I am a shameless vision board maker. I LOVE printing out the Pinterest pictures I collect all year and making something big and beautiful and mine to hang in my space. I always have. My inner child really enjoys the act of making collages from pictures I like.

Into my adulthood, I never paid much attention as to whether or not making vision boards actually helped me manifest specific things, but that wasn’t why I did it. I did it to personalize my space. To bring some part of my imagination out, as a way of claiming it, I guess. And that has always been something that felt good to me, as a creative person.

Though, it does kind of make sense that when we visualize our desires, it normalizes their appearance to us and gets us used to feeling as though we already own it. If we want something, and we can picture it, we already do kind of “have it” in a way. And I believe that can influence our direction in life. Which is motivating!

So if you’re planning on subbing your standard New Year’s Resolutions for a much more fun task, give yourself the gift of sitting down and making an epic vision board. Here’s where to go in the city if you want to do that.

Workshops:

Sip N’ Clip Vision Board Meetup and Pop Up (Sat, Jan. 14th, 6:00 –10:00 PM, 180 Shaw St, $20). This is an interactive vision board-making workshop and pop-up shop hosted by Essence by Klozet Freak designer and fashion entrepreneur, Sherisse Renée. Soak in #girlboss vibes as you dream up your year ahead.

Vision Board Workshop (Sun, Jan. 17th, Danforth & Donlands, $64). Registered Art Therapist / Psychotherapist Petrea Hansen-Adamidis will walk you through connecting with your intentions and making a vision board for reflection and motivation through the year. Mix and mingle with other creative seekers as you cut and paste.

Dreams, Goals, and Vision Boards (Fri, Jan. 20th, 7:00-7:30 PM, Training Club, 573 King St. E, $20). If fitness is part of your 2016 goals, there’s really no better place to craft a vision board than at this fitness studio and social club, which is all about developing “strength for living.” They’ll supply Bristol boards, glue and magazines, and a healthy supportive environment!

Supplies:

  • The Paper Place (887 Queen St. W). For the layout-lover, this paper shop is a big enabler. They stock decorative Japanese papers, cardstock in varying colours and sizes, crepe and tissue papers, and supplies like decorative tapes, stickers and stamps.
  • Michael’s. Because it’s hard to avoid this mammoth craft store. You name it, you can find it here. My advice: go with a list and head straight to the scrapbooking section upstairs to avoid overwhelm.
  • Value Village. For old magazines and books that’ll give you a range of visuals across interests, come here and grab stacks for cheap.
  • Pinterest.com. If you’re as addicted to Pinterest as I am, you’ve already collected thousands (millions?) of vision-board-ready images and categorized them all neatly for easy access. Scour through your boards and print pictures that still speak to you.
  • Your Instagram. Don’t forget about your own favourite photos! After all: HOW happy does it make you feel to see your pals / dog / fam all together? A little gratitude goes a long way in vision board land.