047: Fire One Arrow, Hit Many Targets!

Wherein I talk about smart goal setting, time management and more.

Feb 12, 2023

Welcome to week 47 of the Draw or Die Newsletter for Visual Storytellers

We’re into week two now of our 28 day drawing challenge. Please check out all the great art coming in from our list members here on instagram at #drawordieclub or other social platforms.

And just a quick reminder, that I’m drawing every night live at 8pm EST on the Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@DJCoffman/streams

It’s been a lot of fun so far, just a few technical glitches! It’s quite an endeavor to commit to every night, but OPUS makes it really easy… OH! Speaking of which…

Do you even art stream? Wanna try for free?

I’ve been helping consult with the OPUS Pro team in regards for making features that are better for artists. So they need some more test artist subjects! :) And as such, I leveraged us a deal!

You can get one free year of OPUS streaming, with all the bells and whistles, if you use code DJ at the signup page. It connects to multiple platforms. to And if you go live twice? They’ll send you $10. Hey! I know that’s not much, but you can buy some coffee or something!

https://www.opus.pro/ (use code DJ)

I’ve really been enjoying using it. Tthe thing I like the most is being able to move around my own graphics and stickers live, and it’s all browser based. Similar to others, but not as rigid. Try it out and let me know what you think!

The Trouble with Time

These days I get asked at least once or twice a week how on earth I’m able to do so much. Full-time day job, art projects, running this Draw or Die Brand, making videos, building the Youtube channel and NOW I’m streaming every night in February!

I realize it looks a little insane. While it is a lot of work, it’s also something I enjoy. The fact that I “make it look easy” is only attributed to time management.

I assure you I mess up all the damn time.

The real trick is to “fire one arrow, hit many targets.”

Let me explain that and break it down a little. I hope it inspires you to think differently.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.”
- Wayne Dyer

#1 I know my own goals and pillars.

My goal for last quarter and this quarter has been to grow the Youtube channel. And more specifically I want to get the “watch time hours” up over 4000 so I can qualify for the Youtube Partner Program.

Not to become a “full time Youtuber” or anything. Honestly, the money will be VERY minimal at best. But Youtube is the platform where I can reach even MORE artists with the spirit of the Draw or Die club.

As far as making money goes? I’m definitely “in the hole” on this thing. Any money that does come in, I put right back into the brand. Right now, I’m working on custom notebooks and some other fun things.

Now that i know my clear goal, I can make SMART choices on where to schedule my time and energy. Since I want to increase watch time hours I’ve needed to do the following:

Make more videos for my channel. Duh! But instead of drawing comic projects, I spend the time working on videos, thumbnails, writing, recording, editing.
Go Live more often. I had been doing Wednesday night warm-ups to get used to Streaming, and the THursday night Podcast. To me these were tests to get comfortable being “live”

But my time is limited.

All of our time is very limited.

My AMMUNITION is limited.
We all only have so much creative energy.
I can only fire out so much.

I also knew that many of you were asking “when is the next drawing challenge!”, so I decided ahead of time already to do that in February. But I was worried it might take time away from my one big goal of growing the channel.

The solution? I could do both!

Since I committed to drawing every day in the February challenge anyway, I would just go live every night at the same time to draw that day’s prompt.

Going live actually is actually way easier, because the setup is all done. I don’t have to worry about editing, or uploading. I just schedule the stream, and push GO LIVE when it’s time.

The one arrow I’m firing is DRAWING EVERY DAY.

The many targets I’m hitting with that one arrow:

I have video content for the site that helps to build the watch time hours of the channel. (the main goal this month!)
I’m drawing something fun every day!
I can post a story on instagram every night reminding people about the stream.
I can post the finished drawing to instagram to increase reach there too.
I get nightly engagement with the community, which also helps send signals to Youtube about my channel and the kind of people to serve it to.
Getting more practice at “being live”, and overcoming technical challenges on the fly.
I can now document my process here in this newsletter as the main topic this week.

There are probably a few more things that one arrow is hitting too that I can’t see.

What ONE ARROW can you fire?

Can you think of one arrow you can fire that can hit many targets? You don’t have to be as driven as I am, or have lofty goals.

But thinking in this way can help you accomplish time management, personal life stuff too!

I’d love to think I’m an expert at time management, but I’m a work in progress! I don’t always hit my goals. Things don’t always go as planned (you can see in some of the streams!)

But every day, I fire the arrow anyway!

I hope you fire yours.

I’m drawing a surprise stream today, working on an event poster for the 2023 Event Poster for 3 Rivers Comicon. I’ll probably talk about convention stories while I draw…

TODAY’S Drawing CHALLENGE!

“I don’t make monkeys, I just train them.”

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