Last year I had four goals - the ones I felt were most important to my art-related focus and future. I geared up, grit my teeth, dug my heels in - and worked my tail off. All my time outside of my full-time day-job was devoted to learning and preparing. Plus lunch hours. It was exhausting. I took advantage of husband’s weekend and evening work hours (though I hardly saw him; we still grew closer).

This was 2014:

1. Finish 1st draft of autobiography (am 2/3 through, at 23 chapters) 2. Enter SCBWI illustration events/contests 3. Go to SCBWI conference; be READY 4. Read, learn, draw, paint constantly

I accomplished three. Not bad. Good actually. I dropped the one that took away from the rest (#1). And accomplished MORE than planned! Unexpectedly, the biggest highlight was winning the SCBWI conference illustrator contest– with my image on next year’s materials, the website, and a free pass to next year’s conference! On my birthday. Cool, huh?

I had a great year with my health, too - worked crazy hard on an extreme diet w/supplements for half a year (for bad food allergies, which fixed them!), and worked on strength and endurance with regular Jazzercise workouts, plus biked about 600 miles. Yes. On the road. Climbing the foothills. And most gratifying - developing friendships with many excellently talented folks, especially our SCBWI artist’s group! Learning to be an illustrator took on new meaning.

Enter 2015, satisfied with 2014

My husband’s a Dan Miller fan. From ‘48 Days to the Work you Love,’ he shared Dan’s chapter on goals. I was inspired. Break goals into 7 areas -

(1) Financial, (2) physical (“Did you know that physical exercise is a cleansing process that can dramatically increase your creativity?” and a 10 minute walk refreshes a blocked mind to get it back to work and creating), (3) personal development, (4) family, (5) spiritual, (6) social, (7) career. Dan says they’re connected, and if you let one crumble then all of them begin to spiral down.

Gotta plan BIG. Make no little plans.

2015 Larger ‘career/artist’ goals:

1. Publish two books, or pub one, with contract & illustrations for 2nd (I have one contract already, but not started it yet) 2. Select & sign with an agent 3. Illustrate/write full time by year-end 4. Learn my brains out, prepare; buy more top picture books (reference library)

Now, will you share YOURS?? I promise I’ll listen. And encourage you.