how i track my progress
This year started off very busy but as always around this time of the year, after school holidays and Easter weekends spent away from home and from the studio, I tend to find myself a bit lost.
One thing I like to do when I feel like my life, my art, business etc. isn't going anywhere or it feels like nothing is happening, I review my goals and list all the things I have actually completed. This visual cue of listing everything puts things in perspective and usually makes me feel much better.
So, as a review, my words of the year were - COURAGE / AMPLIFY / GROWTH
My goals were to find my art tribe by connecting more with other artists (courage) and to put my work out more, signing up to exhibitions and group shows (amplify). As as well to make more work and grow in my practice.
Here’s what I HAVE accomplished so far in 2025:
participated in ‘31 days of creative practice’ in January (I didn’t manage all the days but most)
went on a trip by myself to Melbourne and toured galleries
reached out to another lovely artist on instagram and asked if she wanted to meet me in Melbourne (she said yes and we had the most fabulous evening out, she even brought along another artist friend and it was the BEST night)
took a week of long service leave and spent my days completely absorbed in my art
participated in my first group show at Studio on Brunswick in the city and sold a piece
signed up to another group show in June
put myself forward to the Jumbled superstar competition
had 3 pieces in Aspire Gallery as part of their Petite Pieces exhibition and another one for Rustle
had 3 pieces in the Grammar Art Show in Toowoomba
created over 20 new pieces of art
sent 3 pieces to the Incognito Art Show
Well, all in all I think we can call this progress! Doing a list like this is SO helpful, now there is no way I can tell myself that nothing is happening when I see all that I have accomplished in a space of 4 months and especially considering that I still work full time and have two primary school aged kids.
So, the lesson learnt here, is to give ourselves some grace and also to do a fact check. What was on our list of goals or aspirations? What have we accomplished or what steps have we taken to get there?
Sometimes I think we are so focussed on sales and if they are slow, it’s easy to get caught up and think it’s all for nothing but really, I’m not creating art to make sales, I create it because I love making it, because creating makes me feel more like myself, because it’s a bit like a calling and even if I never sell another piece, I will probably paint until I can no longer hold a brush.
Now back to the plan and back into the studio, doing the work and making the art :-)
