05-10-2016, 05:12 AM
Hello everyone!! I hope everyone is doing well :)
So, I took a few weeks to sort of get a breather and re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my creative stuff after realizing in March that perhaps I'd bitten off more than I could chew! I'd made a huge list of goals in December, but after taking a look at Amit's S.M.A.R.T goals video and doing some more thinking, I've decided it's time to re-evaluate those goals, and perhaps get some honest and constructive feedback on them without striving blindly (and stupidly) forward.
I've been studying art since I was in middle school, and pursuing it seriously since I was in high school. But a combination of perpetual low self-esteem and shyness hindered me. Not to mention some family issues that started in high school and only just last year got mildly resolved. I've moved into an apartment now with a roommate, graduated college, have a full-time job that sustains me, and finally have the brainspace I needed to focus on my creative stuff. I can finally say that I'm not consistently miserable, and that I actually look forward to waking up every day :)
My goals cover a wide range of things, since I have a lot I want to do and are centered on the three following things:
1) Health and Community
2) Artwork
3) Writing
I will revise these goals as time goes on, but for now, here is my plan for the rest of this year. I want to make a 5 year plan, and will revise this once I have a better idea of the following years!
Year 1 - 2016
I work 40+ hours every week. I plan to spend at least 20 hours on self-improvement a week. Monday and Wednesdays are "rest" days, with a focus on less stressful activities, like building community and de-stressing (or reading). Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend are "work" days, when I will put more effort into focused improvement.
5 hours a week
Health
* My focus will be on health, de-stressing, and community this year. I had a very rough last few years, so I will take it easy when it comes to pushing myself with my art goals. I need time to focus on relaxing, getting healthy, and just de-stressing.
* I will work out as often as my schedule allows, preferably every day, but a minimum of 2 days a week. My goal is to lose at least 50 pounds by December 31st.
* I will focus on saving money and building a buffer so I don't go insane. I'm working a lot of overtime to help with this goal, but taking small, low-stress commissions is also an option. My goal by the end of this year is to double my savings.
* I will take time to travel (I am visiting Japan in July!) and to visit museums and spend time and money on my friends and relationships.
* I will continue visiting the doctor, and hopefully not totally ruin my life with medical debt (at $110 a visit, this will be difficult, but health is more important).
5 hours a week
Community
* This will be my second focus. I will spend time helping other artists, and getting to know people online.
* I will spend time learning Japanese.
* I will research writing communities as well as artist ones, so I can learn from both.
* I will give a lot before I receive anything.
5 hours a week
Art
* Animation: I will continue to focus on learning the basics, and produce 1 animation a week for 24 weeks, as I set in my DeviantArt animation group. Instead of doing two studies however, I may do one study, and then finish it to completion, so I can get a grasp of color, lighting, and clean up.
* Illustration: I will begin to study the fundamentals again, with a focus on perspective, values, and color, and also work on smaller studies, perhaps in one of the groups on Crimson Dagger. My focus will be on backgrounds and environments.
* Comics: I will read and support more webcomics, research the community, and continue to do very short comics, perhaps keeping them to two hours or less.
5 hours a week
Writing
* I will participate in writing groups online, such as Critters and Baern's Bar, and get to know the people and the process.
* If I have time, I will revise some of my shorter work and see if I can participate in the critique. Perhaps start submitting to the groups myself in August if this goes well.
* I will spend more time critiquing than I do in getting critique.
* I will try to write in the mornings before work, on anything.
Year 2: TBD!!
Overall: I will not stress too much about getting exactly 20 hours in on these things every week. If one thing takes more time, I will continue that so long as I am having fun.
Long-term A.R.T goals (plans for them aren't set yet, but about 4/5 years):
Animation: 3 animated short films (to add to a demo reel)
Illustration: 20-40 portfolio pieces
Comics: One completed comic story, 64 t0 100 pages.
And... that's it for now! Do these goals sound at all sustainable/realistic? I'm not very good at judging that at all, haha! I had a psychologist ask me why I insisted on being a superhero, and I was like "wha normal people don't have these kinds of lives?!"
Year 2 I think will be more focus centered on completing things... hopefully my roommate and I will be renting a house by then!
Thanks so much for reading this, and keep on being awesome Daggers! :)
So, I took a few weeks to sort of get a breather and re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my creative stuff after realizing in March that perhaps I'd bitten off more than I could chew! I'd made a huge list of goals in December, but after taking a look at Amit's S.M.A.R.T goals video and doing some more thinking, I've decided it's time to re-evaluate those goals, and perhaps get some honest and constructive feedback on them without striving blindly (and stupidly) forward.
I've been studying art since I was in middle school, and pursuing it seriously since I was in high school. But a combination of perpetual low self-esteem and shyness hindered me. Not to mention some family issues that started in high school and only just last year got mildly resolved. I've moved into an apartment now with a roommate, graduated college, have a full-time job that sustains me, and finally have the brainspace I needed to focus on my creative stuff. I can finally say that I'm not consistently miserable, and that I actually look forward to waking up every day :)
My goals cover a wide range of things, since I have a lot I want to do and are centered on the three following things:
1) Health and Community
2) Artwork
3) Writing
I will revise these goals as time goes on, but for now, here is my plan for the rest of this year. I want to make a 5 year plan, and will revise this once I have a better idea of the following years!
Year 1 - 2016
I work 40+ hours every week. I plan to spend at least 20 hours on self-improvement a week. Monday and Wednesdays are "rest" days, with a focus on less stressful activities, like building community and de-stressing (or reading). Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend are "work" days, when I will put more effort into focused improvement.
5 hours a week
Health
* My focus will be on health, de-stressing, and community this year. I had a very rough last few years, so I will take it easy when it comes to pushing myself with my art goals. I need time to focus on relaxing, getting healthy, and just de-stressing.
* I will work out as often as my schedule allows, preferably every day, but a minimum of 2 days a week. My goal is to lose at least 50 pounds by December 31st.
* I will focus on saving money and building a buffer so I don't go insane. I'm working a lot of overtime to help with this goal, but taking small, low-stress commissions is also an option. My goal by the end of this year is to double my savings.
* I will take time to travel (I am visiting Japan in July!) and to visit museums and spend time and money on my friends and relationships.
* I will continue visiting the doctor, and hopefully not totally ruin my life with medical debt (at $110 a visit, this will be difficult, but health is more important).
5 hours a week
Community
* This will be my second focus. I will spend time helping other artists, and getting to know people online.
* I will spend time learning Japanese.
* I will research writing communities as well as artist ones, so I can learn from both.
* I will give a lot before I receive anything.
5 hours a week
Art
* Animation: I will continue to focus on learning the basics, and produce 1 animation a week for 24 weeks, as I set in my DeviantArt animation group. Instead of doing two studies however, I may do one study, and then finish it to completion, so I can get a grasp of color, lighting, and clean up.
* Illustration: I will begin to study the fundamentals again, with a focus on perspective, values, and color, and also work on smaller studies, perhaps in one of the groups on Crimson Dagger. My focus will be on backgrounds and environments.
* Comics: I will read and support more webcomics, research the community, and continue to do very short comics, perhaps keeping them to two hours or less.
5 hours a week
Writing
* I will participate in writing groups online, such as Critters and Baern's Bar, and get to know the people and the process.
* If I have time, I will revise some of my shorter work and see if I can participate in the critique. Perhaps start submitting to the groups myself in August if this goes well.
* I will spend more time critiquing than I do in getting critique.
* I will try to write in the mornings before work, on anything.
Year 2: TBD!!
Overall: I will not stress too much about getting exactly 20 hours in on these things every week. If one thing takes more time, I will continue that so long as I am having fun.
Long-term A.R.T goals (plans for them aren't set yet, but about 4/5 years):
Animation: 3 animated short films (to add to a demo reel)
Illustration: 20-40 portfolio pieces
Comics: One completed comic story, 64 t0 100 pages.
And... that's it for now! Do these goals sound at all sustainable/realistic? I'm not very good at judging that at all, haha! I had a psychologist ask me why I insisted on being a superhero, and I was like "wha normal people don't have these kinds of lives?!"
Year 2 I think will be more focus centered on completing things... hopefully my roommate and I will be renting a house by then!
Thanks so much for reading this, and keep on being awesome Daggers! :)