The V.A.S.T. Model for Manifesting Your Visions
THE V.A.S.T. MODEL
This is an extremely helpful and powerful system for mapping out the process of turning an IDEA into a REALITY :)
V for Vision :
1. Do a Brainstorm / Heartstorm : For 15 minutes, write down all your ideas, without any limitations. Imagine that you had all the money, resources, and a team to build your vision. What would you create? Ask yourself : What vision wants to emerge through me? ( I recommend writing each idea in a little thought bubble, and drawing lines and connections between them. Feel free to be creative in how you draw your ideas, using colors and small drawings! )
2. After the 15 minutes is up, start to simplify your ideas into one project that you want to focus on, and literally turn the IDEAL into the REAL DEAL.
3. Dive into the specifics of this project, and outline the Who, What, Where, When, Why. What will it feel like to bring this dream into reality?
A for Assessment :
1. What are your Needs to fulfill your vision?
2. What Tools, Resources, People, Venues are you already connected to and able to use?
3. Which of these Tools, Resources, People, Venues do you want to pursue?
4. What sort of Support Structure will help you to break through Resistance and Challenges along the way? ( Similar to the Vision Phase, I invite you to create an “Asset Map, where you write each Asset from the questions above in a little thought bubble, and then draw lines and connections between them. )
S for Strategy :
1. Break down all the “Action Steps” necessary to bring your Creative Project from the Ideal to the Real Deal. This process is intimately linked with step 4 of the “Timeline”. The layout of your action steps is dependent on the amount of time you aim to accomplish your project. For example, if you want to finish the project in 1 month, rather than 6 months, you’ll need to create some larger blocks of time devoted to Creative Action.
2. Create a Ritual and Container for you to easily get in the zone (more details on this in the next section).
T for Timeline :
1. You want to map out the dates on which you plan to complete the various parts and Action Steps of the project. It is fun to experiment with different ways of visually laying out your timeline. For example you can use a cyclical, or spiral, design and highlight each week and/or month.
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Now, you’ve got your preparations made and project designed in the V.A.S.T. Model, so it is time for …
Creative Action :
In order to turn the IDEAL into the REAL DEAL, I’ve outlined some key tools and aspects to explore :
a. Intention, Ritual and Container
b. Support and Perseverance
c. Refinement and Feedback
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a. Intention, Ritual and Container
Intention : What type of energy do you want to weave throughout your Creative Project? The key is to have the end goal as a part of your vision, but to also enjoy the process and let the project evolve organically as you go.
Here is an example of an intention I had for my 4-week Online Course “Conscious Creative Expression” : I intend to facilitate a fun, interactive, and transformative course, which will bring about greater clarity and creative empowerment to everyone who takes this journey with me.
Ritual and Container : In order to manifest your Creative Project, it is helpful to create a “Ritual”, which makes creativity “Habitual.” You need to first set aside the Time where you will devote yourself to this project. I recommend choosing blocks of time on your calendar, and make a creativity date with yourself. Whether it’s 20 minutes or 4 hours doesn’t matter so much as that you get into the zone and get your creative juices flowing. Find a time of day where you can set aside the distractions and tasks of daily life.
It is also key to have the proper Space to ritually work on your project. Is your Creative Environment clean and inviting, crystalline and exciting? It is also important to cultivate a healthy “Inner Environment” so that you can think clearly, and have decent posture while creating. I will also add that some of my big creative bursts have come when I felt off kilter, angry, or sad, so don’t be afraid to channel all sides of yourself.
If you flip back a couple pages, you can refer back to the “Environment” section for more ideas on setting up your Creative Space.
Time and Space together form your “Creative Container” : By setting aside all distractions and carving out a block of time, you allow your Subconscious Mind/Body to relax. If you also resonate with your space, then it will be much easier to get in the zone, have fun, and be productive!
If you feel inspired, you can add to your “Creative Ritual” by lighting a candle, calling in your Spirit Guides / Creative Muse, and/or setting a specific intention for that block of time. Don’t forget to have fun!
b. Support and Perseverance :
Along the path of your Creative Project, you will inevitably come up against Resistance, Naysayers, and Challenges. Thus, it is key to have a Support System, and to use the Power of Perseverance! Your Support System and Perseverance Power go hand in hand. Both feed each other in a “Nutritious Cycle” rather than a “Vicious Cycle.”
Support : Your “Support System” is the total combination of People, Places, and Things that will empower and encourage you to keep creating despite challenges. This system will be crucial to shield you from the inevitable onslaught of naysayers (mostly inner critics) and other obstacles in the creative process. Don’t let this scare you because the challenges create the contrast necessary to maintain creative tension and continue growing.
- Supportive People : These are people who can see the vision you are manifesting, and will keep you accountable for the goals you set. They will encourage you to be your best. They can also serve as honest feedback on your project as you bring it into fruition (see next part on Refinement). It is sometimes helpful to have 1 or 2 friends who serve as “coaches” to cheer you on, and make sure you haven’t given up on your dreams.
- These supportive people stand in stark contrast to the many people and inner critic voices that will doubt you along the way. They will say anything possible to demoralize you. It’s as if they are throwing out bait, just patiently waiting for you to bite it. “Your idea has already been done before.” “You are a crappy artist, writer, singer, etc.” “You will never make any money doing this.” “Nobody cares what you have to say.”
- The big 2 questions are : Will you believe these limiting perceptions and bite the bait of these naysayers? Or… Will you remain firm in your creative project, trusting that your intention, vision, action plan, support team, etc. will carry it to fruition?
- Supportive Places / Things / Activities : I find it very helpful to take a break from my personal project and absorb some good vibes from other artists and places. What other creative projects fuel your inspiration? Go to a festival! Go to an art show! Go to a live music performance! These often serve as an injection of inspiration into your creative bloodstream, and remind you of why you are a creative being! This taps into the “Direct Experience Superpower”, which states that “What makes us feel fully alive is the felt presence of direct experience in our BodyMind System. It is crucial to discover what activities bring us deeply into the moment and a state of Wonder-standing the dance of life.”
The Power of Perseverance :
“ Life is not about how many times you fall down. It's about how many times you get back up. ”
~ Jaime Escalante
The Creative process often brings up a lot of our doubts and fears because the outcome is Unknown. This is very scary to the “limited self,” which only feels comfortable with the familiar. Therefore, to be a creative pioneer means that you must develop a relationship with your fears, doubts, and the very real obstacles that will arise on your path.
The goal is not to conquer fear, but to keep a courageous attitude and cultivate your Perseverance Superpowers! Here are a few ideas for that :
High Tide and Low Tide : This is a concept that was shared by a good friend with potent Superpowers, Amateo Ra. The High Tide phase is when everything is cruising along and you are creatively expressing, having great results, and overall feeling awesome! The Low Tide is when things slow down, and you don’t feel creative, energized or productive. This is the best time to cultivate self-care practices. Both High and Low are part of the natural ebb and flow of life. The key is to be aware of both phases, and know how to navigate each one with a level of Mastery.
Here are 3 questions for you to explore on High Tide / Low Tide :
1. For you personally, what are some signs of your High Tide and Low Tide phases?
2. How can you more masterfully navigate the High Tide mode?
3. How can you surf the Low Tides more smoothly?
Passion and Emotion : The deep passion you have to improve the world is the driving force that can reignite your motivation, when you’ve temporarily lost your spark. The emotions you feel — and the empathy you have towards people all over the world going through tough times — can serve as fuel for your fire.
Here are 4 questions on Passion and Emotion :
1. Why do you do what you do?
2. What cause / injustice makes your heart / stomach ache?
3. How can you use your gifts / skills to make a positive difference in the world?
4. What brings your heart the greatest joy?
c. Refinement and Feedback :
It is crucial to remember that you are not alone in your creativity. Sometimes I think I have to do a project all by myself, though when I open to the input and feedback of friends, I often have huge breakthroughs and realize the process is easier than I initially foresaw.
Trust the Process : It is important to let your project evolve organically. Let yourself be fairly flexible with the outcome, and trust that there is a larger creative spirit weaving through you. To co-create with this larger, mysterious force is a miraculous process. Many times I receive a vision that sparks a project, and, in addition to mapping it out, I leave space for it to evolve as I receive feedback from friends, family, spirit guides, etc.
Refinement : Remember how Michelangelo explained that the statue already exists within the piece of marble, and that you must simply chisel away the excess? This touches on the Superpower of Refinement. It is a process of honing your craft / project until it reaches a state that truly reflects your best efforts and greatest potential. With this in mind, it’s also important to be wary of perfectionism, where you never finish a project because you are too concerned with reaching an unreachable ideal.
Refinement requires 3 main ingredients :
1. Humility : The recognition that your first attempt at anything is not usually your best, and that you must practice over and over again to cultivate a masterpiece in whatever area you focus on. We all make errors, and we all have blind spots, so it’s crucial to cultivate a healthy foundation of humility.
2. Openness : You must also be humble enough to receive feedback from others and tweak your project if the outside opinion resonates with you. Friends, family, and mentors can help you see your creation from a new perspective, and potentially illuminate some of your Blind Spots.
3. Strong Internal Compass : Tying in with the first two, you must also hold strong to your core values and inner truth. You will certainly come up against naysayers who nag at you to do it their way, or they tell you “It can’t be done.” The key is to have a strong connection with what you know to be true, so that you can’t get shaken by all the doubters.
3 Questions on Refinement and Feedback :
1. In the past, how have you responded to Feedback from others?
2. How has Feedback benefitted your creative process and how has it been a detriment?
3. What are some of your Blind Spots when it comes to Creativity? Trick question! You can’t see them! Haha, just kidding, but truly we often cannot see some important aspects of our project, which is why feedback is so beneficial.
—— Whew! I know that is a lot to take in, but its not meant to happen overnight. This is a helpful set of tools and philosophies for you to implement over weeks, months, and years to slowly but surely Manifest your Visions :)
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