"Fall on the Yampa"Oil on Panel
14x18"
2008
Phew! Last week was completely insane. I painted outdoors all day each day, then there were artists dinners to go to at night, followed by the opening on Friday night and the quickdraw and other events on Saturday. Needless to say, there wasn't much time to be updating databases and checking on goals!! The funny thing is, it really bugs me now if I don't do this status check at the end of each month - it's become a habit that I depend on to gauge how my career is progressing. So, here we go for the month of July:
1. Get my work into three more galleries.
Same as last month - two down, one to go, and I'm taking a break from the gallery search for the summer. Right now I'm letting things settle and seeing how things go with three galleries.
2. Complete 100 paintings.
Painted thirteen this month, which had to be a personal record. Seven of those were plein air pieces I completed for the RMPAP show last week, but the others were all decent sized studio paintings, so this was a productive month for me! That makes 59 down, 41 to go.
3. Sell enough work to pay our mortgage.
Done for the year - yay! My new goal is to earn enough to pay the mortgage (well, rent) AND our health insurance (not cheap - the joy of being self-employed).
4. Update painting database and financial records monthly.
Done. I might have to start doing this every couple of weeks as I get busier - it's hard to remember where everything is when I only update at the end of the month.
5. Race in a minimum of three 5k's.
Did a 5 miler last month, and I'm officially registered to do a sprint triathlon in September. My sister-in-law talked me into it and I'm sort of questioning my sanity given my current workload. Oh well - I know I can finish it as long as log some time in the pool this month!
So, that's it for this month. Sorry again if these posts are totally boring to everyone, but this has been such a good motivational thing for me this year that I'm making myself stick with it.
I just signed up for my first sprint tri too! It's the last week of Sept and I have to swim in the ocean...terror! Someday I will buy one of your paintings and help pay for health insurance. ;-)
ReplyDeleteStacey, these goals updates are great and I'm glad you continue with them. They inspired me to do goals updates this year as well. I have found what you have, they help you keep on track. It is encouraging to know you are making progress.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
very inspiring to me as well. Thanks for the great blog.
ReplyDeleteI like hearing your progress reports although they do give me a bit of a complex. While I am organized in many ways, making goals is not one of them. I just sort of barrel through each month and let everything land where it lands!
ReplyDeleteYour work is really rockin' lately, btw! No wonder you are so busy.
I too love the goals updates. Interesting to me to read. And I think probably very valuable to you to do.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely shows that having goals and keeping them in mind while moving forward can be a very powerful tool.
Congrats on all you've accomplished!
I would love to see some of your plein air paintings, your studio work is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh - I signed up for a sprint tri for Sept too! Getting in the training AND working full time is challenging.
ReplyDeleteHey All - thanks so much for the comments. I have a complex about posting these goals (like they make me look too rigid and structured or something), so it's good to hear that you all like to hear about them and that they don't send you running away from my blog!!
ReplyDeleteIf yo don't revisit your goals, then their purpose as guideposts is for naught. Their indeed inspirational and help spur me to do the same. Too rigid? Nah!!! I'd call it focused!!!
ReplyDeleteYour posts aren't boring. It's great to see inside the mind of an artist (and triathlete). I'm glad to finally meet you. Hope to see you at the pool again. Good luck on your tri next month.
ReplyDeleteNext time maybe you should use the ramp ;-)))))
how great to see you so close to and mostly meeting your goals! it's inspirational to the rest of us. this last year i took a break from professional goal setting. i needed to let some things rumble around inside me a bit to see which direction i even wanted to be heading in....but as i get ready to set new professional as well as personal goals, this is a great post to read. good job you've done--you should be pretty happy with the progress and the goals themselves, i would think! i'm impressed!
ReplyDelete