Have you ever just had good intentions to do certain things and then when you pause, stop and reflect, you don’t actually recognise how you got to be where you are? Sometimes is a great thing, and sometimes it isn’t. How did I get here and why did I go so off track? Creatively, I always champion being in the process and enjoy the freedom of exploring and evolving as an artist, but it’s also easy to lose focus and go off track. So I’ve outlined a few tips below to help you refocus and get back to the pathway you want to walk both personally and creatively. 

Ultimately – remind yourself or define what you want to achieve. This could be absolutely anything that will help you grow creatively. Learn new techniques, refine your skill in a certain area, expand your knowledge on specific topics, grow your online presence, collaborate with fellow artists etc. Whatever it is, clearly define what you want and need to do. This will help you put it into practice and not just be an idea or words you speak. 

Once you know what you want, it’s then about setting out a plan to achieve that. You need to plan to help you focus on achieving what you want. A plan can help you not only define and set goals but it will also help you break these goals into manageable steps with a time frame. When I was in a corporate environment, my self-development plan always involved SMART goals. And it’s one thing that I took away with me into my creative career. For those of you are familiar, that’s great, but for those who are not, SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. 

Using SMART goals can really help you succeed in a sustainable and achievable action plan. 

When creating your action plan, break down your goals into Bitesize smaller tasks. If the goals are too large they might be overlooked or overwhelming. Small steps can achieve big dreams. Make sure each task or goal is given the right priority and resource. Resources can also mean time. We won’t learn a new technique in a day, it takes weeks and months. Be realistic and manage your own expectations. Setting a deadline within your plan is essential. Don’t have open ended dates otherwise you’ll always just put things off. Deadlines can help you with monitoring and reviewing your progress too. In addition to the actual plan of goals, plan for any obstacles or challenges you might face; and mitigate those by having a plan of action on how to reduce or overcome those challenges. 

So let’s put this into practice; let’s say my main goal was to learn a new technique. I’ve not done chain pulls much so let’s pick that. Here is my goal and plan which is smart: 

• Specific: Learn the Chain Pull Technique; by watching online tutorials, taking an in person class and practicing physically with my paints. 
• Measurable: Take photos of my practice pieces and reflect on my progress on a weekly basis.
• Achievable: Can I see improvements and what do in need to work on? Reflect and identify progress. 
• Relevant: Continue to watch videos or attend a workshop to help with skill and practice. Am I sticking to the chain pull fundamentals. 
• Time-bound: Create 3 paintings each week over a course of 6 weeks initially. Then review the goal. 

It doesn’t stop there; it’s then about living in your plan and putting it all into practice. Follow the goals you’ve set but don’t forget to have points where you can monitor and review what you’re doing. Review your progress, monitor your pathway. That will help you stay on track and focus on your priorities to achieve your end goal. And if your initial goal isn’t working for you; revise it, amend it, change it. Make sure it reflects what you want to achieve. 

This is sometimes easier said than done, but having a plan in place helps to remind you what you set out to do. With no plan you could end up working hard on things that are not helping you get to where you want to be. 

I really hope this helps you achieve what you dream about or inspire to. You can do it. Don’t give up. Create a plan and know it’s there to support you achieve what you want. 

Check out Mark’s course on Smart Art Courses: Mindfully Creative: Art Techniques for the Mind, Body and Soul
www.smartartcourses/art-for-mindfulness 

Mark Ratcliffe from Mark J Ratcliffe Art: Abstract Artist & Creator; Certified Meditation Coach and
Wellbeing Practitioner.  Written in his own words @MarkJRatcliffeArt / markjratcliffeart@gmail.com