⏩ THE ONE artist thing to do before 2024
⏩ THE ONE artist thing to do before 2024
#46 or how to reach your art goals this year
Hey my demon 👋
Welcome to the edition #46 of the Art Missive! We are 11,531 😈 in this newsletter and I can’t believe it! The launching of the course was such a success that thousands of demons have joined the newsletter tribe. Whether you have been here from the beginning or you have just arrived, thank you so much for reading ❤.
✨ ONGOING CHALLENGE ✨
Before we talk about achieving your art goals in 2024, I am thrilled to announce that we've reached 200,000 followers on Instagram 🎊. And to celebrate this milestone, I've launched a new "DRAW THIS IN YOUR STYLE" challenge!
If you wanna join, you can find the details 👉here👈.
In this Art Missive
Introduction.
New superpower.
Proper goals.
Efficient Pathways.
Action.
1/ Introduction.
A year ago, I created this newsletter to help you achieve your creative goals.
That's why, every week, I started decoding all these strategies that lead to artist success, whether it's about drawing, style, mindset, or business.
In a year of adventure with you all, I've learned a lot, but there's really one essential strategy that stands out.
This strategy allows any artist, even the busiest or least experienced, to achieve a specific artistic goal: like drawing more, mastering a new art technique, growing their community, or even launching their art business.
This strategy is, in my opinion, the most valuable skill for every artist who wants to succeed because, with it, you can acquire all the other skills you need.
And this strategy is planning.
Not very sexy, right? It's even a bit disappointing…
But as Benjamin Franklin said, 'If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail.'
So if you're an artist, whether you're a beginner or experienced, who dreams of accomplishing a specific goal in 2024, this newsletter is for you.
Welcome to edition #46 of the Art Missive, in which I'll show step by step how to effectively plan your artistic success in 2024.
2/ New superpowers.
I'm often described as a workhorse, and my friends and fans are always amazed by my ability to accomplish so much.
For example, in 2023:
✅ I launched this newsletter and published 46 editions.
✅ I started my art business.
✅ I created and successfully launched an online guide for artists.
✅ I created and successfully launched a drawing course.
✅ I published over 160 new posts on Instagram.
✅ I gained +130,000 followers in my community.
✅ I moved twice and turned full-time traveling thanks to my artist income.
✅ All of this while consistently drawing new artwork every week and refining my artistic style.
It may seem extraordinary, but when you look behind the scenes, you'll understand that it has little to do with talent and everything to do with organization.
✨And that's great news for you!✨
It means that by investing some of your time in planning now, you can become the artist you want to be in a few months!
To do so, you just need to know how to plan effectively. And that’s why I’m here for.
So grab a pen and a piece of paper, and let's start planning.
3/ Proper Goals.
As a first step, I want you to determine your goals.
Setting goals is super important for your artistic journey. Many artists make resolutions, but the key is choosing the right kind of goals.
If your goals are too vague, too big, or not exciting enough, it can make you feel like giving up.
Here's how I suggest setting your goals:
👉 Pick just 1 to 3 goals. Trying to do too many things at once usually leads to not doing any of them well.
👉 Choose a goal that really excites you. There should be a strong reason why you want to achieve it. This reason will keep you going, especially when things get tough.For example, saying you want to get really good at drawing portraits is a good goal, but saying you want to learn how to draw portraits so you can capture special moments for your loved ones is even more motivating.
👉 Get rid of any thoughts that say you can't do it. Your goals should be big and make you feel inspired.
👉 Think about how much time and energy you have. If you have a job and a family, your goals will be different from someone who can focus on art all the time. Write down how many hours you can spend on art each month. This will help you set goals that are challenging but doable.
👉Your goals can be result-oriented or means-oriented!
Examples of result-oriented goals: Master drawing hands, sell 1000 prints, finish volume 1 of my comic book. Here, we focus on the desired outcome to maximize our results.
Examples of means-oriented goals: Challenges like drawing 100 heads, posting my drawings three times a week all year, or completing a percentage of a drawing course. Here, we focus on the journey and execution to accumulate experience and skills.
Personally, I like to have one result-oriented goal and one means-oriented goal!
✨YOUR TURN! ✨
Now, I want you to create a planning sheet (it could be a page in your notebook, a simple note on your phone or a even Google Doc) and start by writing down your artistic goals for 2024, making sure they meet the criteria mentioned earlier.
4/ Efficient Pathways.
Now that you have your goals, you need a plan to achieve them!
So it's time to plan the steps you need to take. This will help you stay motivated and focused for the rest of the year. You will know exactly what to do and when to do it, giving you the best chance to concentrate on achieving your goals.
This step often takes a lot of time because it requires research, that's why I recommend doing it in December before 2024 begins.
So at this stage, I want you to set aside your planning sheet and start separate research.
During your research, you'll need to determine:
1️⃣ What are the steps to reach my goal? What do I need? For example, if your goal is to master stylized portraits, you will do several research on the subject and discover steps such as: 1) learning to construct the head in all positions 2) learning shading 3) learning observational portraits 4) learning stylization.
2️⃣ What resources are available to me to achieve these steps? Is there any apps, free tutorials, databases, courses, coaching…? Taking my previous example, I will compare different free and paid content, apps, drawing courses, books, and art schools, and evaluate the pros and cons of each option.
3️⃣ Among the options, which one is the most suitable for my time, budget, and personality? Using my previous example again, I will compare the different options based on my situation. Do I have a budget for a course that will save me time and provide valuable experience quickly? Or do I need to learn everything through free or nearly free content?
4️⃣ How can I adapt this plan to my life? Once you've chosen your solution, you will check if it fits your lifestyle and make adjustments if necessary.
✨YOUR TURN! ✨
Now, start your research on how to achieve your goal. Take your time and follow the steps outlined above.
Once your research is complete, come back to your planning sheet and detail the steps and resources you will use to reach your goal.
5/ Daily action.
Now that you have your annual goals, how do you implement them into your daily life?
Let's be honest, an annual plan can feel distant and discouraging. It's hard to stay motivated and consistent with such a long-term view.
What we need is a simple method to translate that annual plan into daily actions that will lead us to our ultimate goal.
I use a straightforward system that allows you to easily plan your month, week, and days to ensure you achieve your annual goals. It's called the 90-day plan, a technique used by successful entrepreneurs that I've adapted to my artistic endeavors.
I've already detailed this in a newsletter, where I explain step by step how to create and maintain your 90-day plans.
✨YOUR TURN! ✨
Now, I want you to translate your annual plan into daily actions! To do that, access my 90-day plan and continue building your planning sheet.
Remember that this document should always be within your reach to help you stay organized and motivated.
All that's left is to 👉click here👈 to complete build you first 90 day plan!
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