So here's the first quarter of 2012, finished. Yeow that's crazy, but anyway here we are at April.
Got a fair amount of the heavy lifting things done in the first 3 months, or at least started and now onward to April.
JAN-MAR 2012 Goals
- Identify and contact 2-3 potential licensors over the next 3 months - Moved to June
- Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work- Didn't happen
- Re-work and FINISH artist statement for website and for portfolio - DONE, you can see it here!
- Pattern design - create 2-3 series - have thought about this one, and actually haven't done Anything, I feel like I have a lot of other boats in the water, and need to work on them first.- Decided to put this one on hold, too many other things going right now. It'll come back around.
- Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint. This ended up feeling too calculated a way to start, so I've been painting and will evaluate any potential series that I could add to in the next few months
- Put a list together of 10-12 people I know and ask them about what methods they have used to market their work. Move to April-June
- Write announcements and press releases about my current work. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out! Sent out 3. No responses. Will focus more on this April-June.
- Work more on branding and ask for testimonials/words from peers. - started putting them up here. These are design specific, need to get the art/jewelry ones up elsewhere.
- Re-evaluate ALL of these things as the days and week pass, and listen to my own voice and re-evaluate their importance/priority I am re-evaluating a few things on this list. Patterns: I need to follow through with my Etsy shop and my jewelery and a few other things before I throw out another thing. Too much. Painting Series: the idea is OK, but it's too forced. At least right now. I AM painting. I need to paint what is speaking to me, and not set it up trying to pre-suppose what a licensor wants, and paint to that. Nope. not goign towork that way.
- Add to this list with any new ideas/possibilities
- Create for FUN and JOY.
APRIL Goals
- Contact the potential licensors I identified in March. Try to get all contacts out by end of April.
- Get packages off to the 2 companies that are interested in my design work before 15 April.
- Put more time and effort into marketing my Etsy shop and trying different ideas/methods. This item needs consistent focus all month. Limit diversions and distractions and disappointments.
- Finish the About Liz sections of website by end of April.
- Move the blog to WP by end of April and have a cohesive site.
- Continue marketing research and interviews with people I know. Read more. Listen more. Try more.
- Write {and re-write} announcements and press releases about my current work: jewelery, cards art. Target 10-15 blogs and SEND them out!
- Spend some time each day just drawing. Re-visit the pencil, or the pen and a piece of paper. Think about shadow, think about perspective, go back to the basics!
- Practice {everyday} some of the self-care techniques that I learned at the Steady Burn Retreat with Jen Lee and her band of merry-wise women that was held at Teahouse Studio last weekend. I am rearranging my time, and my focus, in so many ways that are helping me to find more creative space.
- Paint. Create. Revel. Celebrate. Focus. Collaborate. Rest. Repeat.
April is here, and we are so not fooling around. Let's embrace the month of April in a wave of creativity and abundance!
________________________
IF you are new to The Meetup or would like to play along, here's the scoop:
- Post a list of your business related goals for the current month on the 1st of each month on your blog. {If the 1st falls on a weekend, post on the following Monday.}
- Come back over here and leave a link to your goals blog post in the comments of my current month's goals.
- And then {and this is the most important part, since we are a community} visit all the links in the comments, stop in and say hello, have a conversation, meet and greet and etc.
Isn't it interesting that we can have all the plans in the world, but yet, if it ain't right, it ain't right! (The flower painting series...) I know that most things I make start as little seeds in the back of my brain, and I have to wait for them to grow into an obsession...and then find a bit of time! I've had a botanical sketchbook in my brain for about 9 months now, and it's beginning to obsess me...soon, soon!
Good luck moving your blog to wordpress - indeed, it is awesome to have everything all together, but the transition is always scary (at least to me!)
Have a great April Liz! mine, as always, will be busy!
http://www.candiedfabrics.com/2012/04/02/meetup-march-goals-2/
Posted by: Candy from Candied Fabrics | April 02, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Liz -- congratulations! You had a hhuge list and you've made great strides. Items 5 and 8 on your list with resonate with me. I created one cohesive site this year with my blog and website and it has worked wonders for me. Not only is it easier to do updates this approach has helped me bring people to my site and stay there (i'm even considering closing my Etsy shop). I feel much more focused! On item 8, I have this on my list too. I have gotten the idea in my brain that I want to illustrate my work process not just through photos but through drawings and painints too! Anyway, as always I wish you time to make lots of great art and a perfect peace while you are working on it! Deborah
http://www.graysonstudios.com/2012/04/02/spring-in-my-step-the-meet-up/
Posted by: Deborah | April 02, 2012 at 01:06 PM
Hi Liz, Your first quarter looks great. I find that springtime is when my new ideas flow and things start happening. the beginning of the year plans sometimes get a little too forced. I'm glad you are revisiting what your passions are and focusing on letting that lead the way. Your new site looks amazing! I love how you sectioned your work by "design studio" and "art studio". It works perfectly! Good luck on the transition to WP. Did you design the website on WP? I have been wanting to switch and I think working on the site portion on WP then moving the blog over last is the best way to go. I hope you can SEND out your package and press releases without too much hesitation this quarter. That final follow through is always the hardest. Your artists statement sounds lovely! Again, I love how you separated the art, design, writing yet it flows as one cohesive message. So hard to do! Happy Spring!
My goals are online here: http://kf-creativestash.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Kristen from Creative Stash | April 02, 2012 at 02:36 PM
Hey Liz,
My favorite line..."Limit diversions and distractions and disappointments". That about sums it up to me. Good luck getting your press release done, it is amazing how hard it is to truly talk about yourself isn't it? And good luck moving to WP. I use it for my website and really like it.Hope you have a wonderful month!
Here's mine:http://bluehourstudio.blogspot.com/2012/04/time-for-april-meetup.html
Posted by: Debbie | April 02, 2012 at 05:20 PM
Hi all-
I am back from a long hiatus, and as per usual kept my list short.
Liz, I love number 6 and 8. I spent a lot of time drawing/doodling at my last job, and got great art ideas during long boring meetings. Now being unemployed I don't doodle/draw at all...maybe I should crash a boring meeting at the office down my street.
Hope everyone has a productive month!
http://artpippin.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-2012-art-goals.html
Posted by: Pippin | April 02, 2012 at 06:17 PM
Dear Liz,
You made a lot of progress on your March's goals list. The most important to me are the decisions you made about your creativity on your last month's goal #9. You cannot put timeline on creativity that is for sure.
Wish you and everyone the best for this month.
My goals for this month : http://adrianacreations.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/aprils-goals/
Posted by: adrianacreations | April 03, 2012 at 02:13 AM
Congrats on all you got done in the first quarter :) Sometimes it can be super helpful to re-evaluate and move your focus to what moves you instead of what you might like to move you. Good luck with everything for April :)
Here are mine:
http://fallenpeach.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/meetup-april-goals-2/
Posted by: Lindsey | April 03, 2012 at 04:04 PM
Sounds like you've gotten a whole lot done and it's nice to have these goals written out... although it's always a challenge to complete what we hope to! I will have to try this out...
btw, I had lost touch a while because I kept falling onto your old blog when typing in http://athenadreams.typepad.com ? Maybe it's just me!
Posted by: linda | April 13, 2012 at 04:51 PM
It performs perfectly! Best of fortune on the conversion to WP. Did you style the web page on WP?
Posted by: voile curtains | December 30, 2012 at 09:39 PM