How to Create a Winter Inspirational Mood Board

Mood board: there’s a term that’s been around for a while. Does anyone really create these anymore, what with Pinterest and online forums around now?? But an actual, physical (IRL) poster board with pieces of paper, momentos, quotes, photos, etc. glued to it. There’s just something about seeing things in the flesh - not something saved in a digital environment. And yes this is coming from me, a web designer that spends half of my days with my head in all types of digital design spaces. 

Winter Blues

This season we are in - Winter - it really gets a bad rap. It’s (insert expletive!) freezing. It’s dark and the daylight is super short. In the north, we don’t see the sun most days since it’s either snowing or cloudy, further contributing to the “winter blues.” When I moved back to the Wheeling area, I used to think to myself - ‘it takes a really special kind of people to withstand such harsh, winter conditions.’ I call these people “nitty-gritty.” We put up with strong winds, shoveling snow, suiting up just to go check the mail. It can be isolating at times. But come Spring, Summer, and Fall we can be outside almost every day, enjoying the not-so extreme temps and gorgeous landscapes of our beloved WV. Almost Heaven indeed.

So whatever it takes to help us nitty-gritty folk get through the winter. Might I suggest a mood board? After the first-of-the-year hubbub dies down, I find this time to be the best for renewal and new beginnings, as most do. But are we documenting this, making a plan, and dusting off our old-school scrapbooking skills? 

What is a Mood Board?

Remember that scene in “13 Going on 30” where Jennifer Garner’s character gives a badass presentation, all with several mood boards to help nail her point? Love that movie and her design presentation. That’s a great 90s inspired mood board.

Dictionary.com defines it as “a collage of various items, as scenic snapshots, song lyrics, and mementos, used to evoke a desired feeling, style, or ambience for a project or event, and often fashioned as a starting point from which to create an inspiration board.” The site further documents that the mood board was first recorded in 1980–85. 

Anything that began in the 80s is on the top of my list.

My Mood Board Process

I put on some low key music and flip through photos, saved cards with inspirational quotes, dreaming of things I want to accomplish this year, attaching pins and stickers of things I have in mind - anything really that speaks to me. I have time now - I use my time wisely while the world is quiet and cold. As a visual learner, this is where I thrive. This can be used personally or professionally. It can be anything. Just like a brainstorming session, there are no bad ideas here. I’m combining many elements to give me the inspiration that I need to propel me through this season and this year. 

For example, my home office is a majorly creative space. My goal this year is to bring that up onto the walls of my space, to make it completely personalized with only the best things that I love present. Everything has a story and means something to me. I’m letting go of anything that doesn’t serve me anymore. So I've created a mood board for this design project. I’m swapping designing in WordPress with redesigning in my physical office space.

Here is what's on my mood board:

• Claude Monet
• Dream Catchers
• Leather
• Paintings, Sculptures, and Kid Art
• Inspo quotes
• Bright colors and different textures
• Functionality
• Momentos
• A new chandelier
• Things that help with idea creation (Journals, fun pens, fidgets, stress balls, etc.)

There’s something about getting your ideas out onto a giant board that helps to bring them to life. I’ve had these ideas for quite some time, but without verbalizing, printing, and pinning them, they kinda get passed over while other thoughts sometimes overshadow. Your mood board can be your inspiration and your accountability partner. It’s your vision that helps to keep things focused, and effectively communicates the overall goal, even when You are the boss.

What’s on Your Mood Board?

It’s all about having a clear vision, setting goals and creating a space for yourself to look at the bigger picture. No more hum-drumming through the monotony of life and the bitter cold winter. Intention. Purpose. Goals. Fulfillment. Your mood board just might translate into more than one area of your life.