A New Year & New Goals For Creatives
Written by: Heather Antos
2014 has come and gone, and 2015 is here whether we like it or not. It’s a time to look back and be proud of the great things we’ve accomplished in the past, but more importantly, it’s a time to look towards the future, and the set of goals we’d like to accomplish over the next 365 days.
Setting goals - and incentives for achieving those goals - is an extremely important part of any creatives’ lifestyle. Goals and incentives are not only great motivating factors for progress, but also a great way for tracking that progress. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of potential goals for writers, artists, and any other creative types!
GOALS FOR CREATIVES
1. No matter what, create every day. Whether it’s writing or sketching off of a prompt for only 5 minutes, or locking yourself in your studio for 5 hours, it’s so important to keep those creative juices flowing and getting all those ideas down onto paper.
2. Focus. Get off Twitter. Stop checking your email for the umpteenth time. And don’t even think about turning on Netflix. When writing or drawing or painting or whatever you’re creating, your focus should be that. Only. Not your platform or your growing contingent of Internet followers, but the thing that really matters. No one will thank you for this, which is precisely why it’s important. You will feel better, and the work will improve (promise).
3. Read widely. Study others’ creations. This isn’t just research, it’s practice. Honing your craft. Studying the masters who came before. Pick a book or two that didn’t just pop up on your Amazon referrals list; read a classic or something that has absolutely nothing to do with your chosen field. Take pictures of that graffiti in the alley. Study the brush strokes and line work of that artist you’ve always admired. We base our careers on these creations, so the best thing you can do is absorb as many of them as possible from as many different sources as you can.
4. Try a new genre. Never worked on a horror bit? Now’s the time! What about traditional painting versus digital? You’ve got 365 days, devote at least 1 day - or better yet, 1 day every month - to stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring new mediums and genres. You never know what new clients you might find this way!
5. Break a rule. Maybe write in an unusual voice or depart from a norm you’re used to. Do something that causes others — and yourself — to feel uncomfortable. Because in the discomfort, we grow. So mess with the status quo, and see what happens. It could be good, really good.
So get out there! Create! And make sure to give yourself an incentive for each goal you accomplish - it can be anything to a night out to see a movie, that fancy set of brushes you’ve been eyeing, or a gold star. Whatever your goals may be, be proud of yourself for accomplishing them!
Now get out there and create!
-HA!
Editor's Note: Whether its checking out the latest tips Heather has to offer, or even if you are after some help in editing. All ya gotta do is head right here!
Setting goals - and incentives for achieving those goals - is an extremely important part of any creatives’ lifestyle. Goals and incentives are not only great motivating factors for progress, but also a great way for tracking that progress. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of potential goals for writers, artists, and any other creative types!
GOALS FOR CREATIVES
1. No matter what, create every day. Whether it’s writing or sketching off of a prompt for only 5 minutes, or locking yourself in your studio for 5 hours, it’s so important to keep those creative juices flowing and getting all those ideas down onto paper.
2. Focus. Get off Twitter. Stop checking your email for the umpteenth time. And don’t even think about turning on Netflix. When writing or drawing or painting or whatever you’re creating, your focus should be that. Only. Not your platform or your growing contingent of Internet followers, but the thing that really matters. No one will thank you for this, which is precisely why it’s important. You will feel better, and the work will improve (promise).
3. Read widely. Study others’ creations. This isn’t just research, it’s practice. Honing your craft. Studying the masters who came before. Pick a book or two that didn’t just pop up on your Amazon referrals list; read a classic or something that has absolutely nothing to do with your chosen field. Take pictures of that graffiti in the alley. Study the brush strokes and line work of that artist you’ve always admired. We base our careers on these creations, so the best thing you can do is absorb as many of them as possible from as many different sources as you can.
4. Try a new genre. Never worked on a horror bit? Now’s the time! What about traditional painting versus digital? You’ve got 365 days, devote at least 1 day - or better yet, 1 day every month - to stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring new mediums and genres. You never know what new clients you might find this way!
5. Break a rule. Maybe write in an unusual voice or depart from a norm you’re used to. Do something that causes others — and yourself — to feel uncomfortable. Because in the discomfort, we grow. So mess with the status quo, and see what happens. It could be good, really good.
So get out there! Create! And make sure to give yourself an incentive for each goal you accomplish - it can be anything to a night out to see a movie, that fancy set of brushes you’ve been eyeing, or a gold star. Whatever your goals may be, be proud of yourself for accomplishing them!
Now get out there and create!
-HA!
Editor's Note: Whether its checking out the latest tips Heather has to offer, or even if you are after some help in editing. All ya gotta do is head right here!