Looking at goals

I saw this quote on someones blog this morning.

"If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. "

This quote has always resonated with me. I won't say I have always been on the correct side of it though, I do want to be though.

When I think of goals I have this year they don't seem to be any different than last year. That worries me a little but that I am into the trap of living the same year over and over. Or perhaps it is my approach to the goals that needs to change.

If I take my Art goals which are one to further my skills and really be able to paint faces. Now how did I work to foster those goals last year. I took online painting classes with Paulette Insall and Suzi Blu. I participated in the Big Draw and drew faces for 31 days. Throughout the year I painted some faces in my art journal and some on canvas. I have learned what I know through those efforts and just observing what other artists do on their blogs. What is it that I could do this year that would be different, that might further me along on my goal. As I ramble about this I realize one I want to paint faces and two I want them to be good, for people in my life to say wow you are getting good at that. I want to feel this inside too, I want to be able to be happy with a face when I am done with it. Ok now after this ramble I have thought of a couple things that I could do:

1. Paint a face a day for a month. Then see where I am at.
2. Release my expectations on what is a successful painting.
3. Practice mixing paint for face colors, I could be doing this if I just do step 1.
4. To stop judging my work in comparison with Misty, Sharon, Zorana, Judy or Dj and all the other artists whose work I love.
5. To finally understand that I will never paint like them but I can paint like me. It really is an expression of myself and that is so much better than trying to emulate someone else. They can be starting points on an artistic journey but I will make it my own.

If I look at my writing goals, in the past year I attended a week long writers retreat and I participated in Nanowrimo again. I read a lot, studied some, worked on revising last years Nano and worked on the book about my Grandparents. They were all things starting projects but its clear that I have not finished anything and I want this year include finishing something.

It seems clearer how to define my Art goals and coming up with a plan for them than it is for the writing. They are just such big projects, that I find a hard time breaking them down into a more manageable plan. Perhaps a mind map would help. I've read about these and know Violette uses them a lot. Perhaps with this goal that is a step to try that might be helpful. I think its time to pull out some paper and markers and play with the idea.