Last year, I broke out of the anonymity and started this blog to document my progress in pursuing my passion for art. Only eleven months later, I reached a milestone I had not expected to achieve in my first year: I submitted my painting Reflective Rhythms in Yellow to a regional art contest and was included in the exhibition. However, over the past year, I still spent way more time thinking about art than actually painting or drawing. Therefore, I decided it’s time to ramp it up. I included art in my 2016 annual goals, and I am now posting these goals here on my blog to hold myself accountable for my plans. It should motivate me to focus on painting rather than thinking…
1 ) Sketch or Paint Every Day
I’ve wanted to develop this habit for a while, and it just seems like the right time to get started. My old sketchbook was letter-page-sized, more than 200 pages thick, and just too cumbersome and heavy to travel with. So I got myself a smaller, slimmer sketchbook and started working on it daily right away.
2) Post 2 Blog Posts per Month
With only 8 posts last year, there is tremendous room for improvement. I am committed to working on my art every day; consequently, I should be able to show more. Therefore, my target is to reach 24 new blog posts this year.
3) Participate in 2 Art Events
I plan to participate in art events such as art fairs, art contests, and group exhibitions. Although I would like to set a higher number for myself, I would rather plan my year conservatively, since I already have 4 work-related trips lined up over the next two months.
4) Quadruple Social Media Followers
By publishing more frequently, I am aiming to quadruple my follower base of 94 (as of January 1st, 2016) to 400. In December, I posted 9 times across my social media accounts, reached 556 followers, and engaged 48 followers. I am curious to see the numbers at the end of this year.
5) Read 5 Art Books
These are, of course, not illustrated books. I am planning on picking three books about becoming an artist and two to improve my skills and techniques. So far on the list: Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon and Art Inc by Lisa Congdon. I am open to any recommendations.
6) Create 6 large-scale Exclamatory Intermezzo Paintings
Once I have developed the right concept for the series into an interesting form that fits large-scale paper, I would like to create 6 large paintings.
