New Moon Intention, Feb. 13, 2010 | Visual Journal by Lisa Sonora Beam
Recently I’ve gotten back into the habit of setting intentions on the new moon. It’s supposed to be time of strong energy for new beginnings.
The idea is that the intention you set at the new moon will come to fruition at the next new moon. So if you try this, and are working on your goals, choose things that are do-able within a one-month time frame.
The next new moon is coming up on Monday, March 15 — so this is a quick, creative project you can do over the weekend, or, my personal favorite time: a Friday night art date with a friend or two.
One of my themes this year is: Love, Create, Meditate.
I wanted to set some intentions for each of those area for the month, so I painted and trimmed some index cards and made a pocket for them out of a piece of decorative paper.
On each card I did a little journaling on the topic, which helped form the intention.
Creativity, in the form of spontaneous, unedited, stream-of-conscious writing, forms the intentions.
For the sake of showing you how this works for me, I’ll share what I wrote.
My intentions:
Love: Right now, my intentions regarding Love for this new moon are about loving my life exactly as it is. I would say: love myself. But that phrase makes me blanche. Too new-agey.
I love to paint. To create. To express love. I’m happy when I’m present.
Instead of looking for things/people outside to make me happy, I have to find tings to feel appreciation for, and DO the things I love to do. Happiness is a result of doing those two things:
1. Appreciation: Find things to appreciate no matter what is happening.
2. DO more of what I love.
Appreciation activates love, It’s automatically an act of self-love because we are all one/it is all one. I am so happy when I’m painting and writing. Need lots more painting.
“Paint as you like and die happy.” - Henry Miller
Create: Well, I could repeat the Love card here exactly.
My intention is to create more and worry less.
When I’m creating, I can’t be worrying. It’s been challenging to set a schedule for creative work. I intend to do something creative every day and acknowledge and give credit for such actions.
I’m way more creative and productive than I give myself credit for. So maybe the kindest creative act this moon cycle is about giving myself credit.
Yes. This feels good when I consider it. How about a nice piece of accounting ledger paper with a list of all of my creative actions? [note: to see how I implemented this very idea, check out: To-Do List Antidote: Daily Creative Actions.]
Meditate: Connecting with source is really the highest act of love and the highest act of creativity.
Might I kindly give myself a whole bunch more credit for that?
Ah….yes. Big space opens up. I intend to incorporate 5 sun salutes* into my meditation practice this moon.
One of my favorite quotes from A Course in Miracles:
Where your heart is,
there is your treasure also.
Try this at home:
Set an Intention
Whether or not you time your intentions to the new moon cycles, the regular setting of intentions is a powerful creative practice. A quick google search will give you the dates of the lunar calendar, just search for new moon, with the month and year.
Make Your Intention Visible
You don’t need any art supplies at all to do this. Grab a few index cards or any sheet of paper and write out your intentions. Keep them in your calendar, or better yet, write them into your calendar, so you can refer to them often.
If you want to play with art suppies, and keep it simple, just having the paper in a color that thrills you is enough.
Visual Journal Your Intentions
If you want to try visual journaling, here’s an easy way to start. If you already visual journal, this is something you can do quickly, pretty much anywhere. I do most of my work these days at a tiny kitchen counter.
Write out your intention on one side of an index card, or on a piece of decorative cardstock or scrapbook paper cut to size.
Quickly flip through a magazine you like, and grab an image that represents your intention.
The image does not have to be literal. For example, you might find an image of a mountain to represent an intention for meditation or exercise; an image of a clean kitchen (don’t see many “real life” kitchens in the ads!) to represent reducing clutter.
The point with the image is that it is something that makes you feel good when you look at it.
The Power of Intention is Amplified by Visual Cues
This visual reminder of what you are intending is a great support to the subconscious mind, and our more primitive, reptilian brain—parts of ourselves that do not respond well to the rational mind. These intention cards work like mini visioning boards.
*Sun Salutes are a short routine from yoga that are done with many variations. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class of almost any kind, you done these moves.
Share Your Experience
How do you work with setting intentions? Have you ever done a visioning board? What sorts of results have you had? Do you visual journal, or is this all new for you? Tell us in the comments or send me an email.
Other articles related to this topic:
Read about why it’s easier for me to go naked in public rather than sharing my visual journals. Um, sorry, no pictures of the naked part.
Make your own Creative Actions Account Book, and a look at mine.
I wrote a 4-part series on Goal Setting for Creatives, which shows you my planning process gives a complete set of tutorials on how to do your own Visual Strategic Plan. Start with Part one here.
p.s. If you want to get an in-depth experience of this work, the best way to do that is to come on down to one of my workshops. I do very few of these, and they are limited to about 10 people. A workshop like a whole weekend of coaching with me for less than what I charge for an individual session.
Early registration discounts and other special offers are available to anyone who receives my occasional emails. You can get on the list over to the right in the sidebar.
More Inspiration
Jamie Ridler a creative coach and artist in Toronto, has a cool Full Moon Dreamboard process that you can participate in online. Hmnn… I ‘m thinking my new moon intention for this month will be to do a Full Moon Dreamboard.
If you are interested in daily creative acts, check out Creative Every Day, the luscious and inspiring website by Leah Piken Kolidas. She hosts regular Creative Every Day challenges which are a great place to connect with others.
I was thinking about her work when I was wondering what my daily creative action might be.
See More Visual Journal Peeks Here This is list of articles that show more of my own visual journals, on a variety of topics done all around the world.
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Howdy! I’m Lisa Sonora Beam, author of The Creative Entrepreneur. I teach people how to get unstuck and use their creativity to make a living doing what they love. 
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Lovely post Lisa – I always love to see how other people do things. New moon, as you say, is a powerful time to set intentions. The visual cue is magical both as a reminder and in the manifestation of thought. It gives the thought energy and resonance. I love your focus on more nurturance and love for YOU, wonderful creative you.
My dear Lisa
So sinchronicity, I just finished preparing my new workshop : THE POP UP and I use a lot of tools you translate me. I was thinking about you for your pantings…… so much, so deep experience. I will give you next time more news, POP UP made me creezy of CREATIVITY !!!
Bye cosmic sister……
Hi! I really enjoyed reading about your new moon intention activities. I do things like this too. I also incorporate crystals into my intentions as I use those in many areas of my life. The quote you mentioned from A Course In Miracles is from the Bible and I’ve always loved it as well! I JUST ordered A Course In Miracles but haven’t received it yet. I’ve read bits and pieces of it so am excited to receive it and really delve into it. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, because I don’t mean it cruelly at all. But, I had to chuckle a bit when I read where you said you would say “I love myself” but it sounded too New Agey because even though rituals such as the new moon one you write about have been part of cultures for thousands of years most people would say your whole idea/article is new age! But, I do know what you mean. Some things just sound too trite/new age. I noticed an ad for a book by you so I’m going to go check it out! Glad I found your site!
Namaste!
@moonmagick about new-agey: you’re right. I think a more apt description is too “self-help-y”. But this is my stream-of-conscious journal writing, unedited. I laughed, too, thinking others might find it new age. Labels are so challenging!
@Natalie Bonjour! Can’t wait to hear more about Pop Up. I’m so glad the tools from the Mexico retreat continue to inspire you.
Such an interesting post! I will try setting my intentions on the next New Moon
invitation to “Starry Desires” Emerging Visions #18
http://emergingvisions.blogspot.com/2010/04/submission-guidelines-i-am-looking-for.html
In this time of Cosmic changes, the theme is “Starry Desires”
Retire War mentality; find inspiration in the stars. Show us what you desire, what moves you to beauty.
http://emergingvisions.blogspot.com
Emerging Visions visionary art ‘zine
Expected to emerge in early August — please submit by the last Monday in July 2010.
Share and Enjoy ~