently when I’m lacking inspiration or direction. There isn’t really a wrong or worst time to make a vision board, so anytime is the BEST time to one.

WHAT DO I NEED TO CREATE A VISION BOARD?

WHAT DO I NEED TO CREATE A VISION BOARD?

You don’t need to go to the store to get supplies! (Unless you want to get fancy, which of course, is always welcomed!) You only need a few things to make a vision board:

Magazines
Scissors
Glue
A Board

I love colorful and bright magazines for this, so my go-to is always travel magazines and also cooking and wine! If you don’t have magazines laying around your house, I highly recommend asking friends and family. There’s no need to go buy new magazines just to cut them up! If nobody around has any, I also like to head to the used book store, especially Half Priced Books, where you can get old magazines for as little as fifty cents.

As far as scissors go, use whatever you’ve got around the house. I also enjoy tearing images out with my fingers, as it adds more texture to the final product. And I will also use a ruler to tear straight lines. And the same goes for glue, though if you use a bottle of liquid glue, the magazine paper tends to wrinkle. In order for the papers to stay flat, you should use a glue stick or even tape works. If you have to use liquid glue, make sure to only use a teeny tiny bit to avoid a crinkly, wrinkled vision board.

And finally, the vision board itself can be whatever you want. I start a new art journal every year that I work in daily, so I always use the inner cover and first page for my vision board. You can also use a piece of paper that slips into the front of a binder cover, or the front of your planner. Some people enjoy making a vision board on a poster board and then hanging it up in their office area or workspace. Whatever you decide to use, it needs to be sturdy enough to hold all the delightful things you’ll be pasting on. And you want to put the completed vision board somewhere that you can revisit constantly for inspiration and accountability toward your goals.

HOW CAN I MAKE A VISION BOARD?

Now that you know what a vision board is and how it can help you in your small creative business, let’s get started. Here are the basic steps:

Quiet your mind.
Go through your stack of magazines.
Lay all the pictures you collected out and trim them up.
Glue the images on your board. Layout all the words you picked out.
Glue them down on your board.
Journal.

Keep reading to get the exact directions for how to make a vision board for your business.

1. QUIET YOUR MIND

Find a quiet space to create your vision board. You want to be relaxed and feeling peaceful (and maybe a little excited!) not worried about why the TV is so loud, or why your fluffy friend is scratching at the door. Once you’ve picked the best spot in your home, light a candle or put on some oils, snuggle with a cozy blanket and quiet your mind. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths and relax. Once you’re relaxed, set your intention of discovering more about yourself and your ideas for the upcoming season, pick up a magazine, and get ready for the next step.

3. LAY ALL THE PICTURES YOU COLLECTED OUT & TRIM THEM.

Grab your pile of pictures and lay them all out on the table or floor in front of you. Now is the time to trim everything up around the edges and make them look a little cleaner. (Or not! If that’s your style.) There’s something special about seeing everything you picked out laid nicely in front of you. Check them all out--are there any themes or some kind of aesthetic in common amongst everything you chose? It’s good to take note of these things! Plus, laying out all the pictures will help you as you get ready for the next step.

4. GLUE ALL THE IMAGES ON YOUR BOARD.

This step is just as simple as it sounds, glue all of your pictures down on your board. There is no wrong way to do this. Just like you used your intuition to pick out all of the photos, you can use your intuition to figure out where they need to go on your vision board. My expert tip here is to not glue ANYTHING down until you have it all laid out on your board the way exactly the way you want it. I also will take pictures with my phone sometimes as I go because that gives me the freedom to try different things out without worrying about forgetting where I had them before. When every picture is in the right place, pull out that glue stick and glue them down on the board.

5. LAY OUT ALL THE WORDS YOU PICKED OUT OF THE MAGAZINES & THEN GLUE.

That’s right, we’re just repeating step number three here with words. Easy peasy. Notice the words you picked out. Is there a theme? How do they go together? Play with the words a little bit. Try to make phrases out of them. Maybe try to make a poem. Again, you can take photos with your phone if you’d like, or write whatever you come up with down next to you. Give yourself space and freedom to play, and especially be kind to yourself--no judgment allowed! Once you’ve explored all of your words, it’s time to glue them down. You don’t have to use all of the words you picked, just pick the ones that spark something in you. Glue down your poems, your phrases, or even just individual words. You can leave all the words off, or handwrite the ones that really stood out to you!

6. REFLECT ON WHAT YOU CREATED AND JOURNAL IT OUT.

And now your vision board is finished. Take a second to check out your board and reflect. Ask yourself, what is all this telling me? Why did I pick these things? What does it mean? And then, write it down. Make sure you put a date on your board so when you look back on it, you remember. And finally, hang your board up where you will see it! Or, remind yourself to look at the front of your planner or journal every day. Let your vision board continue to inspire you.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

You're all set to create your vision board! And if you have any questions, or tips and tricks, I'm here for it. I hope you find inspiration in vision boarding! I'd love to see how it turned out--so if you share it on Instagram make sure to tag me @andi.garbarino !

Check out these other resources on collage:

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE ART WORKSHOPS.

I'm now available to book a private online art workshop (either painting or collage!) for you and your friends or networking group. This is a great way to connect and grow together with your pals or business partners. Contact me for a consult and we will discuss your group's unique needs. Then I will tailor design a workshop just for you!

Book a Workshop