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Patrons put their dreams on paper during Burbank Library’s ‘vision board’ party

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In the center of the vision board that Bernadette Woodson was working on she glued the phrase “Live your best life,” a sentiment she is eager to fulfill this year.

This past July, Woodson was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and left Burbank for treatment in Ohio to be closer to family. Early last month, just six weeks after returning to California, she was told she had colon cancer.

Woodson underwent surgery three weeks ago and will begin chemotherapy soon. However, she is determined to put her illnesses behind her this year.

“I’m beginning anew,” she said. “I just want to revive [my life] again.”

About two dozen people showed up to create vision boards from magazine cuttings at a do-it-yourself vision board party at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016.

About two dozen people showed up to create vision boards from magazine cuttings at a do-it-yourself vision board party at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Woodson and 23 other people — armed with glue sticks, scissors and dozens of magazines — gathered in a room at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Library for a do-it-yourself vision board party on Saturday.

“My goal was just to get people together,” said librarian Jen Ullrich, who put together the event.

Vision boards are visual representations of one’s hopes, goals or resolutions meant to serve as a sort of subliminal encouragement.

The idea, Ullrich said, is to put the board where it can be seen and focused on every day, with the hope that the goals “will kind of seep in” and start to feel actionable.

Editions of magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Better Homes and Gardens, Vanity Fair and Travel + Leisure filled the tables as attendees — mostly women — thumbed through them for inspiration, cutting out photos, art or quotations that aligned with their vision and placing them on their board.

Burbank resident Elizabeth Ayiku designed her vision board mainly as a map of the Los Angeles area to encourage herself to see more of the city she calls home.

Burbank resident Elizabeth Ayiku designed her vision board mainly as a map of the Los Angeles area to encourage herself to see more of the city she calls home.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Burbank resident Elizabeth Ayiku designed her board mainly as a map of the Los Angeles area to encourage herself to see more of the city she calls home.

“Anywhere I live, I never do anything fun. I just work and go home,” she said. “Whenever my friends come to visit, I never know what to show them.”

That’s something she hopes to change by encouraging herself to explore more of Southern California, including a trip to Disneyland, where she’s never been.

“It really is a nice way to just kind of focus,” said JoAnn Lowrie, who was invited to the workshop by her friend Lori Bender.

Lowrie and Bender were joined by several other women from a meet-up group dubbed “Girlfriends of Burbank.”

JoAnn Lowrie, center, of Sun Valley, and friend Lori Bender, left of center, thumb through magazines looking for items to cut out for their vision boards during Buena Vista Branch Library's vision board party in Burbank on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016.

JoAnn Lowrie, center, of Sun Valley, and friend Lori Bender, left of center, thumb through magazines looking for items to cut out for their vision boards during Buena Vista Branch Library’s vision board party in Burbank on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

On Lowrie’s board were quotations including “Reclaim your confidence,” and “It’s OK to not be perfect.” She cut out a photo of a butterfly to represent recent life changes.

“I really want to focus more on career [and] getting healthy,” she said.

Lowrie works as an assistant director for films and television shows — with credits including “Cold Case,” “Veep” and “Transparent” — and said that, for a while, she’s wanted to transition into the director’s chair, but has kept that goal to herself.

“This year, I’m actually telling people I want to do it,” Lowrie said.

Ullrich said her goal for the program was to bring people together and think about what they want for themselves, and her expectations were exceeded.

“The tables were all separated before and then slowly they started joining together,” Ullrich said.

Bernadette Woodson, of Burbank, shows off the progress of her vision boards at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. After battling two cancer diagnoses put her life “on hold” last year, Woodson said she wants to focus on getting back into the swing of things.

Bernadette Woodson, of Burbank, shows off the progress of her vision boards at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. After battling two cancer diagnoses put her life “on hold” last year, Woodson said she wants to focus on getting back into the swing of things.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Many boards contained images to encourage more travel, exercise and time for fun, including Bernadette Woodson’s creation, which featured a bicycle and the bright yellow phrase “Play like a girl!”

Woodson said she hasn’t been able to ride the bike she bought herself recently. However, after her dual cancer battle put her life “on hold,” she wants to focus on getting back into the swing of things.

“I feel so good about my wellness,” she said. “I’m going to play like a girl again.”

After hearing Bernadette Woodson’s story, her tablemate Mary Nurrenbern said her attitude was inspiring and “puts things in perspective.”

“You never know when you go to sit down next to someone what they may be going through,” she said.

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Ryan Fonseca, ryan.fonseca@latimes.com

Twitter: @RyFons

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