Designing the future: Your Guide to “Mural Thinking”
The new year is upon us, and with it comes the crushing weight of the traditional planning checklist. Goals, budgets, spreadsheets—it all feels a little too gris (grey) for a city as vibrant as New Orleans.
This year, we’re throwing out the to-do list and embracing the mindset of our cover artist, Bruna Petalla. A muralist doesn’t plan their work in a sterile office; they use their vision to transform a massive, blank wall.
This is Mural Thinking: a creative, three-step approach to designing your 2026 blueprint with confidence, clarity, and color.
Step 1: The Primer (Clearing the Clutter)
What to do before the first stroke.
Before a muralist touches the wall, they must prime it. This process removes dirt, seals the surface, and creates a clean, uniform canvas ready to accept color. Your mind needs the same treatment.
The Action: Clear the mental clutter of the past year.
- Scrape Off the Flakes: What are the small, nagging resentments, unfinished tasks, or toxic expectations you’ve carried from 2025? Write them down—the smaller the better (the un-returned call, the cancelled gym membership, the social media break you never took). Acknowledging them neutralizes their power.
- Seal the Surface: Think of the lessons learned as your primer. What mistake from last year actually taught you a fundamental rule? Forgive the failure, keep the wisdom, and declare your mind a clean, new canvas.
- Identify Your Tools: Don’t start planning without knowing your resources. What are your strengths? What did you master last year? List them: Your resilience, your network, your knowledge. These are the brushes you’ll use.
Step 2: The Outline (The Big Picture Goals)
Creating structure before you commit to color.
Bruna starts her large-scale work with bold, abstract shapes drawn out onto the wall. These lines are the structure—the non-negotiable architecture of the final piece. If the outline is shaky, the whole mural will be off-balance.
The Action: Define the architecture of your 2026 life.
- The Three Pillars: You only get three primary areas. Don’t worry about the small details yet. What three massive, overarching categories will define your year? (Examples: Career Ascent, Family/Wellness, Creative Mastery).
- Draw the Shape: For each pillar, define the “shape” of success. Instead of “Get a raise,” try: “By Q4, my income from this specific service will allow me to hire an assistant.” Instead of “Be healthier,” try: “By October, I will complete a half-marathon, maintaining a structured, weekly training schedule.”
- Define the Boundaries: Muralists work within strict lines. What will you not do this year? For example, “I will not take on any work for less than my quoted rate,” or “I will not spend my weekends checking work email.” These boundaries protect the integrity of your outline.
Step 3: The Color (Finding Your Joy)
Injecting the vibrancy that makes the work undeniable.
The structure is set, but the joy of Bruna’s art is in the unapologetic color—the energy, the Brazilian roots, the NOLA vibrancy. This is where your personal passion lives. Without color, your blueprint is merely an uninspired diagram.
The Action: Commit to adding and protecting your personal joy.
- Your Personal Palette: What activities bring you pure, effortless joy and creative energy? (Is it walking in City Park? Listening to Brazilian Jazz? Cooking for friends?) These are your primary colors. Schedule them first, not last. If you fill your week with work and leave no time for your palette, your mural will look dull.
- The Unexpected Accent: New Orleans is defined by its spontaneous moments. Leave space for the surprise. Once a month, commit to one completely spontaneous, unplanned action—a last-minute second line, an evening spent exploring a new neighborhood, or just an afternoon without a phone. This is the jazz in your blueprint.
- Share the Vision: Joy is meant to be shared. Identify the people in your life who amplify your energy, celebrate your wins, and support your artistic vision. These people are the “curators” of your masterpiece. Invest time in them, because they will help ensure your 2026 mural lasts forever.
