Art goals for a new year
Goals for the New Year
It’s the start of 2024, which means I’m thinking about what I want to accomplish for the new year in my art career. Each year I make a list of goals and use a 4 step system to flush them out.
Set the goal: Get 5 new students
Visualize what it will feel like to accomplish the goal: Twice a week will be teaching days in which I’ll be able to share my knowledge with potential students while creating a steady income stream.
Set when you are going to do the goal, in it’s one sitting task form: Monday mornings, spend an hour making content around teaching or reaching out to potential students.
Set up supports to help accomplish the goal: Find teachers who have successful programs and ask them advice!
For the year I have a few categories that each goal falls under, a reminder of 2023’s ambitions (plus if I achieved it or not), and what the new goal is. This year’s categories: Health, Rest, Home, Garden, Art, Travel, Relationships.
Health:
Fitness
2023: Find and take a weekly class in Yoga or another fitness/sport that appeals + Yoga at home 3 times a week. Last year I did find a weekly class, but it only lasted for two months. I stopped doing yoga at home around April as well and replaced it with a new routine- walking.
This year:
The daily walk (with an audiobook).
Going on a walk every day breaks up my artwork and is a huge mood booster.
By blocking off time during the work week on my calendrer, I’ll ensure that it doesn’t get pushed aside for other things.
The audiobook is a treat for going on the walk. I ONLY get to listen to the audiobook when I’m walking. By placing this limit on my entertainment, I’ll look forward to going on the walks.
30 day Yoga with Adrienne series
Starting January 1st, this 30 day series is one I’ve done in the past and have always enjoyed.
Before I get my tea brewed, I’ll get into my comfy clothes and roll out the mat. After the session I’ll take extra care to clean my space and enjoy my breakfast.
My support for this is doing it with other people! I have a few friends who do the 30 day challenge with me and it’s a delight~
Meals:
2023: It was my goal to make food more social last year, and I achieved that. I made sure to meet a friend for coffee once a week and took my partner out to dinner often. I had a secondary goal of doing more batch cooking and that fell to the wayside as the summer turned to fall.
This year: Follow more recipes
I want to expand on my cooking arsenal and create more interesting dishes.
I also want to incorporate making more than a single meal at a time. Making food for 4 meals rather than 2 (my partner and I), batch cooking essentially.
I own a few cookbooks and plan to take one day a week (Wednesdays) to either makes something from that book or study it for future meals.
Body care:
A new section for my goals, smaller items and bigger appointments.
Once a week do more in-depth physical care practices. Dry brushing my skin, using a face mask before bed, paying special attention to my nails, etc. Picking one day a week do have this care time will help remind me to do it.
Yearly physical- checking in yearly with my doctor is included in my insurance plan and It’s silly to skip it (like I did last year). Make the appointment in the summer of 2024
Stretching habit: Every time before I paint, I need to be stretching and warming up my hands. I’m going to make a sign next to my easel for this!
Rest:
Time off:
2023: Last year I focused on rest as a major concern for my life. I’m happy to say that my relationship with rest is MUCH healthier. The goal for this year is to continue what I set out last year.
This year: I will set time aside for rest every day plus, 2 days a week will be non-working days. Rest brings me long term health and happiness. By setting aside time for rest each day, I’m lengthening my life and enriching it. With rest I produce better artwork and deeper relationships.
Hobbies:
2023: I read 58 books in 2023!!! Well past my goal of 50 and I feel delighted by that fact. A huge part of that goal was my book clubs and setting aside rest time around my reading time. I spent a lot of time in my garden and even more time playing with my tarot cards and on steam. It was a great year for hobbies.
This year:
Read 50 books
No buying new books till Book Mountain is 20 books shorter.
Two books a month for book clubs, plus leisure reading in-between
Finish my cross stitch patch and get it on a jacket
Sign up for a dance class with Luke in the Spring.
Find a new hobby this year! See what my friends are doing and try theirs.
Do NaNoWriMo 2024
Home:
2023: Last year I had a handful of things that needed fixing and while some of them got done, a lot didn’t.
This year: Here’s the updated list.
Hang up mirror in living room
Get a new door for the studio
Keep the kitchen table clear - this mean not putting things down on the table in the first place.
Redecorate the art in bedroom
Clear out books I no longer love
Ditto with games
Clear out attic
New blinds/curtains
Visualizing: Having the small details of my home set up in an organized manner will bring peace to my mind as I look at the space. How my home is reflects how my mental state is. Taking care of my home is taking care of me.
Garden:
2023: I spent a lot of time in the garden last year and it was a DELIGHT. I had so much fun organizing and learning about the native plants in my area. Major progress was made and I’m really looking forward to 2024’s garden.
This year:
Spend time each week with my mom in the garden.
Redo my initial sketches and update them with the changes I’ve made since last year.
Fill the big planters with bulbs this winter and flowers in the spring/summer.
Get pavers for the back yard to make a new walkway
Reorganize the shed to better suit our needs
Create a monthly budget for the garden, it has a fanatical ecosystem that I wasn’t paying attention to last year.
Finance:
2023: This was a year of big hits and big misses with my finances. I was able to save up enough money for the November art residency I went to, but it also meant that I wasn’t putting that money into my savings like I had set out to do. In fact, I dipped into those savings and am worse off than I was at the beginning of 2023. In the good side, I implemented Finance Fridays into my week and it kept me more realistic about what was happening in my life.
This year: I’m ready to be out of the nonsense that has been my personal fanatical habits from the last two years. We are going to start it off with a hard pause on spending.
No buy January: For the month of January I’m committing to spending the least amount of money that I possibly can. This mean I’m only spending money on these things: housing, utilities, regular bills (insurance, phone, etc), and a tight grocery budget.
I’m cancelling subscriptions, not eating out, not doing hobbies that cost money, and using what I’ve got.
This month is supposed to be super frugal and restrictive.
I’m doing this to reset my brain when it comes to spending and kick start rebuilding my savings.
Low buy Year: Once January is complete I’m switching to a low- buy year. This is less restrictive and has it’s own set of rules which I’m going to hash out once January is complete and I’ve had a moment to reflect on it.
A rule I’ll likely use: Replacements only. Instead of ‘stocking up’ on something, I’ll only buy a 1-1 replacement of it. This goes for clothing, skincare, pantry staples, etc.
Doing a low-buy year will continue the habits I establish in the first month, and allow me to boost my savings by a lot!
Find a budgeting app. Last year I had one I liked to a certain degree, but then they recently got bought by a company I don’t like. So I’m on the hunt for a new one.
Emergency Saving’s goal: Add $2400 to my savings account by December 20th, 2024.
This means adding $200 a month into my savings account, which I’ve set up to automatically happen.
Vault Savings: Add $1200 into my Vault Savings account by December 20, 2024. This is $100 a month, which is set up.
The Vault Savings is for a big ticket item 20+ years down the road. By putting a little away each month instead of big amounts when I can, I’m consistently working towards a long term goal in a tangible way. 18,000 in 10 years will be very useful. $36000 in 20 years even more so.
Finance Fridays: A time every Friday where I look at my finances and check in on how my goals are doing.
Art:
2023: Last year I hit my goal of making 25 paintings. I went to an art residency for a month. I grew my business. Website updates were made for the better and I have a stronger social media presence than before. Win!
This year: This year I’m not setting a specific number of paintings to make, rather I’m making goals based on opportunities.
Get 50 rejections: Every month I’m applying to 5 things. Every time I get a ‘yes’, I must apply to one more thing.
We are building endurance and resilience to rejection. I’m also wanting more options for my artwork in the next two years. Doing this will give me opportunity with my work and a little audacity.
2nd Tuesdays, in the morning we will search and apply to things.
Write a book on art: This is a way to share knowledge as well as an additional income stream. This would a digital download/self published work.
Aimed at the emerging artist, within Brush Work’s sphere.
Could do additional books once this one is put out.
Writing hour every Thursday morning
3 shows: One at a restaurant, two at coffee houses. Booked!
I’d like to book one additional show, but a group show.
Make a painting bigger than me
60+ inches in all directions, simple
Go to first Thursday every month: Keeps me in the art community in a super local way.
Get 12 commissions, one a month
Promoting commissions quarterly- Reminders are set up
A new marketing strategy
For selling big paintings
For selling prints
Print of the month?
Getting commissions
In January, find an expert on art marketing and STUDY
Twitch:
2023: We met our goals! No notes.
This year:
Consistency around the schedule. Planning breaks rather than disappearing without notice.
Respect my own boundaries when it comes to getting tired. So we have better mental health around streaming.
Twitch allows me to paint more impactfully. It’s the greatest habit I’ve cultivated for the art business and brings in a lot of business.
Podcast:
2023: Got a new podcast episode for every week of 2023 but didn’t get on anyone else’s. Success?
This year:
Be on 3 other podcasts!
The podcast keeps me engaged in expanding my learning and connecting with my collectors and colleagues. It brings me happiness to create and is building skills I’ll need for the future.
Travel:
2023: I accomplished all of my travel goals last year! Took a trip with my family, went internationally on a solo trip, visited a new city with Luke. It was a fun time :D
This year: My goal is to travel less this year, funnily enough. I have one big trip planned and smaller trips would be nice to have, but not necessarily.
Go to my brother’s wedding
Go on a quarterly domestic weekend trip with my partner.
Ideas: a weekend on the Washington coast, New York City for a short time, visiting friends in different states.
When I travel, we aren’t buying things ‘for the trip’! I’ve already got everything I need for traveling and don’t need a new outfit just because it seems fun.
Relationships:
Family:
2023: Did not get the family over for dinner once a month, going to try a different idea.
This year:
Have a once a month family date! Go to the movies, get tea time, go to the zoo, etc.
Offering ideas “Come with me to this thing at this time” instead of “Let’s hang”
Not getting hung up if not everyone can come to said event. It should be fun.
Friends:
2023: That was a success! I had friends over and was able to get friends to become friends with each other.
This year:
Try my friends hobbies!
And do it with them~
Partner:
2023: Didn’t read “8 Dates”, did travel together!
This year:
Read “8 Dates” and then do them.
Weekly cook for each other
Take a weekend trip together once a quarter
Host and artist Stephanie Scott breaks down the practicality of the art career with topics including: sustainable creative practices, social media skills, and the mindsets that keep it all together. New episodes every Tuesday!
Yoga with Adrienne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0et6I930LaU
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniescott.art/
Website: http://www.stephaniescott.art/brushwork
Music by @winepot https://www.instagram.com/thewinepot/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniescottart
Podcast Cover photo by Maryna Blumqvist https://instagram.com/picturemaryna