Going For Goals

Goal setting tips for creatives

Artists are some of the most amazing people. I am ever in awe of how someone can take an idea from their mind and translate it into an artwork.

Creative endeavours demand such a lot of the individual and often that means that there is little space to explore how best to share the fruit of all the labour with the world.

This break in the line of communication with an audience can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction for many artists. That is why it helps to give your practice direction by working towards a goal to share your artwork in some new way and develop new connections with people.

So, lets look at a more visually led way for you, as an artist, can set goals and make 2020 the year that you expand the reach of your work.

Here come the goal setting tips !

Decision Time

Next time you take a tea break or pour yourself your Friday night glass of wine, take out a piece of paper too and write down where you feel you’d like to share your art that you haven’t before. Perhaps, you are just starting out and nobody has seen your art but you or maybe you have a big social media following but you’d like to now exhibit your work in the real world or you might be a very well established artist and you’d like to add a new audience for your work in 2020. Whatever stage you are at you will have something to put on the page. The best thing you can do to begin is begin. Do this by deciding what you want and write it down.

Well done!! You’ve taken the first step!!!!

Make a Plan

Now that you have decided what you want to achieve, you can work out how to get there. It’s important to remember that progress takes time. Be realistic about how far you can get in any given amount of time. For example, if your goal is to get a 10,000 followers on Instagram to get the coveted swipe up feature on your account it’s going to take more than a few weeks. Or if you want to host an exhibition of your artwork you will need to give yourself several months to get prepared and organised. That said, here are three ways to get started on a plan to reach those stars you’ve your eye on

Consider what the next logical step should be

If you want to start a social media account you’ll need to take some photos of your work, for example. If you want to join an artistic community or get gallery representation you’ll need to find out what the application process is.

Decide what or who can help you reach your goal

Could you collaborate with other artists to promote each other’s work or hire a stand at an art fair? Could you benefit from some expert guidance or mentoring to help you learn more about how the art world works and how to navigate it?

Picture yourself having reached your goal and think backwards…

by writing all the necessary steps that got you there. This is especially good for large projects like exhibitions. For example, you picture yourself arriving back to your studio having just delivered the last painting from a sold out exhibition. So, how did you send the package? Where did you source the materials to package it? How was the piece paid for? and so on and so on.

Once the paving slabs of the road start to become visible like this you can make a plan on how to travel along it.

You can use the 2020 Creative Careers free printable goal note-sheet (at the bottom of the page) to keep track of your goals as you make them throughout the year.

…Aaaannd Action!

Now that you have figured out what to do next, do it! Take each step as it comes and before you know it you’ll have made strides you never thought possible.

Getting started can often be the hardest part of any task. As an artist, your work is very personal to you. That closeness makes you a little more vulnerable than those in other fields but be brave. Set the goal, make the plan and start the journey. Share your work with the world, we want to see it!

Download your free printable goal setting tips note-sheet HERE

2020 Creative Careers

If you’d like more guidance on your reaching your 2020 goals, 2020 Creative Careers is the perfect solution. Offering one to one advice sessions for artists at all stages of their careers. Click HERE for more details.

P.S. For anyone, like me, thinking of Henry Kelly after reading this blog title this YouTube clip is for you