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8 Ways to Visionboard without Cutting Up a Single Magazine

Last updated on April 12th, 2022 • Art Journaling, Planners and Planning

Does the idea of creating a vision board sound…well, obnoxious?

Does the idea of creating a vision board sound silly? What if it wasn’t about cutting out a photo of a yacht from a magazine?
Does the idea of creating a vision board sound silly? What if it wasn’t about cutting out a photo of a yacht from a magazine?

Does the very thought of cutting out a picture of a yacht from a magazine and pasting it to a posterboard with a glue stick seem ridiculous?

Yeah.

For me too.

So, when a friend invited me to her house for “visionboarding” I was dreading it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I only went because there were friends and prosecco involved.  What I discovered when I arrived at this party was something very different from what I expected.

First of all, the vision boards participants created were beautiful, artistic expressions of internal desires. Very little of what people put on their vision boards was material at all. Instead, it was a visual statement of who they wanted to become. They made colorful prints of the lives they wanted to live.

If a vision board sounds cheesy, then you've never seen them done like this. Here are 8 Ways to Vision Board without cutting up a single magazine

Most importantly, there was something inspiring about sitting around tables with others in aspirational conversation. 

People were thinking and talking about the future in a positive way, and then capturing that as creatively as possible. (Prosecco probably helped with that part.) And the more people talked and created, the more that spirit inspired me to create something too.

How a vision board impacts you

The frequency of the reminder makes your dream feel more possible, as it prompts you to envision yourself living your desires.

When you capture your aspirations and put them in your daily line of sight, the reminder impacts your daily decisions. For example, if you have “I’m a freelancer living in Paris” written on a vision board , then you will be much more likely to say “yes” to an evening with a French cultural group when a friend invites you. You will also start to notice freelance opportunities that come your way.  You might remember to practice your French with Duolingo more often. Or set up a price alert for cheap flights to Paris.

Think of the vision board as a cue card for your subconscious to take you in the direction you want to go.

Not only that, but obnoxious or not, the reason vision boards are popular is because they are effective.

Ready to try it? Here are 8 methods of vision boarding that won’t require scissors and a glue stick.

Markers on posterboard can make a big statement and it can be fun to work at this scale.

Markers on Poster Board

Poster board is hard to beat for scale and affordability. The advantage to choosing this format is that your vision board will be large enough that you will notice it. The expansive canvas also gives you more room on which to express yourself. You can let your inner creative run wild.

Markers work great on posterboard, and both can be picked up in any drug store making this method accessible for most everyone. (And if you have school age children, you may already have these supplies in your house.)

Having a vision board in your journal sets your intention. It also means the vision board goes everywhere with you so you can refer to it often.

Put a Vision Board in Your Journal

Since journals are for thinking on paper, what better place to capture a visual collection of where you are going ?

Journals support a variety of media. Whether you use pen and colored pencils (like the example above) or try watercolor or mixed media, a journal is a small-scale format that can be a great place to start.

Besides, communicating your dreams and goals to yourself in visual format has power. It makes sense to put it in the book you keep your life in!

Chalk Ink vision board - Your Visual Journal
This chalk ink vision board features a nice frame. Each year it gets erased and recrafted with a photo as archive.

Chalk Ink Vision Board

If you enjoy the look of a chalkboard, Chalk ink markers allow for precision as you write words and embellish. Using a chalkboard as a vision board is easy because you can make a mistake and quickly redo.

Another benefit to the Chalk Ink Vision Board is that you can erase it each year and begin again.

You can purchase a chalkboard, or simply purchase a frame and cover the backboard with chalkboard vinyl contact paper. Having a framed vision board gives it more substance (and may make it fit with your decor.)

This vision board is created with magnetic poetry on a metal tray.
This vision board is created with magnetic poetry on a metal tray.

Just the words

Vision boards don’t have to be elaborate. In fact, they can be limited to a few sentences. Core statements about who you most want to become.

You can write the words out in whatever format you like, or create something changeable, like this dollar store silver tray with magnetic poetry attached.

No matter how you choose to display the words in your environment, the important part is that you see them daily.

Your vision board might not have any words at all. It may just be a photo of who you want to become.
Your vision board might not have any words at all. It may just be a photo to remind you of who you want to become or what you want your life to be like.

Minimalist Vision Board

Vision boards don’t have to be artistic, they simply have to be visual.  You can even use a single photograph.

Want to change your profession from whatever you are doing now to something that is a better fit? Find a photo of someone working at your dream job and post it to your mirror.

Is there someone you really admire and want to be more like? Find an image of them and put it in the place you will see it every day as a reminder of the changes you are making.

FutureMe.org allows you send emails to your future self.

Emails to Future You

Futureme.org is a service that allows you to send emails on delay to yourself.  You can craft e-mails that congratulate yourself on achieving your dreams and delay by a year, or send on a specific date. This is powerful. You craft the text while thinking aspirationally about your future, then are reminded of it suddenly in the context of a normal day at a time period you specify in the future.

When using this service in a vision board context, you will want to craft to send 6 – 12 different times during the year, so that the reminders are frequent enough to focus your thoughts on where you are going.

There can also be serendipity to this.  It isn’t uncommon to forget that you’ve set this up and receive the email you’ve sent yourself on a day when you really, really need it.

Photoshop an image of yourself to serve as your "vision board."
Photoshop an image of yourself to serve as your “vision board.”

Photoshop yourself.

Have photoshop skills? Take the time to photoshop yourself into the life you want to live. You can put yourself in the location you want to vacation. At a graduation ceremony. In the place you want to work. On the stage you want to speak on… The possibilities are endless.

Digitally crafting your image can create more realism in the result which can be a powerful subliminal cue, but it still works even if it is obvious that the photo isn’t 100% real.

You can also set it as the screensaver for your laptop or phone.

Watercolored vision board

Play with paints

You don’t have to be “an artist” to play with paint on your vision board. In fact, you might find it a freeing way to express yourself. You can practice and just roll with whatever happens on the canvas.

Because a vision board is something you create for yourself, you don’t have to worry about who sees it.

(Unless, of course you are writing an article and wind up posting your own vision board as an example.)

While you can use any of these methods on your own, I highly recommend going through this exercise with friends. There is something to the positive energy of creating together that not only makes the experience much more fun, but also more effective because you wind up asking each other frequently about your progress.


Want tips on how to journal? Get the free ebook on How to Journal with 28 ways to journal and hundreds of resources so you can find the method that is right for you.

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
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One of my favorite tools for visual journaling is One of my favorite tools for visual journaling is watercolor crayons. Here, I'm using #neocolorII by @carandache with an #aquabrush. To do this, you have to use a water resistant pen. I'm using a #pittartistpen by @fabercastellusa. #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #journaling #watercolor
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Ten years ago, I started carrying a notebook with Ten years ago, I started carrying a notebook with me everywhere. I began taking notes, capturing insight, managing to-do lists, and working through ideas in a combination of words and doodles. 

This practice became a game changer for me. My notebook is my ally in living an intentional life. 

The sheer volume of information we process and decisions we make at a rapid pace is daunting. Getting things out of my head and in front of my eyes creates clarity. 

If this idea intrigues you, check out YourVisualJournal.com. It’s a passion project for me to share this practice with anyone who wants to try this out.

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This year at BFF weekend we created #fairyhouse s This year at BFF weekend we created #fairyhouse s to leave at one of the trails in the hill country. We had so much fun creating then placing them
I was playing with ideas for my new course. #yourv I was playing with ideas for my new course. #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotes
The doodles on the edges of this page are inspired The doodles on the edges of this page are inspired by a mural in the Starbucks I was sitting in. The quote is from Benjamin P Hardy--and I love it that I made a mistake in the middle of it given the quote! ​​​​​​​​
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This was a great little book that shares the proce This was a great little book that shares the process of developing ideas. #yourvisualjournal #booksofinstagram #journaling #journal #sketchnotes
I got inspired by @oshupatterns through her @domes I got inspired by @oshupatterns through her @domestika course to play with #poscamarkers. It was so fun to use paint pens in this way. They dry fast and layer well. Super fun! #yourvisualjournal #journaling #artjournaling
When using watercolor crayons and an aquabrush it When using watercolor crayons and an aquabrush it helps to use a water resistant pen. I go through a lot of @fabercastellusa Pitt Artist Pens #journaling #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotediary #sketchnotes
I love my Mother's Day present! Thanks @bethutch ❀️#neocolor2 
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Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives aΒ  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.Β  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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