An inspiration board by Honolulu Community College students for their Spring 2009 "Masquerade."
It's typical to feel stuck going into the New Year. For me, I always feel like I'm stuck in limbo, still trapped on the roller coaster of the year just ended and waiting for a sign that the new year will be better than the last.
So this year I was talking to a friend and she suggested creating a vision board or inspiration board. Just as a writer sets down words to clarify thoughts, those who think visually find it easier to put together a collage of images that work as a quick reminder, a visual roadmap of who you are, who you want to become and where you want to go in life.
Each image should serve as a positive emotional trigger. Looking at it should make you happy and push you toward achieving your goals.
People use vision boards for different reasons. Brides use them to plan their perfect wedding. Designers use them as a preface to a collection. The images you choose, even if you don't know your direction at the moment, will eventually coalesce to convey a certain idea, mood or theme. You can create a board at any time or for any reason.
I was lucky enough to have interviewed Donna Karan's director of inspiration a few years ago, and she said she storyboards every bit of inspiration she culls from her travels, from film, from people she sees in the street, vintage jewelry. Anything can inspire, from artwork, to books, historical figures, music, colors and textures.
Polyvore image
A board envisioning being surrounded by blue skies.
You can cut photos and words out of magazines, or if you're more at ease in front of a computer than with hands-on labor, you can also create your vision board online, via sites like Polyvore.com or Flickr.
Fashionwise, if you find yourself constantly and mindlessly shopping for disparate pieces that never seem to add up to a working wardrobe, you can create a style board to inform your choices in one particular direction.
I need to work on one directed more toward finding a balance in life. One of the images that sticks with me is that of seeing a guy walk away from a Dairy Queen with cone in hand and a look of total happiness on his face. I want a constant reminder to never lose sight of the simple joys and pleasures in life.
Another board envisioning a luxe life.
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