Liana Laverentz: Create a Collage.....Zen Moments.

A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through some old Oprah magazines, looking for pictures and quotes I wanted to use to make a collage of all the goodness I want to bring into my life. Oprah puts out a very positive magazine, so I like getting ideas from that one. I made a poster-size collage six years ago, as a creativity exercise with some writer friends, and didn’t think much of it, other than it was a fun thing to do. But I liked it enough that I framed it and put it up in my bedroom.

Then the oddest thing happened. Within a few years, everything that I had put into that collage, which was about the things that fed my soul, showed up in my life. Without even thinking of it, just having it on the wall, my subconscious mind went about creating the circumstances that would be needed to bring the things in that poster into my life.

Some might call it weird, but I know it happened. One day I looked up at this poster I hadn’t paid much attention to over the past couple of years, had barely looked at—you know how we tend to not see what is in front of us every day--and realized everything in it was now in my life. I was stunned. I’d read about this kind of thing happening, the power of intention and all that, but…

So over the holidays I created a new collage.

You might want to try one, too. All you have to do is go through magazines and clip or rip out pages that have something on them that appeals to you for some reason. A picture, a quote, a splash of color, even. Some of the stuff I ripped out made no sense. But it came together for me when I put the collage together. And you don’t have to use everything you clip out. I now have two files, one of pictures and one of quotes, to use for future collages. You can do them randomly, like free-association, or choose a theme.

It was a wonderful way to relax and have some “me” time in the midst of a very busy season. It’s also a great way to get rid of all those old magazines you have lying around and don’t know what to do with, too. If you don’t have time to do a full poster-size one, do a smaller one. There are no rules to this sort of thing. And if you're a writer, you can do one for your current work in progress, and post it near your desk as a motivational tool.

You’ll be amazed at how creative it makes you feel.

Liana Laverentz is the award-winning author of two deeply emotional contemporary romances from The Wild Rose Press, Thin Ice and Jake’s Return, both of which will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride you won’t soon forget. For those who love romantic suspense, her newest release, Ashton’s Secret, is a page turner of a murder mystery romance. Liana is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Washington Romance Writers, The Polka Dot Banner, and a past President of Pennwriters, Inc. In her spare time, she loves to watch movies, Law and Order, and concert DVDs. She also loves to make soup. Check out her blog, where she also discusses how to find balance in our lives, women’s health issues, and writes a weekly inspirational post. For more information, go to http://www.lianalaverentz.com/