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® Coaching: Support for Dreams Coming True

One-on-One: The Visioning® Coach Process

Rooted in my 30 plus years of work with private clients as well corporate and job outplacement consulting, I've developed a method of one-on-one coaching based on my book, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Few things are more exciting than being mid-wife to other people's dreams coming true. Some clients work with me in person. They get to see the fruits of my own personal Visioning®: the very environment I live and work in. Clients who work with me on the phone, use my book which includes the illustrated story of how I Visioned my home and studio and the nearby coastline (see previous blogs). I also have a consortium of Certified Visioning® Coaches I have trained (listed on VisioningCoach.org)

One-on-one Visioning® Coaching always starts with the client making a collage, either at home or in the first double (2 hour) session. Again, coaching is done in person or by phone. Afterward, the client is guided through a simple interview during each session and given assignments to be done during the week between. Sessions are usually a half hour in length in a 13 week series. In these sessions, a certified Visioning® Coach also leads the client through journaling activities, Voice Dialogue, Embodiment exercises, and much more. There is "homework", such as journaling and regular viewing of the collage-as-visual-affirmation for keeping the momentum going. Clients move through the 10 steps described in the book with support and a sense of accountability to themselves.

Tobey Crockett, an artist living in the Cambria area, worked privately with me a couple of years back. As is so common with one-on-one clients, she discovered wonderful surprises and new talents as she engaged in the Visioning® coaching process. Starting with collage-making on her own, she did movement and Voice Dialogue in sessions with me based on images in the collages. This helps to make the dream more physical and open up personality traits and aspects longing to come out in relation to the dream.

At home Tobey did art and writing in her journal with the content of her collages, which led to a delightful series of paintings of her Inner Brat. She has gone on to create 3-D versions of this character as well. The energy and immense outpouring of Tobey's innate creativity was really something to behold. Once she got started, there was no holding her back. This was a whole new direction for Tobey as she discovered her Inner Brat, an aspect of our personalities which we all have but which we often squelch in the name of propriety and convention.

Tobey's celebration of her Inner Brat grew out of my Inner Child Work, which is part of the Visioning® process. The Inner Child work was presented in my bestseller, Recovery of Your Inner Child and brings a playful and creative dimension to Visioning®. And that is the richness and uniqueness of this process: it incorporates so many expressive arts techniques, like the Creative Journal, Voice Dialogue with art, embodiment through role-laying and more. See LuciaC.com for more on the full array of methods. These methods all blend together naturally in the Visioning® coach process. That's why certified Visioning® Coaches are first trained in my Creative Journal Expressive Arts program. In order to help client's find hidden talents and new ideas and directions from the deepest well of creativity and innovation, the coach uses many expressive arts techniques. And this works for everyone. Not just artists and so-called creative people. We are all creative. We just need to tap into what is already there.

When Tobey (in gray in the photo here) joined me in sharing one of her fabulous Brat paintings at a Visioning® Coach Training Intensive, the group was so inspired by her story of discovery and deeper creative expression. For more about Tobey and her work, go to www.tobeycrockett.com.

There is an enthusiasm in the air when people tell about how their fondest dreams came true. You can experience this for yourself. Why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose but the blues. Get more inspiration from the dozens of career change, job and business stories in my book Visioning. (LuciaC.com)