It’s that time again when many artists, myself included, start thinking about all the fun projects we’d love to do in the new year. Or maybe you feel your plans for this past year really fell off the rails or didn’t go like you planned. (ME TOO!) It happens!
Whether it's a habit like sketching daily, drawing small or launching that dream project, It’s time to stop THINKING about it and start DOING IT.
And that can only happen by setting and reviewing your art goals regularly. So that’s what I’m talking about today. And I’ll show you what I’m planning for 2024 if you want to get involved.
WHERE DO YOU EVEN BEGIN?
You have to begin by asking WHY? Why do you draw or create art? Is it to express, to escape, or to excel? Your “why” is the compass for your own journey. I wrote a pretty detailed process on setting your PILLARS and “Creator Compass” in week 73.
AND I have a similar video on Youtube if you want to check that out.
I know I may be a broken record when I talk about your compass and pillars, but believe me, it’s a secret key that will unlock your focus and finally help you achieve your goals.
Don’t set DUMB goals… set SMART ones…
Set SMART goals instead! SMART goals are measurable goals. You want to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals.
Example: Instead of “I want to draw more”, you’d say “I'll complete one sketch daily for 30 days.”
Make sure your ART GOALS always have some kind of measurable element to them. This will help you to stay accountable to your own actions, but also see progress as you go!
What does “SUCCESS” Look Like To You?
Visualization is your secret weapon! Especially for artists like you and me.
Can you picture what your success looks like in your mind?
It’s not going to be the same for everyone.
When I ask this question in my 1-1s with other artists I’ve heard everything from they want to put their kids through college, to they just want to cover a car payment or other smaller bills.
Also, don’t fall into the trap of “success” needing to be about “making money”.
That’s a trap that will crush you.
Either way, sit and close your eyes and really visualize finishing that project.
Maybe it’s a making a comic book, a webcomic, filling your sketchbook… really try to see yourself at your desk when it’s all wrapped up.
Then try to visualize how you’ll feel when something is done, or in progress.
This mental image fuels motivation.
And don’t sleep on WRITING IT DOWN or SKETCHING IT OUT!
I’m telling you guys & gals, there’s some kind of weird magic that happens when you write it down and say it out loud.
The universe listens.
Overcoming Challenges
Believe me, I know even the best laid plans can get knocked off course.
That’s totally been my last couple of months!
Here are some of the usual suspects that might knock you off your game.
Be mindful of the following:
Dealing with Art Block: Feeling Stuck? Even 10-15 minutes of drawing can reignite your creative spark. Think of time as the currency… You have to spend the time to get back into that flow again. That’s the cost.
It can take 20-30 minutes to get into that flow state.
Don’t forget, we have the defeatTheFunk.com course absolutely free, which I guarantee will push you through any blocks you’re having.Balancing Creativity and Life: Life is busy, it’s unavoidable. If you don’t make time for yourself, you will fill it with other things. Find pockets of time for art.
Lunch breaks, early mornings, or just before bed can be your creative oasis. Personally, I like to wake up at 5am so I could rock out almost 2 hours of art, writing or thinking for myself before I get into my other work for the day.
Embrace Mistakes: Every misstep is really a step towards mastery. Learn, laugh, and let go of perfection. Remember what Bob Ross used to say? That there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.
That mothertrucker was right.
Adapt & Review!
Weekly Check-ins: Set a weekly review ritual. Assess what worked, what didn't, and tweak your goals accordingly. Ally and I try our best to do this at the local coffee shop on Saturday or Sunday morning. We find getting away from the house forces us to focus on our little planning agenda and goal review.
Celebrate Your Wins: Did you complete a sketch? Share it! Celebrate every small victory to fuel your journey when you can. Use wins as an opportunity to document your journey. Even if the wins are just the good feeling you’re having in the moment.
Stay Flexible: Goals are not set in stone. Life changes, and so can your goals. Adapt and thrive.
It’s been a challenging couple of months for me, and definitely a transitional year. You really never know what life may throw at you at any given moment.
Setting and reviewing art goals isn't just about drawing lines on paper or pixels; it's about drawing a path to your dreams AND feeling good inside about your art and the world around you.
Remember, every stroke, every sketch, every story you tell puts you one step close to the artist or future you’re visualizing for yourself.
Grab your pencil and paper right now and get to work! Have you done your pillars? Start here!
Something COOL is coming…
THE DRAW TOGETHER PROJECT! - Starting in January we’re kicking off a collaborative art project for the entire quarter. I’ll draw a panel of a story, and then you have a week to draw the next panel and post to Discord. THEN I’ll pick panel I like and draw the next panel… and so on and so forth. More details in the upcoming newsletter. We will update this project every Sunday in this newsletter. It’s gonna be a fun project!
ANDDDDD…. My New Job…
If you want to hear more about my new gig, tune in at 4:30pm EST on Youtube on Gary’s channel:
https://www.youtube.com/live/_fhpotirU3A?si=-FihIVXuqn3jNx_1
🔥This Week’s Drawing CHALLENGE!
This week’s drawing prompt is a “who said it" - You can draw your own made-up character, OR who actually said this….
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Be sure to tag #drawordieclub on the platform of your choice so we can all find each other (we’re mostly on instagram) Maybe we’ll feature your art in future livestreams and content!
✏️☠️♣️Join the DAILY DRAWING CLUB!!!
Help support the club with five bucks a month and get some nice perks including a quarterly sticker, daily prompts and more. CHECK IT OUT HERE!
That’s it for this week… NOW Go make some big plans!!!
☠️ Draw or Die MERCH!
✏️ DIGITAL TOOLS FOR ARTISTS: Custom Brushes, Templates & Prompts
▶️ DRAW or DIE on YOUTUBE (Tutorials & more)