One of my goals this year has been to create a new illustration every month. Not sure what I’d find in terms of growth, or whether it be a more simple composition or a detailed piece, I wanted at least 12 new illustrations to look back at by the end of the year.

This may seem like a lot, or not much at all - but to me it was a good goal.

For the past few years, it’s been hard to make new art that I could look back on and feel proud of. When I look back at my personal work with a self-critical eye, I see an artist who is unsure of their style, someone uninspired, someone who is trying to figure it out. I’ve been keeping busy with freelance work, which is where I’ve invested a lot of my time & creativity. But my own personal voice has been quiet, awkward.

It’s taken me a while to realize, THAT’S OKAY. We all go through a bit of a “puberty,” in our creativity - I may still be going through it now! I just know the past few years has been personally rough, and consequently, creatively rough.

I’m glad I was able to focus on my freelance work, which in turn gave me a break before I started up a new personal goal. Breaks are so important to reset and recalibrate. And so far so good! I have 7 new pieces of work from each month this year so far.

January, February, March

How do I stick to a goal?

Make it a realistic goal. I’ve been illustrating for 9 years now, freelancing for 6 years. I feel I understand how quickly I work, as well as how much I can handle in a week or a month. Understanding and being self-aware of my work ethic makes it so I don’t take on more than I can handle. Rather than create something every week, creating something for myself every month has been more doable, giving me room to breathe and do other tasks.

Planning around a goal. In the few years that I wasn’t executing all my ideas, they’ve been piling up in a sketchbook. In order to organize all these ideas, I gave myself a practical plan to work on certain ideas at specific times of the year. I’m a big fan of figuring out a planner/calendar system that works for me, and giving myself a theme each month keeps me going with the flow. For example: when June rolls around, I may work on something summer-themed.

Giving myself grace. Not feeling an idea? I don’t force it and I avoid being hard on myself. Often times, forcing an idea and trying to squeeze life out of it makes it a bad illustration - this feels MUCH worse than not having an illustration at all. Maybe art has to be in the moment, simple and in-line with however I’m currently feeling.

Remember who I’m doing this for. I often joke that I do art because it’s the only thing I’m good at and a girl needs to eat. But at the end of the day, art is the only thing I’m good at and the only thing I really want to do. It’s not for the algorithm (a topic for another day), or to prove something to someone else, but for my own personal growth and lifestyle.

April, May, June

So whatever your current or next goal may be, I hope you find the what you’re looking for, as well as reignite any passion you may have lost. I look forward to checking-in this December and letting you know how I feel while looking back at this strange, amazing year.