As I said in Part 1 of this post, a mood board is an image or grouping of images that helps you to focus your intention and manifest the changes you want in your life. For some people, it’s a spiritual practice and for others it’s a visual “to do” list, reminding them of their goals. Typically this board, often a bulletin or magnetic board, is placed in a highly visible location where it is walked by, looked at or interacted with on a regular basis.
It’s similar to an architect creating a blueprint for a house. In this case, you’re the architect and you’re designing a blueprint for your life. This way, a mood board helps you to become clear about what you want and keeps your life on the right path.
What do I put on a Mood Board?
Photos from Pinterest and magazines are the obvious starting points. You could also incorporate photos and souvenirs from places you’ve travelled, postcards, quotations, stickers, ribbon, receipts, money, stones, leaves, flowers, fabric, portraits… anything really.
There’s no wrong way to do it.
Get really witchy and use your hair or graveyard dirt.
It’s all about personal significance. Some people like to flip through a pile of old magazines and see what the Universe brings them. Other people like to seek out specific images from the vastness of cyber space. I’m the latter but you might be the former.
Or maybe you want to create all the images yourself. A mood board made entirely of late-night sketches and napkin doodles is a force to be reckoned with.
Or, just write quotes with lipstick on your bathroom mirror. Your reflection becomes the image. Witchy indeed.
Need a quote? This one is taped to the wall by my bed:
The useless days will add up to something. The shitty waitressing jobs. The hours writing in your journal. The long meandering walks. The hours reading poetry and story collections and novels and dead people’s diaries and wondering about sex and God and whether you should shave under your arms or not. These things are your becoming. – Cheryl Strayed
Things You Don’t Have to Think About (but I do Because I Over-analyze Everything Because ISSUES)
Colors
Hate green? Don’t use it. Want more love/sex? Incorporate red. Want to be more assertive? Avoid childish colors like pastel pink. Color is important. Orange gives you energy. Yellow promotes happiness. Gold and green are great for abundance and prosperity and… well.. CASH. Blue is calming. My board has a lot of ocean tones because I’m a Pisces and I find water very comforting. Maybe you’re a Capricorn who loves snowcapped mountains. Whatever floats your proverbial boat.
Lightness and Darkness
Depressed? Maybe pick lighter colors. Want to get in touch with your inner witch? Darker colors might help you.
Feminism and Other Social Concerns Attached to the Images You’ve Chosen
Maybe don’t use an image of a size 0 model if you have issues with self-love.
If you love animals, you might want to avoid photos of circus animals or even photos in which people are wearing leather (leather is kinky but not so animal friendly.)
If you’re using images from advertising campaigns maybe you want to look into who runs the company, what their beliefs are and if they test on animals/treat their employees terribly/belong to a church or belief system that’s opposed to yours. It may sound like a lot of investigating but for most big companies, it’ll take a 30 second Google search.
Numbers
Numbers have significance. Use them wisely. Witchy numbers include 3, 9 and 12. 21 is an auspicious number in the Tarot. Seven is considered lucky. Your birthday might be interesting to use. Try looking up the numerology of your first name. Or think about how much money you’d like to be making annually. If you want to get witchy (and maybe a little stalker-y) you could use the phone number or house number of your crush in order to attract love. Using a house number or address is great for real estate or home boards. It all depends on how specific you want to get.
The Life Stories of Authors/Artists/Celebrities
Lewis Carroll quotes are whimsical but he was kind of a perv in real life. I love Paul Gauguin’s paintings but he was a mess.. and he may or may not have died from syphilis. Marilyn Monroe was glamourous and sexy but she just wanted to be taken seriously. Sylvia Plath is one of my heros but she stuck her head in an oven when she was 30 years-old… It’s the age-old question of whether an artist’s personal life should inform your opinion of their work?
That being said, Frida Kahlo was an alcoholic, morphine addicted Stalinist towards the end of her life but I have pictures of her EVERYWHERE. When I look at photos of Frida Kahlo, I see a free-spirited bisexual woman who broke conventions of gender, sexuality, art and cultural identity. She was a true, tequila-swigging radical… and for that, I’ll accept that she was deeply flawed, like the rest of us. Actually, Frida is my personal definition of beauty despite the fact that she was chronically ill, severely injured and an amputee in the end. For me, it doesn’t matter.
Maybe considering these things is important to you. Maybe not. It’s up to you.
Decide if You Want a Fixed or Evolving Board
I like a living board. It has better energy. I’m constantly adding, subtracting and re-arranging my board. I always leave extra space so it’s never “finished.” It’s my way of leaving room for the Universe to step in… Room to be surprised… Wiggle room maybe?
If you’re a Virgo who can’t stand an unfinished project, by all means finish it. Same goes for messy vs neat boards. I like a messy board. Maybe you prefer yours to be neat and orderly… which might just put your life in order.
Evolving boards can be made from cork boards, magnetic boards, your refrigerator and any other surface that allows you to easily add and subtract images.
Fixed boards can be framed or made on a canvas like a collage. You can cover it in epoxy or varnish it so it stays beautiful forever, like Snow White.
Go Ahead and Make Your Board
It’s fun. Even if you have NO IDEA what you want, the images you choose can help you figure it out. Look for patterns. Maybe you’re landlocked but you keep picking photos of the beach. Maybe you gravitate towards images of people meditating or looking peaceful. The images you’re drawn to are likely the things/feelings/experiences you want in your life.
Tweet me photos of your mood boards @RandiMinerva and next Friday, I’ll share photos of my own mood board and explain some of the images.