The manifesting I’ve done for years has changed my life. ✨
Lots of people describe manifesting as willing something to happen— but it’s so much more than that.
In fact, that’s probably what gives it a bad rap— everyone simplifies it down to just imagining and thinking. They don’t talk about the importance of action.
So if you want to know how to make a manifestation mood board, you first need to know what manifestation is (and what it isn’t).
What is a Manifestation Mood Board?
A manifestation mood board is a physical or digital board or collage that you design that visually represents your goals, dreams and desires through an array of pictures, words and phrases.
It pretty much combines the art of visualization with The Law of Attraction, helping you to focus on what you want to manifest in your life.
Let’s say your goal is to be a full-time musician. Your manifestation mood board might include:
- An image from the perspective of a stage, looking out to the audience
- A band holding hands and praying before a show
- Backstage images of you getting ready for your show
- A check made out to you for your services as a musician
- Images from inside a decked-out tour van
- Emotive words and phrases like “I am confident,” or “I share my voice with others,” or even short poems that speak to how you want to live your life, always in the present tone
- A map of the venues you want to perform at
What’s the difference between a manifestation board and a vision board
They’re two words that say the same thing. 😊
A mood board for manifestation and a vision board are both physical or digital boards that you’ve created to visualize your goals.
But how exactly does a board like this help you achieve anything?
How Does Manifestation Work?
At its core, manifestation is based on the principle of the Law of Attraction, which states that like attracts like. In other words, the energy you put out into the universe is the energy you attract back to you.
The principle of manifestation is that you’re sending a clear message to the Universe/Source/God about what you want to attract in your life. By doing this as often as possible, you’re aligning your thoughts, beliefs, and actions with the reality you want.
Thoughts, beliefs and visualizations are powerful parts of manifesting. If you wholeheartedly believe that something is possible, the universe will conspire to make it happen. But remember that it’s not by some crazy type of magic, but by your own accord, too.
Think about it— if you’re thinking of buying a Sprinter van, suddenly, you start seeing them everywhere. It’s not that there’s suddenly more in the world, but because you’re putting focus on something that you want, you’re innately conspiring to help you achieve it.
The important part of manifesting is only focusing on what you do want— not what you don’t.
We don’t want a manifesting mood board that says, “No more debt!” Instead, we want it to say “financial abundance,” and a picture of your bank account with the funds in it that you want.
Jim Carrey’s famous manifestation by writing himself a 10 million dollar check for acting services is a great example of manifestation.
“Just before Thanksgiving 1995, I found out that I was gonna make 10 million dollars!” He told Oprah.
Remember: manifestation also involves action. Jim Carrey didn’t just write himself a check and call it a day. He took action to get that winning role.
How Does Manifestation Not Work?
While manifestation is a powerful tool for creating positive change in your life, there are a lot of common misconceptions about it:
🙅♀️ Myth: Manifestation means creating a mood board and visualizing goals.
🙌 Fact: Manifestation requires thoughtful action.
🙅♀️ Myth: Manifestation means wishing for something.
🙌 Fact: Manifestation means strategically creating visuals, phrases, affirmations, and actions in your life that give you steps toward realizing that goal.
🙅♀️ Myth: All I have to do is create a mood board and I’ll be good.
🙌 Fact: There is a such thing as a bad manifestation mood board. If you pepper your page with random images and words without any inspired and thoughtful connection to your goals, it won’t be effective. Manifestation requires focus, intention, and alignment with your desires.
🙅♀️ Myth: Manifestation is a one-time thing.
🙌 Fact: Manifestation is an ongoing process. It’s not enough to create a mood board or visualize your goals once. You need to consistently align your thoughts, beliefs, and actions with your desired outcomes.
🙅♀️ Myth: Manifestation is easy.
🙌 Fact: While manifestation can be a powerful tool, it requires effort and dedication. You need to be willing to take action, face challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.
How Do Mood Boards Work?
Now that we’ve explored the concepts of manifestation and the role of mood boards in the process, let’s take a closer look at how mood boards work and why they are such a powerful tool for manifestation.
Mood boards leverage the psychological principles of visualization and imagery. When you create a mood board, you’re essentially creating a visual representation of your goals and desires. This visual representation can help you clarify your intentions, stay focused on your goals, and reinforce positive beliefs about what is possible.
Neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart explains that mood boards help your brain value-tag, which means imprinting what you manifest into your subconscious.
The more you place images, words and phrases about what you’re manifesting, the more your brain will work to make it happen.
How to Make a Manifestation Mood Board
Making manifestation mood boards should be a regular part of your goal planning! I usually do it once per month but have been thinking of moving it to once every 6-months.
I believe the shorter the time frame goals, the better. While 1 year always seems like an easy place to start, there’s a lot that could happen in one year that I wouldn’t necessarily want to try to strangle with my goals.
Here’s how to make a manifestation mood board the right way!
Step 1: Gather Magazines or Start Pinning on Pinterest.
I love Magnolia Journal as a place to pull images if I’m doing a physical manifestation mood board— as my goals typically have to do with my home, life, and wellness. I might have to print out some pictures related to the performance, but I consider it just a fun Saturday project.
So grab some magazines or start pinning on Pinterest things that you’d love to be a part of your life within the next 6 months (let’s work with that shorter time frame!).
As you gather inspiration, you might notice a few groups, categories or themes that you’re creating— maybe career, relationship, health, and spirituality.
Step 2: Make Your Mood Board.
If you’re making a physical board…
Find a corkboard, poster board, canvas, or even a really strong piece of construction paper! Just pick a size that’ll let you display everything you’ve cut out in a big enough size that you can pass by it and still see everything on it.
If you’re making a digital board…
Use Canva or Milanote to lay out your Pinterest images in 2 formats: 1 that will fit your phone’s background screen, and 1 that will fit your laptop’s desktop wallpaper.
*Make sure to include pictures of you near or around what you want!
Step 3: Put Your Mood Board in a “High-Touch” Area.
If you have a physical one, you can put it…
- On the side of your bathroom or favorite full-length mirror
- On your closet door
- Next to your bed
- On a wall in your office (specifically, one you face for the majority of the day)
If you have a digital one, put it…
- As your phone’s lock screen
- As your desktop’s wallpaper
- In any personal or work dashboards you see every day— like your Notion base.
Step 4: Check in Every 6 Months.
Track your progress once your 6 months are up.
Did you start or even complete anything on the mood board?
What’s still in the works?
Do you have anything you haven’t worked on?
Anything you don’t want to focus on?
You can even create a set of reflection questions for yourself and log them in a personal Notion tracker so you can reflect every 6 months on how you’re doing.
This mini guide should be everything you need to know on how to make a manifestation mood board that’ll make big changes in your life. I wish you everything beautiful in your manifestation journey and am so excited for you to see the wonders that these boards can bring to your life. 🤍
