Organization ands Goal Setting for Art: TFD The Blog

Goal setting and organization for me is all about my personal creative rhythm and expressing where I am at that moment. 

Let's face it, organizing yourself, your creative ideas, and your goals can be hard as heck as an artist, maker, small business, or heck - neurodiverse person. I know I sometimes struggle with wanting to do ALL THE THINGS, or struggle with hyperfocusing on small details that are not as relevant at that moment, when in reality I don't have time or capacity for that. A while ago I made a TikTok about how I set goals and what my organization system looks like, if you, like me, struggle with focus here is how I organize my creativity and make it work for my art. 

In this blog post I am going to talk about channeling a collection, organizing a rhythm, and how I like to set goals. 

The Idea of a Collection

(Shop Pride collection, Shop Horror Collection, Shop 420 Collection)

When I started my website and working on art, I wasn't sure what method to use when posting. I saw a lot of people putting up listings as they finished individual pieces, posting general shop updates, and posting sporadically on set days.

Each of those methods work, don't get me wrong, but I was worried I would not have enough in the shop to actually make it work it if I took the individual piece, general update, or the sporadic approach. 

So, I came up with the idea of posting entire themed collections. 

This idea kind of serves two purposes for me;

1. I can post a series of art at once- which makes it easier to promote and publish
2. It also allows me to focus my creative energy and make really cohesive collections

I talked a bit about the first purpose, but this idea of a collection also allows me to slow down and intentionally think about what I want to make. I have a kind of chaotic energy when it comes to art, I just want to do everything all at once, which can kind of make for a confused look to what I'm working on. I find that developing the idea of a "collection" helps me channel what I want to work on and how I want to approach it. 

For each collection I ask myself a few questions; 

1. What is the theme of this collection?
2. What do I want this collection to look like/feel like
3. What skills do I want to develop or grow?
4. How do I want to challenge myself?

Organizing a Rhythm

Once I have a theme and the answers to the questions above I then begin to shape my "Rhythm". A Rhythm for me is a set period of time, usually 2-4 months in which I make my vision a reality. 

This "rhythm" makes up my master spreadsheet and it, with the collection theme form the basis of my organization and goal setting.

My rhythms usually consist of:

1. Planning and play phase
2. Development phase
3. Administrative
4. Launch!

Planning and Play

In this phase I take the time to explore/come up with the theme, develop ideas of what I want to make and work on, and draft my personal goals. This might look like drafting designs, testing out paint techniques, coming up with plans for new stitches or floss colours etc. 

For me this usually looks like a month in which by the end of it I have a good sense of what I want to accomplish, how I want to approach it, and the timeline of what I'm doing. 

In this phase I also answer my collection questions and really solidify any goals I have. 

Development Phase

This is the longest part of my Rhythm- the actual making/designing, stitching, painting. It may look like 2-3 months depending on my timeline.

In this phase I make all of the embroidery hoops, test stitch all of the patterns, design all the digital works as well. 

Administrative

This phase looks like uploading things into the website, printing and cutting stickers, printing postcards, and completing any PDF patterns. 

It also looks like stock inventory, website maintenance, photography, and the nitty gritty of business admin. 

This phase is usually 1-2 weeks and often overlaps with "pre-launch". 

Launch!

My launches typically last 2 weeks- a "pre-launch" the week before launch where I like to promote my things, then the week after launch where I let everyone know they can finally get the cool things.

This phase is really still in development and I haven't figured it out completely, but for now it works :)

How all of this helps me set goals

The process of creating a collection and my phases set the tone for the goals I make. 

For goals I like to organize them in three ways; the goal of the entire collection/rhythm (typically from the questions I ask myself), the goal of "month" (or step in the rhythm), and then my weekly goals when it comes to making. 

This neatly lays out my quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. Which I then break up into small manageable tasks for each day. 

ONE THING TO NOTE:
Whatever the goal I try to keep it centered on myself and keep it realistic for the timeframes selected. None of my goals are driven by other people (ie. sales, follower count, marketing ability). I don't find goals that are centered outside of me helpful for my personal growth journey. Further, I like to make sure I build in time for mistakes and rest!

Everyone is different, but this is what helps me explore my creativity and avoid feeling defeated!

Let's wrap it up: Some resources

So ultimately I use this process to help me focus my energy, set goals, create a schedule, and keep me on track. 

I use google sheets to do this but honestly you can create whatever system works for you. 

If you like the vibe of my spreadsheet, you can copy it and use it for yourself.

Hope that helps!

~Kass