Sorry this post is so late, we're a bit hectic still dealing with the sale of the building we currently rent in, so many apologies.
Anyway, today we wanted to talk a bit about making lists - a certain list . Many of us probably have "to-do" lists, or lists of things we'd like to achieve in life, grocery lists, etc. etc. Some people probably live their life off lists, so the idea of making two more may seem daunting, but we got this tip from Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz, who is basically a super awesome person that helps people with their small businesses. I highly suggest you go over there and
Sooo, enough about her, back to YOU. So you have lots of lists already, why make more lists? Well, the list we're asking you to make is a list that will boost your self-esteem and make you feel awesome.
Things You Did Today
The first list we want you to make is a list of things that you did today that furthered your progression towards making art. For the professionals, it might be "emailed a client today" or "finished a commissioned piece." For the beginners, it might be "watched a drawing video on YouTube" or "went to a gallery opening," or "doodled in my sketchbook." For everyone, it could be "worked on a painting," or "pulled reference for illustration," or "studied package design from cupcake box."
Whatever it is, if you took a step forward, no matter how small, record it. While this may seem a bit pointless in the beginning (you could be making stuff with that time!), it really doesn't take a whole lot of time, and after a week or so, you'll notice that you really are making progress.
Try not to get too wordy with this one - go for line items, not full journal entires. Keep it short and sweet, so it doesn't become this big time suck that distracts you from getting on with following your dreams.
If you didn't do a single thing towards art today (which is hard to do, see below), then write "recharging for tomorrow." We can't all go full-bore 100% of the time, and by being accountable to doing something, not only will it remind you to do something towards your art, but it'll also show you how many little steps you've actually done. If you're looking on pinterest for inspiration, or read a graphic novel, or browsed some t-shirt designs, or read this blog, or thumbed through a fashion magazine, realize that you're just broadening your visual vocabulary, and that counts as something too!
Even if you're tired from work and just want to lay in bed eating vegan ice cream, I'd say that counts towards recharging your batteries (and bonus points if you're also looking at the design of the little carton). So keep a list of the stuff you've done today, and as long as the "recharging" entries don't beat out the action items, you're in a good spot.
So what did you do today?
