The power of Pinterest: more than cupcakes and couture?

I first heard of Pinterest last year from a client of mine. I scribbled it down and finally joined some months later. I have to admit it took me a while to figure out how to “pin” and what the fuss was all about, but my mouth dropped when I heard on the news that the number of Pinterest users has grown more than 6 fold in the last 6 months.  And with good reason.

Pinterest is cool. Really cool. Once I gave it a chance, I became completely fascinated by the plethora of recipes, art and home decor. Only on Pinterest can you find a cake that looks like a watermelon, gardens made of wine bottles, and a bouquet full of bourbon. Super creative stuff.

But Pinterest isn’t just cupcakes and couture.

My client actually brought it up to tell me how great it was that she found a site where you can use the internet to create a vision map.

A what, you ask? A vision map. It is a recipe of sorts, but not one that you’ll find in any cookbook.

Vision mapping is near and dear to my heart, so much so that I started running workshops on them a couple of years ago. In a nutshell it’s a creative process where you spend some time connecting to images that you’d like to bring into your life and arranging them on a “board.”

The process hinges on a concept that I wholeheartedly believe in: once you get clarity on what it is you want to create for yourself and your life, you align yourself with the energy to make it happen. And this stuff is powerful. Really powerful. Whether you do it with images or words, having that clarity on what you want makes all the difference in the world in manifesting your desires.

So before you dismiss all this as new age mumbo-jumbo and go back to making cupcakes, let me give you a couple of examples of just how powerful having a vision can be.

Several years ago when I was single and wanted to be in a relationship (before I knew anything about vision maps) I heard of an exercise from Oprah. The exercise was to make a list of 100 qualities you’d like in an ideal partner. Not 25 or 50, but 100. And to be specific. A bit daunted by the task, I got to work making my list…must like travel, kids, broccoli…you get the point.

Fast forward a year, and I was dating my (now) husband. My roommate reminded me of that list I made. I had completely forgotten about it but found it at the bottom of my sock drawer. Would you believe that aside from not driving a motorcycle, he met over 95/100 of the things on my list? No joke.

And just the other day I was talking to a good friend in Argentina who made her 100 list last year.  She called to tell me she had met the man of her dreams and had just gotten engaged.

But perhaps the most powerful testament is when I look at my vision map from a few years ago when I was in the midst of transition, both personally and professionally. I had just left my stable, salaried job to take a leap into the unknown and follow my passion by starting SoulFull Wellness. I was scared and unsure where the future would lead. I placed this map in my office and looked at it daily.

Well I don’t have a massive garden (yet) or house in the woods, but in just over two years I have made many of my visions on here come true (even down to the stroller in the kitchen!) And  I give thanks every day.

So to me, that’s where Pinterest can be really exciting.

Not only because it’s cool and trendy and has great recipes, but because it’s a platform where we can begin the process of getting clarity on what is is we really want. Where we can leap and dream and let our imaginations run wild. Where we can use the endless array of information and images on the web to bring our own visions to life.

So along with recipes to try, cool clothes and home ideas, create a board and call it your 2012 vision. Put anything on there that catches your eye and strikes your fancy. Maybe it’s a quote, a beautiful piece of art or a dream home.

Go for it. You never know what’s around the corner.

Have you tried making a vision map before? What do you think?