Vision

Yesterday I started a vision board to outline the direction for my practice for the coming year.  This involved pulling pictures from magazines and other sources to come up with some sort of visual representation of my goals.  I have never done this specifically for my work before and it was a different experience than when I have done this in my personal life.  I found that before I started tearing out photos I was trying to predetermine what sorts of images I would choose.  As it was, I was able to dismiss these notions and just go for it - choosing images that appealed to me as I found them.  It was like any creative process - not knowing where it is going or if it will all come together in the end.  I found myself feeling quite lost at times.  However, there was a point when I felt like I had enough pictures: that is, I found themes repeating themselves in the pictures I was choosing.  When I divided the photos into groups as indicated in the photo above, several themes presented themselves.

I found one theme was creative.  It contained images of art and music and a space that felt like an artist's studio to me.  Another theme had to do with gardens and nature.  Another was about water and the sea.  The last was about architectural space and design.

I haven't determined what all these elements are about yet but some words did jump out at me.  Those words included: simple, warm, creative, relaxed, space, open, airy, elegance, luxurious, delicious, growth, complexity, and expansion.

The next step is teasing apart some of these themes and delving into them.  I'm excited by this process.  It isn't what I thought it would be.  None of this feels like "work" or "business" to me.  It isn't providing the concrete answers I was looking for.  Or, at least, it doesn't seem to be yet.  The words that kept coming up for me do describe the feelings I want to have and to share through my work in my practice.  So there is the start.  I'm sure I will have more to say as it unfolds.