I’ll never forget the days of the traditional mood board. You know the one, where you’d cut out magazine clippings of things you liked, Elmers-glue them to a poster board, prop it up in your room, give it a good stare and say to yourself, “Yep. This is the life I’m going to lead.” 

And hey, it may or may not have gone exactly as you imagined on that white poster board, but that wasn’t necessarily the point. It was a collection of ideas, concepts, or things that made you happy or inspired you in some way. And that is, in my opinion—priceless!

And fortunately, we have a modernized way of doing this that results in a lot less glue and paper cuts—Pinterest! 

Oh how I love Pinterest. 

I feel that it has become the quintessential mood board of the 21st century. It’s not just for saving recipes or life hacks, but it’s allowed us a space to play around, find things/photos/concepts that make us smile and inspire us and put them in a collection to reference to (or just have for the fun of it!) 

I, also, think the combination of the words “pin” and “interest” is wicked clever. Just a small aside that makes me feel satisfied. 

So how do I use Pinterest you may or may not be wondering? Allow me to explain! 

It can feel overwhelming if you aren’t too sure what direction you want to go in. When you open your Pinterest, you are hit in the face with all sorts of images with all sorts of themes behind them. If yours is anything like mine, you might have a photo of a cute heel/sock combo next to a recipe for the best potato soup. 

So yes, I understand if you don’t feel there is much cohesion to begin a board or anything. But there doesn’t have to be cohesion—that’s why it’s awesome! Pinterest is, to use a past cool-kind-slang, so random! 

I think it’s best to use Pinterest to create collections of images that can reflect different vibes, moods, themes, ideas, and aesthetics. And don’t be too fixated on making them ultra-organized, allow them to evolve and go in whatever direction they are heading towards naturally! 

Pinterest is random and all over the place. And that’s the point! So are our minds and lives! 

It’s so exciting to allow yourself to wander and get lost in Pinterests infinite stream of images, ideas, and vibes.

I think we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves on things that are meant to serve as inspiration, entertainment, or just the simple joys in life. I think you just start pinning what you like and go from there! There really isn’t a formula or a “right way” to go about it, it is a world you can escape in for a bit and enjoy that is perfectly curated to you! 

I know the modern algorithm utilization might be frustrating at times, but that’s also what makes it such a great and useful platform. Pinterest’s algorithm can help you pinpoint “hey you like this thing and that thing, so I have a hunch you might also like this!” and it can help you discover things you might not have to begin with. It is such a playful space that allows you to explore, learn, and be creative! 

Something else I really enjoy and find useful is putting together a general mood board, with no cohesion except the vibe or the fact that I just like it! I’ve created Pinterest mood boards for a certain season in my life and how I wanted the vibe to feel or a vibe I wanted to try to achieve in my life—and it could include a woven beach bag, a pizza that looked both yummy and aesthetic, and a photo of a door knocker. None of it necessarily has to make sense to anyone else, it is something for you to enjoy, resonate with, and attempt if you please! 

All in all, I recommend completely embracing the randomness of Pinterest. It’s not just a place to save dinner ideas for the night or DIY projects; it is a modern-day mood board that allows us to create collections of inspiration, ideas, aesthetics, and pure vibes that resonate with us personally. Whether it’s perfectly curated boards with a specific idea in mind, or simply pinning what makes us feel good, Pinterest is a space to explore, learn, and be creative! There is no right or wrong way of using it—just get lost and get creative! 

Happy Pinning!