Sunday, January 4, 2009

Create a Collage for 2009


A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through some old Oprah magazines, looking for pictures and quotes I wanted to use to make a collage of all the goodness I want to bring into my life in 2009. Oprah puts out a very positive magazine, so I like getting ideas from that one. I made a poster-size collage six years ago, as a creativity exercise with some writer friends, and didn’t think much of it, other than it was a fun thing to do. But I liked it enough that I framed it and put it up in my bedroom.

Then the oddest thing happened. Within a few years, everything that I had put into that collage, which was about the things that fed my soul, showed up in my life. I kid you not. Without even thinking of it, just having it on the wall, my subconscious mind went about creating the circumstances that would be needed to bring the things in that poster into my life.

You can call it weird, but I know it happened. One day I looked up at this poster I hadn’t paid much attention to over the past couple of years, had barely looked at—you know how we tend to not see what is in front of us every day--and realized everything in it was now in my life. I was stunned. I’d read about this kind of thing happening, the power of intention and all that, but…

So over the holidays I created a new collage, one for 2009.

You might want to try one, too. All you have to do is go through magazines and clip or rip out pages that have something on them that appeals to you for some reason. A picture, a quote, a splash of color, even. Some of the stuff I ripped out made no sense. But it came together for me when I put the collage together. And you don’t have to use everything you clip out. I now have two files, one of pictures and one of quotes, to use for future collages. You can do them randomly, like free-association, or choose a theme.

It was a wonderful way to relax and have some “me” time in the midst of a very busy season. It’s also a great way to get rid of all those old magazines you have lying around and don’t know what to do with, too. If you don’t have time to do a full poster-size one, do a smaller one. There are no rules to this sort of thing. And if you're a writer, you can do one for your current work in progress, and post it near your desk as a motivational tool.

You’ll be amazed at how creative it makes you feel.

And, in a couple of years, you’ll be even more amazed by what happens.

Take care, God Bless, and let me know how it turns out for you.

6 comments:

Amber Polo said...

Collage is a great idea. I heard about the idea of doing one for a book to serve as focus and inspiration during writing.

MJFredrick said...

I've not done it for myself, but I've done it for my characters. I love having a visual of places in my book.

Unknown said...

Well, this is the neatest idea. I may do it for something, not sure what right now. I've done collages of phtos of grandsons, and they love to look at themselves when they were babies, etc.
I'll think about it for my on-going WIP that's giving me a whole heck of a lot of trouble.Celia

Unknown said...

One of my daughters made a few collages over the holidays. I made one too, using words clipped out of here and there. Turned out pretty kewl. Great idea, Liana.

Debra St. John said...

This is a great idea! I've heard of people doing one to get ideas flowing for a book, but I never thought of doing a personal one.

Rebecca J. Clark said...

I've never thought of doing one for my personal life either. Great idea. It's kind of like that book, The Secret. If you wish it and dream it, it'll happen.

So, if I put a picture of George Clooney on my collage, will he eventually show up on my doorstep? And how will I explain that to my husband?