I hope you are inspired to invest in your own
creative journey. With a little self-refl ection and
intentional goal setting, you are sure to stretch as an
artist and have lots of fun along the way! Wishing you
a creativity-fi lled and happy New Year!Eight Tips for Achieving Goals
- Document your goals and progress. Once you’ve
refi ned your artistic goals, be sure to record them. Help
increase accountability by sharing your goals with family
and friends or raise the stakes by sharing them publicly
via your blog and social media. - Identify resources to help you achieve each goal. If
you are looking to learn a particular technique, seek
out experts and take a workshop. Check your local
library for books on design or a particular technique.
Register for a conference to get a creative boost and fi nd
networking opportunities. Join organizations that will
help connect you with other fi ber artists such as Studio
Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), a local quilt guild, art and
quilt museums, and art critique groups. - Designate time to work toward your goals. Schedule
time for creativity on your calendar. After Cheryl Brickey
breaks down her goals into smaller steps, she maps out
the order and time required for each step. Cheryl advises
others to “put these steps into a calendar and hold
yourself accountable.” - Find an accountability partner. I shared my interest
and hesitation about fabric dyeing with a fellow quilting
friend who confessed that she had similar concerns.
We pooled resources and scheduled a day to dye fabric
together. Having a buddy made the journey all the more
fun! Another route is to seek out a mentor or creativity
coach to help you navigate your creative journey.- Revisit your goals throughout the year. Yvonne Fuchs
tries to “look back on my created goals at least once
every 2–3 months.” After Sarah Ruiz fi nishes a project on
her list, she feels “I can quickly and easily look at my list
to decide what to tackle next.” - Celebrate your successes! “One of my favorite things is
the feeling of accomplishment I get when I can cross an
item off on one of my lists,” says Yvonne. Cheryl hosts an
online “Best of ” link party as an opportunity for bloggers
to share their annual accomplishments. - Be open to new possibilities. Sarah advises “don’t
be afraid to alter or change those goals if you need
to.” Yvonne notes that “perhaps a better project or
opportunity came up and, if so, that’s fantastic!” - Refl ect and repeat. As the year winds down, take the
time to refl ect and evaluate your progress on each of
the goals. For Yvonne, “annual goal setting has helped
me to honestly refl ect back on my past year and see the
diff erence between my plans and what really transpired.”
Resources
Cheryl Brickey, meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com
Yvonne Fuchs, quiltingjetgirl.com
Sarah Ruiz, saroy.net“Prismatic Peace” • 20" x 20"