Creating Vision Boards

It was as perfect a time as we could have hoped for -- that mid-January weekend that my daughters, Amina and Asila, returned to Bakersfield for a visit. We always get together in May for Relay for Life, but this January was a bonus. As a mom, it’s casual time such as this with one’s adult children that warms my heart.

Amina suggested that we make vision boards, and Asila and I enthusiastically agreed. A vision board is a creative expression in the form of a collage or poster. Constructed from images and words cut out of magazines, the finished product is a representation of our vision for the future, of what we want or seek in our lives. It may be for the coming year or further out.

I’d done this exercise before with friend and colleague Rose Lester, once in her private workshop and once through the Art for Healing program at Mercy Hospital. Though similar, both times the board brought new insight into what I wanted my life to look like over the coming year. This was the first time either of the girls had tried it.

Saturday evening hunting session

Working on our projects individually, but together, we shared photos and discussed ideas. Armed with red wine, scissors, and a stack of magazines, we chuckled as we noticed the same words or phrases and similar pictures in each others’ stacks.  

Asila and her vision board

Amina finishes her vision board

I loved how it all came together after concentrated arranging and assessing. Then, soon we were wielding our glue sticks and proudly displaying our completed vision boards.  We laid out our boards and celebrated with a “tour” of our creations.

My completed vision board

My vision board illustrates my life in familiar themes. Central is the Tree of Life with my family at the base. Circling the perimeter clockwise, the images I chose exemplify freedom, meaningful work, organization, travel, the arts, and health. As I write this and review it now, I see that a few things are missing. But that’s okay; I'll be on the lookout for them and can add them whenever the proper image comes along.

You can create your vision board anytime, but since it's still early in the year, making one now can help guide you through 2012. For more specific information on how to create your own vision board, see the article “How to Make a Vision Board” by Christine Kane.

~ xoA ~

The Book Signing

Last Saturday was a gorgeous day for riding my Goldwing over to Books by the Bay for my book signing of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for the Young at Heart. The sun glinted off the newly-polished bike, and the look of it hid the fact that it is a 1992 model with almost 144,000 miles on it. When I bought it in 1993, the odometer read around 2,000.

We had to do a bit of shifting around because of a large party in The Grounds Cafe, which is inside the bookstore. But that worked to our advantage as the folks who were there for the signing were able to find seats and gather around a nucleus of comfy chairs for a more cozy feel.

Judy and Karen helped get everything organized and arranged the book display in a more strategic location. Her tripod set up and camera ready, Judy began taking photos. Friend Diana introduced me, and I was off to a fine start.

There could not have been a more attentive, interested crowd. After I read my story, "Did You Ride that Thing?" the audience asked many great questions about my bike and about motorcycling. They listened and followed along in their own books as I read two humorous stories by other contributors. And, the books sold out. Bookstore owner Harold started a waiting list and ordered more copies.

It was such a gratifying and wonderful experience, reading a slice of my life that has been nationally published and having folks buy the book and want me to sign it for them.

Any of us can do this; we all have stories to tell of meaningful or weird or funny things that have happened in our lives. We just need to write them down and share them with the world. There are typically 101 stories in each volume of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Yours could be one of them, too. Go to http://www.chickensoup.com/ and see what upcoming topics one of your life stories might fit. Then get started. See you in the Table of Contents.

~ xoA