"Art Goals for Beginners: Strategies for Success in the Creative World"

 

As an artist, it's important to set goals to help you grow and improve your skills. Art goals can be anything from trying out a new technique to completing a certain number of pieces.

 

But just setting goals isn't enough - you need a plan, a strategy, a game plan. That's where the SMART system comes in. It's not just smart, it's super smart! (sorry, couldn't resist).

 

The acronym SMART stands for:

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE 

REALISTIC

TIMELY

 

That's a whole lot of fancy words, but let's break it down so you can see how it can help you achieve your artistic aspirations.

To create a SPECIFIC goal, we need to ask ourselves five questions: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Let's break it down:

Who: Who is involved in this goal? Is it just you, or are other people involved?

What: What do you want to accomplish? What is the end result that you're aiming for?

Where: Where is this goal going to take place? Will you need to be in a specific location, or can you work towards it from anywhere?

When: When do you want to achieve this goal? What is the timeline for completion?

Why: Why do you want to achieve this goal? What motivates you to work towards it?

 

Let's take a look at an example to see how this works.

 

Here's an example of how an artist could use the SMART framework to set specific goals:

Who: As an artist, you are involved in this goal.

What: You want to create a body of work for an upcoming art exhibition that showcases your unique style and artistic voice.

Where: The exhibition will be held at a local art gallery.

When: The exhibition is three months away, and you want to have your body of work completed two weeks before the opening night.

Why: You want to establish yourself as a professional artist and showcase your artistic skills to potential buyers and art enthusiasts.

 

So, with these answers in mind, let's create a SPECIFIC SMART goal:

"The artist will create a body of work consisting of twenty original pieces that showcase my unique artistic style and voice for the upcoming art exhibition at the local art gallery. The artist will complete this body of work within the next two months, allowing him/her to have two weeks to finalize and make any necessary adjustments before the opening night. The artist will spend at least 20 hours each week working on my artwork, with a goal to complete two-tree pieces per week. By achieving this goal, the artist will establish himself as a professional artist and attract potential buyers and art enthusiasts to his art work."

This goal is specific because it answers all of the SMART questions:

Who: The artist is involved in this goal.

What: The artist wants to create a body of work consisting of twenty original pieces that showcase their unique artistic style and voice.

Where: The body of work will be showcased at a local art gallery.

When: The artist has set a specific timeline of two months to complete the body of work and two weeks to make any necessary adjustments before the opening night.

Why: The artist wants to establish themselves as a professional artist and attract potential buyers and art enthusiasts to their work.

By setting a specific SMART goal, the artist has a clear roadmap for achieving their objectives and increasing their chances of success.

 

 

 

Next up is MEASURABLE.

 

Let's talk about how to make your goals measurable using the SMART framework. Measurable goals are important because they allow you to track your progress and determine if you're on track to achieving your objective.

 

To make a goal measurable, you need to ask yourself three questions:

How many/much....?

How do I know if I've reached my goal?

What is my indicator of progress?

 

Now, let's make this goal measurable using the three questions:

1. How many/much: The goal is to create 20 original pieces of artwork that showcase the artist's unique style and voice.

2. How do I know if I've reached my goal: The artist will know they've reached their goal if they've completed 20 original pieces of artwork that showcase their unique style and voice within the two-month time frame they've set for themselves.

3. What is my indicator of progress: The indicator of progress is the number of original pieces of artwork completed each month. The artist has set a goal to complete ten pieces of artwork per month, which means the artist should have twenty completed pieces of artwork by the end of the second month.

 

By making the goal measurable, the artist has a specific target to work towards and can track the progress each month what can help to stay motivated and focused on the artistic endeavors.

Your goal also needs to be achievable and realistic. It's great to have big dreams and aspirations, but if your goal is too far out of reach, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Make sure that your goal is something that you can realistically achieve with your current resources and abilities.

Your goal also needs to be relevant to your larger goals and values. Think about why you're setting this goal and how it fits into the bigger picture of your artistic journey.

 

Now, let's make this goal ACHIEVABLE using the two questions (continue previous example):

 

1. Do I (or the artist in our example) have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal?

   The artist must have access to essential resources, such as art supplies and a workspace, and possess the necessary capabilities, such as artistic skills and knowledge, to produce 20 unique artworks within 2 months. It is crucial for the artist to assess their resources and abilities beforehand to ensure they are adequate to accomplish the goal.

2. Have you or others done it successfully before?

   "Let's assume the artist has experience creating 15 paintings in two months (remember, this is just an example), so creating 20 paintings in two months can be a challenging but achievable goal. To make this goal more realistic, the artist needs to gather more information and do some research.

   Have other artists done it succesfully in a such short period of time?

   Yes, many artists have successfully created and exhibited 20 original pieces of artwork within a similar timeframe. By researching successful artists who have accomplished similar goals, the artist can gain inspiration and insights to help them achieve their own objective.

   By making the goal achievable, the artist has set a challenging target that is within their reach. With dedication and hard work, the artist can create 20 original pieces of artwork within 2 months and showcase their unique artistic style and voice at the local Art Gallery.

    

When setting art goals, it's crucial to make them SMART by ensuring they are realistic and relevant to your long-term career aspirations. It's important to consider your available resources, including time and skills, when setting your goals.

In the case of our example, creating 20 original pieces of artwork in 2 months is relevant to the artist's long-term career goal of becoming a successful artist and showcasing their work to a wider audience through an exhibition.

Finally, your goal needs to be TIME-BOUND.

This means that you need to set a deadline for yourself to work towards.

Having a specific time frame will help you stay motivated and focused, and ensure that you don't procrastinate.

Let's go back again to previous example and continue.

The time-bound goal here means that the artist needs to create 20 paintings within a 2-month timeframe, with an additional 2 weeks set aside for adjustments. The goal is to have all paintings completed 2 weeks before the exhibition start date.

 

To make this goal more realistic, the artist may also want to consider the following:

• Setting realistic deadlines for each painting, and breaking down the process of each painting into smaller tasks to make the goal feel more manageable.

• Consider any other commitments or responsibilities they have that may affect their ability to complete the goal within the given time frame.

• The artist may also want to allocate time for rest and self-care, as well as time for any unexpected issues that may arise.

 

So, there you have it, the SMART system for setting and achieving your art goals. By applying these principles to your goals, you'll be well on your way to success.

Once you've set your SMART goal, break it down into smaller tasks and create a timeline with deadlines for each task. This will help you stay on track and make progress towards your goal.

Don't forget to celebrate your progress along the way! Even small steps forward count towards your ultimate goal. And remember that setbacks and mistakes are part of the process. Use them as opportunities to learn and improve your skills.

Please remember, it's important to learn from your mistakes. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes mistakes are made. Don't get discouraged when this happens. Instead, view it as an opportunity to learn and improve. Analyze what went wrong and why, and figure out how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future.

 

Here is another short example:

Let's say your goal is to complete a series of landscape paintings. You might encounter challenges like struggling to capture the right lighting or difficulty choosing the right color palette. Use these experiences as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist. Maybe you need to practice painting different times of day to better understand lighting, or experiment with different color schemes to find the one that works best for you. 

One of the key factors in achieving success as an artist is effective time management through planning and setting realistic goals. This means creating a plan that outlines the tasks you need to complete each day to achieve your goal. It's important to set deadlines for each task and avoid procrastination.

Trust me, procrastination is a creativity killer!

 

To keep yourself organized, make sure your environment remains clutter-free and you have all the necessary supplies and resources within reach.

You can also consider using helpful tools like notifications or setting alarms on your phone to keep you on track or using for example - Trello.

Trello is a popular project management tool that allows individuals and teams to organize and track their tasks and projects in a visual and collaborative way. It uses a system of boards, lists, and cards to help users prioritize and manage their work.

With Trello, you can create boards for different projects or areas of your life, and then create lists within those boards to break down your tasks into manageable chunks. Each task is represented by a card that can be moved between lists as it progresses through different stages of completion.

One of the benefits of Trello is that it is highly customizable. You can create custom labels and tags to help you categorize and prioritize your tasks, and you can add attachments, due dates, and comments to each card to provide additional context and information.

Overall, Trello is a flexible and user-friendly tool that can help you stay organized and on top of your tasks and projects, whether you're working alone or as part of a team.

 

So let’s make a little recap:

Setting and achieving art goals can be challenging, but it's a process that's rewarding and fulfilling.

To start, remember that setting art goals doesn't have to be scary. Break your goals down into smaller, more manageable steps, and make sure they're specific, measurable, and attainable.

And don't forget to celebrate your successes along the way!

Finally, with the right mindset, tools, and support, you can enjoy the journey and achieve your artistic dreams.