Last year, I wanted to focus on saying no to my family and treating my career as an important aspect of my life. I feel I definitely succeeded with that, completing a section that was at 50% with a perfect 100%. This year, I placed my mandatory two steps and got to decide what I wanted out of my career. How exciting!
One of the things about being a caricaturist specifically is that you spend a lot of time working alone. That is, while I go out and draw for a crowd and talk to a lot of people, I don't get the chance to socialize with a lot of other caricaturists. When I worked for Kaman's Art Shoppes, my caricatures were at the top of their game because of the friendly competition that fostered artistic growth in artists. Now that I'm a contractor, I don't get to see how a lot of other artists work. That friendly competition that gives you that little push is just... gone.
The holiday season is usually the one time all of that turns around. Working with some of the magnificent and amazing KC caricaturists reminded me how my caricatures may have slipped a bit from their prime. Part of that is the lack of drawing caricatures 40 hours a week as I once used to. Part of it is not seeing other artists at work.
My first goal for 2014 is to begin having Caricature Practice Sessions. My beginning goal is 360 minutes a month, or just six hours. This breaks down into about 30 minutes three times a week. Before the year is over, I'd like to compile a folder of about 200 faces, celebrity and friends, that I can use to practice with.
Along with those practice sessions, I'd like to have a test session of one hour at the beginning of each month using a standard 20 celebrity list. This way, I can compare how my caricatures progress using the same faces. Here's a list of 20 celebrities that I feel represent diversity between age, gender and race. This way, I have plenty to work with.
Finally, I'd like to also spend roughly 30 minutes a week watching other caricature artists work on Youtube. That's how you pick up tips and tricks!
As with last year, hitting a particular target income goal is important to me. It shows growth and helps us build our lives, particularly since we're now on the long road to paying off my husband's student loans and saving for a house.
Wait. Did I just say a house? At the beginning of 2013, I couldn't even imagine us owning a house before our 50's thanks to his student loans. Now, things look a lot better. Proof that The Progressive Planner goal plan works! But we'll get to finances later.
The trend I was seeing when I was putting together my goals for the upcoming year was a few repeating goals that were fulfilled in 2013 yet made their way back onto the list for 2014. For example, I can't imagine "Target Income" not being a goal I make every year for Career. As I mentioned in the last entry, I now have an ideal goal chart. I think I'll begin to see that chart fill with standard ideal goals.
Thus, my second goal for 2014 is to Make my Target Income for the Year.
Last year, I wanted to up my number of monthly illustrations and create 12 illustrations for myself, doing just one a month. Because I assume these are now habit, I will also be adding these to my monthly goal list, but not counting them towards percentage. They'll simply either be marked as "Done" or "Not Done." With that in mind, let's go ahead and take a look at what my monthly goal list template should look like for my Career section:
CAREER - 0% Complete
Caricature practice
sessions. – 0/360 minutes – 0% complete.
Caricature test session.
– 0/20 celebrities – 0% complete.
Caricature studies. – 0/30
minutes – 0% complete.
Make target income for
the month. – 0% complete.
Up number of monthly
illustrations. – Done | Not Done
One personal
illustration. – Done | Not Done
Some notes: None.
And so it begins!
Next time on The Progressive Planner:
My 2014 Financial Goals.
Question for my readers:
What are your 2014 career goals?
Pick up more side hustles (pet sitting, house cleaning, freelance) to increase my income to throw at my debt.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this should also be a thing for me. Seriously. Good luck!
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