20 before 20
20 before 20 is a challenge to start, tie-up or finish 20 things before the end of 2020. In this post, I’m sharing mine and I challenge you to join along.
I’m a firm believer that growth, balance and expansion can’t be left to chance, because when it is, we become susceptible to retreating back to our default habits and comfort zones.
Setting achievable goals gives us the accountability to get where we want.
This is my busiest season, as it is with most creative businesses so this term I rarely get into creative work and am usually solely about getting down to business. However, when managed properly, there’s still time for art, life and calm.
So before we get into it, here’s a few prompts to get started:
1. Do a brain vomit list – throw out all the tasks you’d like to complete by years end onto a big sheet of paper
2. Decide what you can say no to, delegate, postpone, let go of or batch to give yourself some white space.
3. Ask yourself what needs to happen to make 2019 feel like a success?
With that said, here’s my list:
1. Tax return completed
Every year I tell myself that I will not use January for tax return – it’s not the best or most inspiring way to begin the year. This is the year to finally follow through.
2. Secure venues to tour Solo Show for 2020.
I want to make sure I build on the foundation I’ve set.
3. Finish the Moby Dog Sculpture
I started this experiment 2 years ago to see if I’d enjoy making animals (answer yes and it is a project I intend to return to) but feeling like I’ve mentally finished and moved on, meant I never got around to physically finishing the Sculpture.
4. Monthly Husband Dates
This upcoming quarter, we’re ships in the night as it’s both of our busiest periods. With him working away 2-3 weeks of the month, it’s doubly important to connect without distractions when he’s home.
5. Theatre Night with Mum
An annual tradition that I missed last year. Not letting that happen again.
6. One new day course
Drafted and ready to launch for 2020. Any ideas you’d like to see?
7. Redo Welcome Series for my Mailing List
Simply out of date and needs a rework.
8. Draft an Online Art Challenge to go live for January
This is something I’ve been shying away from for the best part of 2 years. I intend to tackle this once and for all.
9. Keep up the writing
I’ve upped sharing this year as a bit of a personal and business experiment. I don’t say it often, but I’m proud that I got out of my own way and pushed this aspect.
10. Yearly review
The year between Xmas and New year is gold for this – my true geek comes out and I lavish in learning from my mistakes and finding ways to build on my life, business, weaknesses and art for the year ahead.
11. Holiday booked for January.
We have both worked so hard this year, we deserve a break – a much better way to start the year than tax return and gives an extra incentive to get the chore done.
12. 100 x scrappy heads made
My studio time is going to be limited this term, but these little guys will be perfect to create during the short spurts in the studio.
13. Website maintenance
Usually a summer activity but it was something I had to push to the back burner to make time for my solo show. This will be a great use of time between term classes.
14. Get my yoga back
This year has been so packed that I slipped up on my health – this showed itself in a flare-up of an injury in my arm. Need to get back into the way of it.
15. Ceramic canvas design tested.
This is the first step of merging my painting practice with ceramic.
16. Bouquet commission completed
The first commission of my Paperclay flowers – super excited to see this come together.
17. Soak in online training
I’ve a few courses banked and ready to be consumed. I want to take my first scan through them before diving deep into them in January.
18. 2 new Mini Portraits
I’ve taken a back seat on the portraits this year, and I miss them. I learn so much from each one and I’m looking forward to working on some Christmas orders.
19. Breeze through without Burn Out.
I’ve my busiest season to date with 6 x weekly classes, 6 weekend courses, 2 x public artworks, 3 x private commissions, 1 x festival and a Solo Show. If I’m not careful, this could be a recipe for burn out. However, if I make sure to batch my lessons, eat and rest properly and work in short focused sessions, there’s no reason I can’t breeze through this.
20. Yearly gift launched.
One of my favourite ways to end the year is with a unique gift exclusively for a member on my mailing list to win. (Sign up here if you want to be in for a chance.) It’s a small token of my gratitude, because without you I wouldn’t be able to make a full-time living creatively. I don’t take your support lightly. Thank you. x
Overall, the idea of tackling 20 before 20 is to end the year strong. Truth be told, I would like to head to a warm beach and do a whole lot of nothing, but I’m busier than ever before. I feel as though I’m on the cusp of a transition which always carries the temptation to retreat back to what feels safe; Instead, I would like to accept the challenge and set firm foundations for next year.
Adding in these to-do’s doesn’t have to equal more stress or frenzy. It just means being strategic and focused with our time, doing an extra hour of overtime versus finishing early and making intentional space for the things that matter.
What’s your 20 before 20?
Studio Notes
If you’d like to create more art my bi-monthly email, studio notes is packed with strategies to make time for your creativity, gives you a peek into the studio and delivers encouragement, lessons and more to develop your art.
ForM is by far my favourite group exhibition of the year to visit and I am honoured to have been one of artists involved in it this year.
If you missed the exhibition, here’s a round up.