Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Make a Goal Poster

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One of the tactile projects I did during my creative retreat week was a goal poster. Because I am both a visual and a tactile person, a goal poster is fun, both crafty and artsy. The images speak to me on a level that written words can't always reach. Images hit that right brain creative center and take root, while words are often filed in the more organized and restricted left brain.

If you would like to give your goals a boost, you can put one together, too. In fact, I believe the simple act of creating a goal poster can reveal and refine your heart goals.

Here's how:

Take a stack of magazines. I prefer to have mostly ones that call my name anyway, but a few off the wall ones are good, as well. My stack included Southern Living, The Writer, Body & Soul, some quilt mags, gardening mags, and for my off the wall ones, Forbes. (I've just gotta say, as a magazine Forbes is boring visually. Gag.)

Quickly leaf through the pages with a pair of scissors in hand. Snip out any images or headlines that resonant with you. Do not stop to analyze why. Do not stop to read the articles. Do not intentionally seek any particular image at this moment because it is surprising to see what your hand was led to clip. You can always look for missing pieces later, if you decide you need to. I like words and often use them to add impact to my images.

Trim the images and arrange on a piece of poster board or card stock. Be free enough to let your pieces overhang the edges of the board. It is one more way to reinforce a don't-fence-yourself-in mind set.

Hang the poster in a place where you see it daily. Mine's in my closet at the moment. In the past, I've hung them near my work area. The front of the refrigerator works dandy, although you'll be explaining it to your family and friends.

It's been many years since I put together a goal poster. It was a bittersweet moment when I realized there were no chubby babies or cute kiddoes on mine. Neither were there puppies, dogs, or horses. Visual proof my life season has changed.

This time, mine seemed to emphasize health, activity, art, gardening, writing, and being true to myself. There were no images of women in formal business settings, so I suspect I'm not headed back to the briefcase and power suit life style I once had. At least, not yet.

What does your goal poster reveal about you and your future?

3 Other Creative Souls are Saying:

Being Beth said...

OMG, Deb -- I decided to do this for myself last week -- got the supplies, but am not going to get to the actual making of the poster until after we get back from our vacation. So, thanks for the tips -- I especially liked the idea of cutting without analyzing as well as making the poster speak "beyond the box."

Thanks girlfriend!

Anonymous said...

That's a great idea. I have been procrastinating way too long. I've purchased patterns and books with different crafts, but they seem to just sit on the shelf. I've been trying to find a way to motivate myself. So maybe a poster to hang in the kitchen, with inspirational pictures might inspire me.

DebD said...

What a great idea! However, I am SO not a magazine person. I could probably work around this somehow though, because I do like the idea very much.