Mood boards are visual representations of basically anything. It can consist of words and images. This “collage” style board can be used to contain ideas on room decor, clothing, goals, events, etc.
Although they require some time and intention, there are many positives of mood boards. They clarify the vision; one uses various things to create a cohesive vision to communicate their intention. They are fluid, meaning you can add to them, use different mediums, and collaborate between various pieces. They encourage collaboration; mood boards can be especially helpful when there are multiple people working on a project. People who are more inclined towards using visuals to learn and communicate can find mood boards to be a great way to create a shared vision and execute a joint project.
My most-often form of mood boards is Pinterest. If you do not know what Pinterest is, it is basically a collection of pictures. I spend an embarrassing amount of time on Pinterest; however, I always feel like it is beneficial. It helps me think of ideas on what to wear or how to decorate my room. It is also filled with inspiring quotes, pieces of art, things to buy, basically anything. So, Pinterest and Pinterest boards are basically digital mood boards. This is what my Pinterest home page looks like:
In all, Pinterest boards help me visualize my goals or desires. It helps me focus my actions. For example, if I am going to get my nails done, I can consult my Pinterest board and see what nail design I have been adding the most. Or, when I am going shopping, I can reference my board to review what type of clothing items I want to buy. Also, when I want to start a new art project, I can go to my art board and decide what project I want to take on, whether that is making an oil painting, sculpture, or collage.
Pinterest boards and mood boards in general can have deeper meanings than just deciding what I should wear for one day. I have created boards with my goals for a time period and sayings I want to actualize in the future. Here are a few pins I have saved in my 2023 board:
They focus on fitness, reading, and positive affirmations.
There is a LARGE Pinterest community. You can find basically anything you want on the app (or at least I can). However, there are multiple platforms you can use to create digital mood boards, including Design Systems, Dribbble, Behance, styletil.es, Moodshare, and PatternTap.
Although digital mood boards are convenient, I also appreciate and value physical mood boards. There is something intentional and special about the act of collecting images, printing out pictures, and physically displaying them in front of you, on a board or on a wall.
Here are some examples of mood boards:
My younger sister and I thoroughly enjoyed making our own mood boards. It is a great way to positively spend time with other people, and it is relatively easy to make.
Overall, I find mood boards to be a great way to visualize my intentions. I can create something concrete, unique, and creative to guide my actions.
I love Pinterest! My mom got me into it a long time ago, and it is useful for so many things. I’m a big fan of organization, so Pinterest is very satisfying to me. I don’t know why I never made the connection that the boards are literally mood boards because they definitely serve the same purpose as a mood board. I’ve always wanted to make a physical mood board for the year or something.
Rocky,
Somehow you have perfectly pinpointed your personality through each of these posts. Your Pinterest is the same exact way, I can see your style and personality just flowing from this page. I think perfectly curated Pinterest boards are such a great form of expression and are little art galleries. There is something so simple about a Pinterest board that just allows one to gather their thoughts and plans in one solid location which can be very fun to refer back to at times. I have a few from before I came to Penn State which is now fun to look back on and see what things I did and did not end up going through with. I am such a big planner so having this space to do so in an organized manner is such a great thing. I fully support this form of expression of yours and loved the images you included in this post.
Somehow you have perfectly pinpointed your personality through each of these posts. Your Pinterest is the same exact way, I can see your style and personality just flowing from this page. I think perfectly curated Pinterest boards are such a great form of expression and are little art galleries. There is something so simple about a Pinterest board that just allows one to gather their thoughts and plans in one solid location which can be very fun to refer back to at times. I have a few from before I came to Penn State which is now fun to look back on and see what things I did and did not end up going through with. I am such a big planner so having this space to do so in an organized manner is such a great thing. I fully support this form of expression of yours and loved the images you included in this post. The pictures on the mood boards remind me of the photo wall in your dorm as it perfectly encapsulates your personality.
Rocky, I love this blog post. As a college student, it can sometimes be hard to focus on who you are and who you want to become. A mood board seems like a great way to stay cemented in who you are and not lose vision of who you truly are. After all, happiness is found within yourself, not others.