Visioning Step 3: Focus on the Vision

So. You're sitting amidst piles of images and words. You've gathered them because your heart has sent you on a quest. You have made a wish, you have a focus phrase, now it's time to focus on the vision.

"It is said that Michelangelo described sculpting as 'getting rid of everything that wasn't the sculpture.' That's what you are about to do. Step 3 emphasizes the next phase in the creative process: discrimination, elimination, editing, refinement, exclusion." -- page 84, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Now it's time to sift and sort. This step is often overwhelming because I want to take everything with me. So I break down the process further with three piles:  Yes. No. Maybe.

I need to do this because three other words are blocking the way to my collage creation:
Discrimination. Elimination. Exclusion.

These are harsh words. I believe that more of anything is better, especially creative ideas.

This third way of  "yes, no, maybe" creates breath and space. It makes way for fun so I can enjoy the  process. After all, Visioning(R) is fun!!!! Remember???

Gratefully Step 3 applies to the collage after it is created as well:

 

I live in a safe and sacred home in Ventura.

I can apply the discrimination. elimination. exclusion word revelations to my current vision of moving to Ventura. While my collage has manifested in amazing ways, I'm still....not....quite.....there: renting a room and working.
PHOOEY!!!!

But phooey creates the opening for the Saboteur to step in and give up on the journey when I may have only 500 yards to drive.

Looking at my collage, I focus on the phrase "Today is the day I write my own story." Yes. No. Maybe.

Yes, I still want to move to Ventura.
No, I'm not willing to give up on my dream.
Maybe if I send out an email to everyone asking specifically for what I want--my own room in Ventura, even temporarily--so I can practice living my Ventura life.

Bingo! I am happy to report I am staying for several days in a fabulous guest room in Ventura on a beautiful sunny ranch with two dogs, three cats and four amazing new friends.

"Your heart may show you things your minds is not ready to grasp. Keep your eyes open for new possibilities. If you knew everything there is to know about yourself, you wouldn't be weaving a new dream or following your heart's desire. Your creative self is leading you into new territory. Will you travel there?" --page 85, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Visioning(R) works.

What will you do today to focus on your dream????

Write your answers in the Comments section!!!

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a certified Vision Coach who knows how to  focus on a dream. She is the author of My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents, a book about using Creative Journaling and original songs to move through obstacles. www.writeinside.com.

Visioning Step 2: Visioning Euphoria

Visioning® Euphoria by guest blogger Kate Dana

With Lucia Capacchione, PhD, in San Luis Obispo CA, October 2012.

I have this collage with me today.

In October 2012 I attended a one-day workshop with Lucia Capacchione, PhD, best-selling author of 18 books, including VISIONING®: Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Under Lucia’s guidance, several attendees and I followed the 10 steps of Visioning® and ended the day with huge posters of our heart’s desire (“dream goals”). Mine was based on creative work, travel and living in a Spanish-speaking country, all of which I am doing now. Visioning® works. I was convinced when I read Lucia’s book, but meeting her and practicing the method together confirmed me as a believer. If you have a chance to attend one of Lucia’s workshops, I strongly recommend it.

Starting the 10 Steps to Visioning® on a sunny Saturday in México

Occasionally, life goals need adjusting. While I still have my original Vision board with me, when I find parts of it feel “stuck,” I create a smaller board to focus in on what needs a boost. Additionally, I have learned if you are not specific enough with your Visioning®, you will get what you ask for, like ordering mayonesa for your elote, when you really wanted crema. It still tastes good, but it’s not exactly what you want. Realizing this, I spent a sunny Saturday afternoon working Lucia’s magic. Just starting the process of Visioning® made me happy: when we stir energy around us – our lives, our desires, etc., – the kinetic energy is almost like a natural euphoria.

Midway through Visioning® – creative energy feels great

I have the 10 steps for Visioning® from Lucia’s workshop here with me in México. I follow them one by one, from brainstorming to finding images and text to assembling everything into a collage. One of my favorite of the 10 Steps for Visioning is Step 2: Searching for Images and Words, or the designers research phase, which comes as no surprise since I have graphic design experience. Step 2 begins by gathering pictures, captions, and phrases from magazines, a personal collection of photos or other visual sources. The emphasis is on what experience you wants to create in life rather than just images of things to be acquired. The mantra is: Grab what grabs you. Lucia urges creators to keep an open mind while gathering as many relevant images and words as needed. If other great but unrelated pictures surface, set them aside to be used in other collages. As mentioned in Step 3: Focus on the Vision, some people gather too many images, creating a giant pile that feels overwhelming to sort through. The best solution for this is to ask specifically, “Does this express my innermost wishes, my fondest dreams?” If it doesn’t, there may still be a reason it “grabbed” you; find a large envelope and stash these images or words for a future collage, where they may be relevant.

Collage detail: “Grabbing what grabs me”

When gathering words and images, I sometimes feel persuaded to collect positive phrases or motivational quotes, partly because I am fighting off what Lucia calls the “Inner Critic” voice, the doubts we occasionally hear in the back of our minds as we pursue anything. Mentioned in Step 5: Explore and Find Order in Creative Chaos (from the 10 Steps to Visioning®), these doubts can come from ourselves or others around us. I find it most important when this happens to stop and write a “Q and A conversation,” asking myself what I want and why, responding honestly and free of fears. As with most situations in life, if you doubt them, you rob them of opportunity. If you believe, they have a much stronger foundation to stand on, with your focus and faith as support.

Visioning® to Go, in a vibrant “Méxican pink” envelope

While Lucia recommends a giant poster, I don’t have the space, so I create a smaller piece that folds in half or thirds, like a card or brochure. I find having my Visioning® collage with me is like carrying a mantra or prayer. This small item keeps me in check. I refer to it when I wake up, throughout the day, and before I go to sleep so the vision is fresh in my mind. Eventually, the desired outcome begins to happen. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly; signs and events reveal that the Visioning® is working: it is real. We all have the power to direct our own life, we just need to say how or what we want, and be specific.

Visioning® collage: Inspiration. It’s all around us.

My Visioning® collage turned out great: colorful, organized, and specific to what I am focusing on: all very much to my liking. I can already feel the changes I want happening. Gracias Lucia por tu Visioning® y por su información. Todos somos de gran alcance en su interior.

Guest blogger Kate Dana is a mixed-media artist and travel writer studying Spanish and teaching English in Jalisco, México. Since 2009 Kate has been studying Spanish, creating art and traveling. She is inspired by the music, food and history of Spanish-speaking countries and has enjoyed visits to Spain, the Dominican Republic and México. Visit www.katedana.com to read about Kate's travel adventures.

Kate is also a 2012 graduate of International Teacher Training Organization in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where she earned a Certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. For more information visit www.katedanateaches.com

Visioning® 101 Q & A continued...

Lucia continues to answer questions from the Visioning® community.


Can I collage past lives?

I used to be a past life counselor. If one believes in them, the only reason to delve into past lives – as far as I can see -- is to see where we are blocked from a past life and how to remove the block. This takes some training and experience in past life work. Personally, I focus on blocks from this life which are usually the Inner Critic and outworn belief systems. There are plenty of those.

“As we move toward our dreams, old well-worn thoughts and beliefs are likely to come floating to the surface of the mind like so much debris. As you find wonderful images of your heart's desire, a little voice may come in and start editing. It usually says things like: 'You can't afford that.' 'This is totally impossible.' 'Who do you think you are wishing for something that outrageous?' 'That's completely impractical. It'll never happen.' 'Don't choose that picture. You'll just be disappointed when it doesn't materialize.' I speak from experience, for I've heard this voice a million times during my own personal Visioning sessions. Never mind that most of my dreams have actually come true...Before you've even had a chance to research the possibilities, get some training, find a mentor or a support system, the inner critic will try to shut you down.”
(Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams, page 75.)

“I am Safe from the Inner Critic” collage by Dorothy Segovia.

Can I collage an emotion or physical symptom I want to heal?

Yes, I did that before having a hip replacement. I put a thigh bone in my collage and also photos of women doing exercise (I did physical therapy after surgery and that was extremely healing.)

“Doing collages of our current self-image (and physicality) can help to heal the split between our head and our body. As long as our self-image is hidden from our own eyes, we have no choice. With greater awareness comes a wider range of options. In reflecting back to us the way in which we see ourselves, the collage acts as a mirror of our inner attitudes and beliefs. Once we see our self-image projected out onto the paper, we are free to move toward more conscious choices.”
(Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams, page 238.)


Will the collage still work if I stop doing reflective work over the summer, and then come back to it?

Not likely. One must honor the dream by looking at the collage and following the Visioning® process with journaling, etc. Why wait? Either you are serious or not. If not, then it won't manifest. Visioning® is not for the uncommitted. Commit to your dream and watch it unfold. If you don't feed it, it won't reward you.

Can I still use the exercises from your book with a collage I did from before using a different method?

I believe collages need to be current and reflect the state of your soul wishes at this time. An old collage reflects the past. Do another one. Even if the images are similar and the theme is familiar, or the focus phrase is the same, the process needs to be fresh and current.

Next month: Visioning® and dream work!

Lucia will continue to answer questions throughout her blog. If you have any to submit, please post in Comments. To purchase Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams, visit: www.visioningcoach.org

Visioning® through Performance Anxiety

This Visioning® vignette was contributed by Nechama Perel Wachsman, a student in our Creative Journal Expressive Arts Certification Training.

My sister Rochelle and I recently performed in a piano recital. We'd been practicing for months, but of course we were both nervous as it drew closer! I suggested we do some Visioning® about how we want to feel during the performance and how we'd like it to come out. The first collage is mine. I depicted my desire to feel free expression in my playing and getting beyond my nerves to the real, beautiful part of me that wants to share my music. I put the collage on my piano and would practice while looking at it. The words "something beautiful is about to happen" kept jumping out at me, and I believed it.

After my performance, I felt much like the woman who is midair, jumping. Indeed something beautiful happened - I played with confidence and joy.

Rochelle depicted faces of many people feeling and confident, as well as the thrill of accomplishing a long worked-for goal. Indeed, her performance was beautiful, inspiring and true to herself.

What an amazing way to get in touch with our inner power, our abilities and true desires and to make them come alive! Thank you, Lucia.

Visioning® in Business

Learning from the Masters

My original career was in art and design (Mattel, Hallmark were my clients). In my second and third careers as art therapist and author, I worked for Disney as a corporate consultant. While doing management training and talent development with theme park designers at Disney Imagineering for ten years, I stood back and observed the design process in a way I never did while actually designing products. It was the opportunity of a lifetime: watching the Imagineers work their magic. We introduced Visioning® collage work for personal and team goal-setting, a technique I was already using with my private art therapy clients. The Imagineers ate it up with a spoon. Working with one of my co-authors, the late Peggy Van Pelt, we saw the staff's creativity and skills in innovation increase many times over. It was a privilege and honor to be around this amazing brain trust of world-class talent. Some of the Imagineers I knew actually worked directly with Walt and what stories they told!.

One of the most enjoyable experiences I had was sitting in on "blue sky" design sessions when Imagineers were brainstorming new theme park ideas. I felt very much at home because they did the same thing we do in Visioning®: putting images and words onto the walls without editing or critiquing the ideas. "The sky's the limit", was their attitude in these sessions. That's why they called it Blue Sky. In Visioning® that's the "grab what grabs you" phase of collecting images and words from magazines. Without worrying about practicality, feasibility, or affordability, we open our minds to think outside the box. The famous "box" we are trying to get outside of, the one we are trapped in, is really our old ways of doing of defining ourselves and of doing business.

If there ever was a time when we needed to get outside the old business box it is right now. There's not a moment to waste, collectively or individually. And change starts with each one of us. Innovation is no longer a luxury, something to think about or take a seminar in. These days, innovation spells the difference between surviving or capsizing.

In my book Visioning, I often quote the Imagineers and Disney himself. In fact, I live by his golden words: If you can dream it, you can do it! Walt should know. He innovated so many "impossible dreams," such as Snow White, the first feature length animated film (released in 1937). That was towards end of the Great Depression of the 30s. Things had been improving slowly yet steadily during the New Deal when Roosevelt put millions back to work on government funded projects (just as President Obama is doing). However, in 1937 the economy took a sudden downturn again. People got scared. Was the country headed for another total collapse?

From a rational, left-brain point of view, that would not have seemed a good time to introduce a new film genre. There were those who thought no one would sit through a long "cartoon" and that Walt was crazy. Well, "they" were wrong, and the rest is history. Snow White was a blockbuster, became a classic and paved the way for a whole new kind of film which became Walt Disney's gift to the world.

Another leap forward into a new form of entertainment was the first Disneyland, and all the theme parks that spun out of it. Walt's "focus phrase" (as we call it in Visioning®) was "to create a place where the whole family could have fun together." Financiers thought Walt was "madder than a hatter" when he approached them about investing in his new scheme. But he listened to his heart and forged ahead. With Herbie Ryman (art director of Fantasia) creating full color renderings of Main Street and other attractions in Walt's mind, they made their Vision boards. Then, in another stroke of genius, Walt borrowed the idea of "commercial sponsorship" used in television. Walt got Carnation, Dow Chemical and other companies to put up the money for sections of Disneyland. They used these stores and attractions as advertising for their firms. Now that is creativity in business.

I take tips from the masters of innovation. They all say the same thing. Listen to your heart! (Step 1 of Visioning®). Think outside the box (Step 2 of Visioning®) and the way will be clear, the clouds will move aside and the sun of your own inner and outer resources will shine through. And there will be wonderful surprises.

Change is what is needed now. And it starts with you. Visioning® your way to a new job, career or business is within your reach. All it takes is scissors and glue, some magazines and paper. Go for it!

For more on the process, go to: VisioningCoach.org.
Or read Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams. You will want to check out the chapters that have to do with finding work, abundance and a career path that is right for you.