Draw your vision!!

What is your vision? Where are you now towards that vision?

Those two questions are really difficult to be answered. The word vision is usually echoed in leadership courses, in relation to the organisation or institution that are being led. A great leader should have a vision. Ok, but why? Or maybe first of all the question should be changed, what is vision?

In the article by Neil H. Snyder and Michelle Graves, vision is defined as an idea for the future. It enables a leader to see the future without being far-sighted and remain rooted in the present without being near-sighted. Its importance is pointed in the beginning of the article by a quote from the Book of Proverb, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" ( Proverbs 28: 19). They further explained that vision acts as a force within, giving a leader purpose, and compelling him to action.

As it is important in business or in other organisation, I think it is also important for every individual to have their own vision in life. It is the spark in our heart that keep us going, that help us continue doing whatever we are doing through all the circumstances. It is the key that makes us living our lives purposefully. And I personally understand it as the call God has put in my heart to fulfill His purpose in my life.

Finding out our vision can be hard. But I believe that actually everyone has something that he wants to achieve in his life, a dream, a wish, or whatever it is; only that articulating it sometimes can be difficult. Interestingly, in Japan there is an art company (Yes, art company!!) named White Ship, Inc. which believes that art functions as the media for dialogue, discovery and expression; and whose business is to help people articulating their vision through art in a workshop called Vision Workshop.

By chance, as part of a course that I am joining at the moment, I got the opportunity to participate in that Vision Workshop. At the beginning of the workshop we learned how to appreciate an artwork. There is no right or wrong on this. We were asked to express in words whatever came in our minds when we observed the artwork, and try to give that artwork a title. It was interesting to see how people perceive things differently, which was obvious during that "appreciation" session. In the next session we were introduced to White Ships's artwork technique and challenged to make it ourselves. But before we started, we were given a set of questions to help us identifying our vision and how we feel about our lives and towards that vision. We are allowed to draw as we like. The only rule was that once we pick a colored paper (we drawed on a of colored paper and we could choose any color we like), we were not allowed to take another paper, but we were allowed to erase our drawing and start again. After finishing with the "artwork" session, we were again asked to appreciate each other work and tell others about our own work. The last session was a concluding part where we were asked to reflect on our work and how we feel about our lives and our vision after making the artwork.

Before closing the workshop, the CEO of White Ship gave a touching words. She said it is sometimes dificult to understand our lives, to find out what we really want to do in our lives. But everyone faces the same difficulty, and it is exactly that difficulty which can turn us into great people. And like that only sheet of paper we had to draw, we also have only one life to live. We often make mistakes, but we can always erase them and start all over again.

I personally love this workshop. It's been sooo long since I explored the creative side of me, so I found it very enjoyable. I also love this workshop because it's unique and more effective in helping me to ponder upon my life and find direction towards life.

Last but not least, here are some pictures from the workshop..

Kuni Yazawa, the White Ship's artist

Learning to appreciate artwork

What is your vision?

Our artworks =)