I thought a practical series of blog posts on how to make your creative dreams a reality could be a great way to get things moving. So this is part one on just how to do that with a focus on goals.

Part two will stay focused on the practical with useful steps in how to set goals, tools that I’ve found useful and a real life example of bringing a creative dream into reality with the How to Start the Year Working on Goals

How to Start the Year Working on Goals

Finding Your Own Deep Sense of Creative Satisfaction

When I look back at the last couple of years at what I’ve achieved creatively I have a deep sense of satisfaction. I’ve been able to make dreams into realities and that’s simply by the doing.

For years I wanted to paint, it was making me feel sick in the tummy with this unresolved tension. Until one day I realised I could simply get started with it, I didn’t need to be good at it, I would in fact be crap at it but it was the doing that mattered. So I started and I love it. Last year I even started going to a weekly art class and you know what, I’m even improving with my technical skills. My self confidence is improving.

Another huge creative achievement, my biggest yet, was to get my own paintings onto my ceramic jewellery necklaces and brooches. This has been such a momentous experience I struggle to express the wave of feelings I still have about it.

Bringing Unicorns into my Life

I’m bringing unicorns into my life

I feel like I’ve been bringing my own personal unicorns into my life by focusing on my goals.

But the only way this has happened is with me actually taking the steps needed to achieve these dreams.

They were all small steps, nothing huge and insurmountable, but the keys were persistence, focus and doing. With the painting the biggest thing was the change in attitude – as always!

With the paintings onto the jewellery designs it was the discipline to sit down and actually do the drawings and paintings. But I did reward myself with little arty presents as I methodically worked through it all. Key too was my enjoyment of the process, of the painting.

So for the year ahead I have new creative goals and I’m really looking forward to them. As usual they each require a chunk of work and I’ve most likely set myself too many big goals but that’s fine, I haven’t had a year yet where I’ve achieved everything! But what I have achieved has been great for me.

What do you want – Resolutions or Goals?

Years ago I decided that I could use the terms resolutions and goals interchangeably so I could create the life I want to live.

I realised that I really didn’t like the connotations around resolutions that were all about fixing failures – the one around “I’m fat, I must lose 10 kgs”. Yuk, I don’t like that. I much rather have the goal of “I want to feel healthier and have more positive self talk about my body and spirit”. From there it’s about what lifestyle tweaks can be made regularly over weeks and months to be happy.

So instead of the resolution of “I need to be creative” I have goals around creativity such as designing and painting new products, doing ‘make a mark a day’ again this year and regularly getting to exhibitions – much easier now that I’m doing a weekly art class at a regional art gallery that holds showings! Hah – self supporting goals, love them!

But you see what I mean, I’m changing the language and connotations for myself to be happier so I can feel good about it. I want to use this season of resolutions to be in the flow to achieve my goals.

My Creative Goals for the Year Ahead

So to get started, here are 10 of my creative goals for the year ahead:

1. I want to develop my own stationery and poster range with my paintings and quotes. I already have a draft list of quotes and I’ve priced the papers, printing and packaging. I have a list of actions broken down into small activities so I can just work away step by step.

2. Keep attending my weekly art class to develop my technical skills and enjoy the warmth and companionship of my teacher and classmates.

3. Design and develop my next range of paintings for my jewellery range.

4. Come up with at least two new jewellery concepts and have them taking form by Mother’s Day.

5. Interview other artisans, artists, writer, makers and crafters who are making money from their creativity to share their stories and learn from them. I started doing this with etsy makers and loved it, so more is in order!

6. Get started on that book idea that’s been percolating away – I have a collaborator now so stay tuned!

7. I love being part of creative workshops, especially since I had my Small Business Centre Pop Up at The Rocks and I want to solidify some ideas around how I can be more involved in these things.

8. Look at working with a creative intern again and find ways for this to work as I really enjoy the mentoring process and spending time seeing the world through eyes 20+ years younger than mine.

9. I really enjoyed working on my Tasmanian holiday sketch book and have another one already for my Sydney sketchbook as I think it will be really healthy for me to view my home city through fresh eyes, to go out on purposeful creative excursions to draw and paint.

10. To keep writing regularly for my Creatively Belle blog as I find the writing process enjoyable.

 Where to next?

Next is How to Start the Year Working on Goals with practical tips on getting your head sorted, prioritising your ideas and getting cracking with them with a dozen tips learnt by me over the years.

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