Setting Goals for the Next Six Months

We’re already in July. How does time go so fast? Six months left till 2023! Isn’t it kind of scary?

Well, let’s dive into our subject. Setting yourself goals is a good way to keep motivated, but it can also help you stay organised as you already have some kind of planning in mind, hence feeling less overwhelmed—though it could also have the opposite effect if you find yourself having WAY too many things to do, and just not knowing how you are supposed to complete all of these.

Personally, there are so many things that I want to try, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve got no room for all of these—which, in my case, definitely is just a feeling, as I could honestly do this if I were more organised.

So, I thought writing this little blog post in which I would list my goals for the second half of 2022 may help me to focus more on these. And, at the end of the year, I would just have to come back there to see what I’ve been able to do. Let’s get started, shall we?

July and August

This “summer break” is going to be the first one where I work. Actually, my lack of organisation hasn’t quite helped me, so there are a lot of things that I’ll have to do this summer.

First of all, I’ll be working on my portfolio. I want to have it complete by the end of summer, so I can print it and send it to different editors by the end of September. I’ve already got illustrations that I want to include in it, but I have some things missing—such as interior scenes, animals (in a more realistic way), older characters such as grandparents, parents…

I might also sign a contract this month for a project, but it doesn’t seem quite sure for the moment. I’ll still try to leave some room for it if it happens.

Something else that I’ll need to work on are new designs for my Etsy shop. I should have worked on these earlier to be ready for the “Back to school” and Halloween periods, but I haven’t, so… that’s going to be one of my goals for this summer. For these, the earlier would be the better, so I might focus on this goal in the first two or three weeks of July.

Speaking of my shop, I also wanted to add new Procreate brushes that I’ve been working on—textured ones—, but they are not completely ready for now. I might finish them while working on my portfolio, though.é

And, last but not least, I’ll also be hosting a summer art challenge on Instagram this year, so I’ll have a total of nine illustrations to create—one for promoting it, and eight for the challenge itself—, which will be a lot of work! The good thing is, these illustrations could be included in my portfolio, so I would hit several birds with one stone.

September

As mentioned above, I want to have the illustrations of my portfolio ready there, so I can have it printed (and sent) by the end of the month. The fact is, it’s my first time doing this, so I’ll have to search a few things before, such as the printer—who would have thought?—, but also which editors I want to send it to physically.

And, coming with the portfolio, I’ll also need to create a business card to send with it. I’ve already got some design ready, so this honestly shouldn’t take too long, but I still thought I would add it in this list, so that I don’t forget to do it—which I would be able to, believe me!

Once again, nothing sure there. But if my contract is signed, the project I’ll work on should be done either by the end of September of the very beginning of October. These are definitely going to be three intense months!

I also have an online course with the London Art College, so I’ll be working again on it during September. I’d like to have it complete by the end of the year, but that might be too much for me! I’ll see how it goes though.

Finally, while waiting for my portfolio to be printed, I will be re-working for my shop, focusing this time on more Halloween designs if it’s not too late in the month, and start winter-y designs as well. It feels kinda frustrating to do these this early, but I guess this is how business works, so I’ll have to get used to it…!

October

Now that my main goal—the portfolio—will be complete, I just don’t know what I should do in October!

I will continue my London Art College lesson of course, and since I also have many Domestika courses that I bought but still haven’t completed, I’ll try to do at least one of them in October, too.

I’ll also be looking for one or two Halloween art challenges on Instagram that I could join, to get a bit of “presence” on social media and interact more with other artists as well.

Finally, I’ll also be working on other winter designs, as well as Christmas and festive ones, so I have them ready for the end of the year.

November

November feels like a month when nothing really special happens.

I don’t really have an idea of how long this can take for an editor to review a portfolio and then to get in touch with you if they like your style. Maybe some work in November? Maybe not? Feels pretty uncertain!

If I don’t, I’ll mostly try to promote my illustrations to try to get a few commissions—maybe advertising family portraits could be a nice idea, with Christmas coming soon? I think this can be a really sweet gift!

And again, if I don’t get any commissions, I’ll try to make some 3D art. I received Nomad Sculpt for my Birthday and that may honestly be the only moment when I really get some time to try using it. I’ve already got a few ideas of what I want I want to do, but getting used to a new app might take time and require learning new things.

Finally, nothing new, but I’ll continue both my London Art College and Domestika courses depending on how commissions go.

December

Already the last month of the year! Yeah!

If I got some portrait commissions, I’ll have to get them done before Christmas obviously, so people can offer them on time.

As for in October, I’ll also try to find an Instagram art challenge based on the winter or Christmas seasons, so, once again, I can get more interactions with other illustrators.

Finally, I’ll also take a little break with the two-week holidays, to enjoy being with my family!

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And… that’s it for my plans!

The first two months are definitely going to be the more intense ones, which feels a bit strange to me to be honest. I hope I can achieve everything that I want. Any way, if not, I’ll skip the work I want to do for my shop, as it feels like the less important one to me—but I do hope I can still make it, as, though not as important, it is pretty fun to do!

Also, I must admit that I find it both reassuring and scary to have this plan done. Reassuring because I know what I have to do and when—scary because, at the same time, there are many things that are still uncertain. As I said, the contract is not signed yet, so maybe I’ll get some work or maybe not, I also don’t have any commissions now, so, once again, maybe I’ll get some work or maybe not, and, last but not least, I don’t know how long it can take to get in touch with an editor whom you sent your portfolio to, so I still don’t know if I’ll have work from them too. Too many “maybe’s” according to me—but, hey!—, I’m just staring as an illustrator, so this might take some time before I get a more “stable” situation, with regular work, etc.

I hope this article was interesting enough. I am not sharing any tips or anything like that, but I thought this kind of “personal” post could be nice to read. Also, this will help seeing the things I manage to achieve this year, and the things I’ve still got to learn.

I hope to write again soon!