Setting goals for 2024

I spent most of one day last week making a mind map. I was trying to articulate why I continue to make art and write here. I’ve struggled this year with setting goals that are both interesting and achievable and that struggle streak continues. I thought making a mind map would allow me to focus on what really matters to me in my practice and see some possibilities to focus on in 2024.

As I contemplate what I want out of this practice (and what I already get) I am struck by a few things. I am looking for joy in my making and community. Those things are true of my art practice, my blog writing, and presence on social media. I want to enjoy what I do and be with my people. But I also want some novelty in that process and that’s been lacking for me for a while now.

Get good (goals)

I am not in a place right now to set sales goals. I’ve certainly set number goals for different things over the years. I’ve set a number of finished painting goals. And I think I remember setting a finished number of books goal one year. I’m contemplating setting a goal for making X number of different kinds of books. I haven’t fully articulated that goal yet or decided if I’m going to do it or not.

There are several shows coming up in 2024 that I’m going to submit pieces to because those are always new experiences. I like calls for art that I already have pieces made for. And both of these that are on my radar would allow me to pull from pieces I already have finished. There’s also a class that I’ve been wanting to take that I may spring for. It will hold my feet to the fire in a way that I’m not used to and that feels like it might be a good stretch.

All of these ideas are a bit unformed at the moment. I’m still mulling over what I want to try next year. What feels like the right fit and either achievable or at the very least learn-from-able. I’m weary with the way I’ve been doing things and a bit lost as to how to change it up in a meaningful way. I’m starting to emerge (maybe) from this super intense puppy season so maybe that intensity can translate back to my making.

Come together

It feels like art communities around me are all in a slump. We are all trying to find our footing in a post-covid world. I’ve heard from lots of folks who are struggle with making goals and meeting them. Social media has become a crap shoot now for connecting us with our audiences. I started blogging here and writing a newsletter to combat that very thing. It’s been a mixed bag to say the least. We all need the arts and connection through the arts but what does that look like right now?

I want to connect with folks who are making art. I’m considering hosting a zoom to bring people together. Maybe once a month where we can set an intention, co-work for a while, and then share our work with each other. I’m putting some thought around that right now. I went down the rabbit hole today setting up ko-fi so that people could put money in on this plan if they wanted to participate.

I keep thinking of Brandi talking on her Instagram stories about how the first of the year is a time to try new things and see what sticks. And not being afraid to set things down if they don’t work for you. I think the community zoom might be a thing to try for a while.

I’ve always said that I don’t want to teach classes but hangouts I can do. Being a general encourager of creativity and making space for that creativity is something I both enjoy and excel at. So this seems like a better fit than trying to shoehorn in teaching things that I’m not comfortable doing. Up until this week while I was brainstorming, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could just invite people to hangout. Please feel free to roll your eyes at me for my slowness.

And so then also anyway

I’ll be continuing to think on these things for a bit. I still have my yearly recap post to make where I talk about 2023’s accomplishments. I guess I inadvertently broke what is usually one post into two. That’s ok, it was too long anyway. This post lets me start the ball rolling on how I wanted to look at next year. I still have some writing to do around closing out this year and that will happen in December.

When I started doing these posts a few years ago it was to help me focus on what I wanted to accomplish but this year it feels as much about helping me remember where I’m going and where I’ve gone as much or more as listing specific goals. Maybe the “how” I get there is more important that the actual “where” I’m going. It’s always the friends you made along the way, right?

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Are you thinking about next year yet? Are you setting goals to work toward or ignore with abandon? I’d love to know your answers! Catch up with me on socials, email me, or go old school and leave a comment on this post to be immortalized for all of time.

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