“16 CARRIAGES”
What have you done afraid?
A couple of years ago, as we were entering into another new year, I felt that overwhelming feeling of “What will next year look like?” Did I accomplish what I wanted to do this year? Can I take on anything new next year? Should I even set goals? What are goals? *endless intrusive thoughts* Luckily I stumbled across a woman’s social media page who started talking about “mood boards.” Me to me: “What are those?? I’ve known about vision boards and recently learned about prayer boards but what is a mood board? And why do we have so many boards??!”
I was intrigued and looked into this new phenomenon a little deeper. I immediately fell in love with the idea! Tbh, a vision board devoted to goals for an entire year (or longer) feels a little overwhelming. I created my very first vision board in January 2020 and we all know what happened in February 2020… just throw that whole year away… Then in 2022, I dusted myself off and tried again, but I didn’t like the finished product, so the vision board never made it to any wall or any visible space in my home. I don’t have the best experience with vision boards. But that’s okay because now I have my mood boards!
You may be wondering what a mood board is. A mood board differs slightly from a vision board, but they’re both forms of creative expression, so ultimately you make the rules.
A mood board focuses on capturing a specific feeling or aesthetic vibe through a collection of images, while a vision board is a more goal-oriented tool, representing specific aspirations and achievements you want to manifest in your life, often including images and words that symbolize those goals; essentially, a mood board is about “how you want to feel,” while a vision board is about “what you want to achieve.” Miro.
Rather than setting my intentions on what I want to achieve or how I want to feel for a year, I create monthly mood boards. Towards the end of each month, I take a moment to pause and reflect: how has this current month progressed? what are the short-term goals I want to achieve? are there any scriptures or mantras that will motivate me and help keep me on track? how am I currently feeling? Then I consider how to portray that in my mood board.
These mood boards aren’t hung on my wall either. I keep them in a very special but effective place. My cellphone! They’re saved as my wallpaper. It’s the perfect location because it’s intimate and personal but also regularly visible to me. Here’s my February 2025 Mood Board:
What do you see in this mood board? How does it make you feel?
Okay, I know what you’re probably thinking — here’s another member of the Beyhive. I am a fan of Beyoncé and her work, but I wouldn’t consider myself a part of the Beyhive (if anyone wants to sponsor my ticket so I can see Bey in concert for the first time, I’ll have no objections!)
Let me break down my thought process behind creating this month’s mood board:
Beyoncé holding 3 Grammys: when I saw this photo on Beyoncé’s Instagram after the 2025 Grammy Awards, it said so much while doing so little. A picture is worth a thousand words and this one speaks VOLUMES. Beyoncé was dismissed, critiqued, and ignored at the 2016 CMAs. She was told that she couldn’t do “country.” So what did Bey do? She did “country!” Beyoncé has always been unapologetic in who she is as an artist, wife, mother, daughter, and pioneer. Her musical career is a depiction of what it means to “do it anyway,” “I won’t take no for an answer,” and “I dare them to try and stop me!” She headlined the halftime show for the NFL game on Christmas Day in her hometown, Houston, TX. She took matters into her own hands while paving the way for other Black country artists. Beyoncé won THREE GRAMMYS for one project and was the first Black woman to win Best Country Album! #BlackHERstoryMonth
Whether you’re a fan of Beyoncé or not, we can all learn from this iconic moment. Are you brave enough to do it anyway? Will you take no for an answer? How can you pave the way for others in your industry? What do you want your legacy to look like?
The 3 women figures along the bottom: this same photo was on my January mood board. Underneath each figure are the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. The photo depicts growth, taking our pains and flipping them into joys, and securing a life of abundance from a temporary moment of brokenness. In 2023, I ended a terrible relationship that left me with a whirlwind of emotions. 2024 was my year of healing and gathering my bearings. Now, in 2025 — let me just say, “This current chapter is called ‘My Turn!'” 🖤 That’s the kind of mood and energy I’m taking with me throughout 2025!
It’s simple. It’s powerful. I love it! Time to figure out what March’s Mood Board will look like.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11, NIV.
“At fifteen, the innocence was gone astray, Had to take care of home at an early age, I saw Mama cryin’, I saw Daddy lyin’, Had to sacrifice and leave my fears behind, The legacy, if it’s the last thing I do, You’ll remember me ’cause we got somethin’ to prove, In your memory, on a highway to truth, Still see our faces when you close your eyes, Sixteen carriages drivin’ away, While I watch them ride with my dreams away.” — Beyoncé, Sixteen Carriages
Moni Jay, Off the Record
