is mood board necessary 

It is impossible to retrieve someone’s creative thought process and submerge into the depths of the mind to retrace the core, primal thesis that is encompassed by the personal vision, shaped and formed the final product. We, as outsiders, mere observers, who hopelessly try to catch a glimpse of the birth of an idea, we are only capable of asking questions, desperately trying to understand the how’s and why’s, to comprehend the absolute power of creation.

Yet how the idea is born? Could one reconstruct the process overlapping a tiny, little, mere spark in the brain that sooner or later is being translated into a desirable concept presented in movement, telling a story in between the model’s steps on a catwalk or separated from the outside world by a boutique window?

 Is it adequate to believe that fashion designers perceive the world around them so differently,  so much more profoundly, so that they can naturally derive a much deeper meaning and perspective from what they see and experience daily? Nevertheless, it is fair to say that similar expression naturally encompasses all of those highly sensitive and observant to their external as well as internal currents, not artists exclusively.

But it is not so easy to bring into life a whole project of a great magnitude from no more than a simple thought. We need to somehow establish its grounds, conform it to the capabilities of the physical realm and limitations of our resources, and format it so neatly so that the once infinite idea can be easily comprehended. In short, a creator has to transcribe the amalgamation of feelings, emotions, and stories into a cohesive structure. So one decides to create a mood board. The attempt To give shape, to explain, to set the sights on the correct route towards the ultimate fulfillment of the imagination. 

Yet, it might be necessary to query if in some cases, the initially created mood board, the one document that should ultimately support, inspire, and enrich the creative process is the sole obstacle preventing its fruitful growth. If we believe that a mood board shapes the primal idea, presenting it typically in the form of composition of selected images of all things related, it can simultaneously, restrict the free flow of thoughts and concepts seemingly unfitting for the project, not accepted by the rigorous vision showcased on the mood board. Soon enough it is not the idea that shapes the final structure but the desired outcome that one forcefully tries to achieve and conform to.

But mood boards might also be used as little cheat sheets. An explanatory guide that easily clarifies what, when, how, and from where which idea came from. A simplified formula to uncover the secrets of creative minds. Without hours of research, study, without discussion, questioning, and most importantly without our own, intrinsic hypothesis, just a simple: “ and that’s that”.  It steals all the mystery, all of the fluidity of meanings that fashion and art both should represent. It just makes it too accessible to digest, and too easy to capture.

I always come back to this one 3-minute short interview with Rick Owens for The New York Times, where in his ascetic studio, he dives into the subject of his inspirations, mentioning among others, finding reassurance in the eternal stability of architecture. Surprisingly, he also states that he does not like the idea of mood-boards. As he elaborates: “ In a mood board we just explain so much to everybody. I don’t want everybody to know what my composition is about, where my references came from.” There lies a certain truth in those words. Sometimes artists do not want to share the whole story behind their creations, Instead, they desire to play with the mind of the public, allowing the consumers of their artwork to search for numerous, different interpretations. And they are not obliged to confirm which of them are correct. One of my favorite film directors, a firm believer, and practitioner of such a notion,  David Lynch continuously reaffirms that he will not spoil the seemingly impossible search for the true meaning behind his films, by unraveling all of the mysterious entanglements of the plot and almost imperceptible details that can mean so much. He often said, how he wanted viewers to search for their own personal conclusions derived from those surreal and intellectual experiences, being his whole filmography, with Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks at the forefront.

Even though mood board usefully organizes the ideas, scattered around one’s head, it somehow seems to not only overexplain the whole process but also in recent years the word mood board started to be translated into a completely new realm of meaning, becoming naturally bounded with the birth of new aesthetics and specific regiments each of them is strictly imposing. People tend to accumulate previously existing, publicized content, and build upon an idea that is already shared. It is good to be creatively stimulated, but sometimes one seems too hesitant and anxious to draw a firm line between inspiration and the simple act of theft, the real question of deceit in creating processes. In the era of social media, we tirelessly research various platforms, looking for new styles,  products, textures, and poses. We carefully curate our, yes, mood boards for different purposes, occasions, and moods. It’s convenient, and it’s easy, to whenever necessary, quickly check each board in the occurrence of a creativity drought. But such circumstances ideally fit in with social media algorithms that as a result forcefully push similar content onto the boards of enamored with emerging trends, idea-hungry users. Such a notion correlates naturally with the creation of aesthetics. But those aesthetics emerging from thousands of similarly built mood boards, end up leaving an artificial aftertaste, being based purely on ephemeral social trends, that suddenly turn obsolete after only one season. 

Yet, it is important to notice that sometimes such guidance raises a curious exchange between an artist and a viewer. A trail is left behind, outlining the mystery of the creation. A great example of such dialogue between a fashion house and its followers/clients is that of The Row’s sophisticated act of curating their Instagram in a mood board-like manner. In contrast to a rather modest amount of styled silhouettes and commercial products showcased in the photos posted, we see an abundance of intricate images of art from different sources—a conceptual mixture of forms, mediums, and themes. Seemingly unrelated, it requires a deeper reflection to notice the subtle traces of references, and connections between the presented art and what we observe on the runway in the sophisticated collections of Olsen Twins’ fashion powerhouse.

Ultimately, the role of a mood board remains an ambiguous one, especially in recent times with the emergence of a new approach to understanding its utility. Without a doubt, all artists strive for the purity of conveying their thoughts. To achieve the most accurate and precise capture of their vision within a material body. And a mood board might help with that. Yet simultaneously it should not stand in the way of exploring all that is available, all that creates a reaction and implores a deeper analysis, in short, it should not restrain the artist’s creative ventures and categorize the inspiration.

Ref.

https://youtu.be/EmyKmIaodyQ?si=wCBd-UqyXI20oERe