hopes & dreams: 2026 edition

[redstringraven]

SO. i think i've gotten a loose creative plan for the upcoming year. emphasis on LOOSE; since this is the first time i'm gonna try having a more specific 'plan' (instead of something general and hard to measure), i'm gonna make myself start with a simple set of goal posts.

the primary goals:

finish character sheets/profiles for my remaining primary OCs. this would cover nyxram, gwyn, ash and darach. i'm giving myself roughly three months for each; nyxram's will be worked on january through march and completed by the end of march, gwyn's will be worked on april through june and completed by the end of june, and so on with ash and lastly darach.

alongside these, i'd like to return to regular art studies on the weekends in the mornings. i'll try to have a subject matter chosen and assigned to each month in the next few days. IF possible, a final goal would be to spend about two hours of 'cool down' time every day on a simpler/smaller sketch. i'll try to post/share all of these, but, if i'm having a particularly shit day, i give myself permission to not stress about sharing.

these cool down sketches, if shared, will be posted on my tumblr as they're done, and i think for dreamwidth i'll start a 'sketchbook sundays' tag where i'll post them all at once, once a week.

these goals will "go into effect" on january 5th when i return to the office. i'm not gonna start aiming for them hardcore until i'm back in my usual routine; i think trying to start them next week when i'm still on vacation will just throw my brain through more of a loop than i need to. my remaining vacation time will remain a bit loosey-goosey, especially since i'm trying to draw my own lil icons based off the catgirl ones i've been using. just with my likeness. think it'll unify the space a bit more, and also just be kinda fun to have for here and my tumblr space.

i might also take that first third of the year as a 'trial period'. see if how things go with nyxram's profile were smooth or not, if i feel like i can keep the energy up, etc. if i'm feeling good, i'll lock in (bible girl) and proceed with the year's plan... AS planned. if not, i'll readjust.

all this being said, i might take the year off making gifts. --more elaborate ones, at least. i could probably still work birthday presents into my cool down sketch periods. u-u i just think i need to allow myself to be a little 'selfish' this year and focus on art for myself. i've not done that much in the past two years. i'm NOT complaining!! i love drawing for other folks so, so much (otherwise i wouldn't do it), but the handful of times i've been asked to find references for my own OCs i'm just... smacked in the face with how little i draw them despite 'mentally updating' them. so much of my art feels 'out-dated' because of it. i'm such a fake OC haver.

iiiii THINK that might be it (for now). if i think of anything else before the 5th, i'll come back and update this as needed. c:< hope anyone reading this had a lovely holiday (if you were celebrating anything), and that your weekend is chill.

Comments

Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> SO. i think i've gotten a loose creative plan for the upcoming year. emphasis on LOOSE; since this is the first time i'm gonna try having a more specific 'plan' (instead of something general and hard to measure), i'm gonna make myself start with a simple set of goal posts.<<

That's a great idea.

Don't be afraid to experiment with goal setting. Try new things. If they don't work out, tweak them, or toss them and try other things.

I've been fiddling around with my goal list for years, and I'm still finding new things to try.

>> i'm giving myself roughly three months for each <<

I have found seasonal and one-day goals super useful. Used to be, most of mine were year-long and I got frustrated feeling like I wasn't making progress. Shorter goals let me tick off things throughout the year.

>> i'll try to have a subject matter chosen and assigned to each month in the next few days. <<

goals_on_dw has a lot of resources, including an Arts and Crafts post with lots of different challenges, including month-based themes.

>>these cool down sketches, if shared, will be posted on my tumblr as they're done, and i think for dreamwidth i'll start a 'sketchbook sundays' tag where i'll post them all at once, once a week.<<

Yay! That will be fun to see.

>> i might also take that first third of the year as a 'trial period'. see if how things go with nyxram's profile were smooth or not, if i feel like i can keep the energy up, etc. if i'm feeling good, i'll lock in (bible girl) and proceed with the year's plan... AS planned. if not, i'll readjust.<<

Good idea. Targeting sometimes requires adjustment.

>> i just think i need to allow myself to be a little 'selfish' this year and focus on art for myself. <<

You absolutely deserve time to yourself to work on what you find personally meaningful.

>> how little i draw them despite 'mentally updating' them. so much of my art feels 'out-dated' because of it.<<

Maybe do those on your weekend mornings?

>> i'm such a fake OC haver. <<

You're not fake if you have original characters. It's just a matter of priorities. If you want to do more with them, then you can.

>> hope anyone reading this had a lovely holiday <<

Here's what we did yesterday. :D I had fun taking pictures of the scenery.

Re: Go you!

[redstringraven]

I have found seasonal and one-day goals super useful. Used to be, most of mine were year-long and I got frustrated feeling like I wasn't making progress. Shorter goals let me tick off things throughout the year.

augh, FELT. e-e i've gradually been learning to break tasks into smaller slices that are not only easier to check off, but also provide a more... visual sign of progress. i've been trying to use sunday nights as my time to look at anything i've recently added to my to-do and see how it could be better broken down. fell off that habit a bit, tho, and need to get back into the swing.

Maybe do those on your weekend mornings?

i'm thinking of working them into my cool down sketchings! weekend mornings are where i plan on doing my studies. 6-6 i think doing those first thing helps keep my mind clear, and since i get up as early as i do, there's rarely anyone else awake to distract me. makes for a good atmosphere to do exercises!

Here's what we did yesterday. :D I had fun taking pictures of the scenery.

omggggg!! my family went to something similar a few years ago! i've always wondered if doing a light trail like that during the summer--in places where fireflies are common--would yield some really ethereal results. especially in terms of photography and long-exposure! >:0

Re: Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> augh, FELT. e-e i've gradually been learning to break tasks into smaller slices that are not only easier to check off, but also provide a more... visual sign of progress.<<

I do find that listing times I've done things helps a bit, as in the once-a-month tasks like the Poetry Fishbowl.

>> i've been trying to use sunday nights as my time to look at anything i've recently added to my to-do and see how it could be better broken down. fell off that habit a bit, tho, and need to get back into the swing.<<

That's a good idea.

>> i'm thinking of working them into my cool down sketchings! <<

Sensible.

>> omggggg!! my family went to something similar a few years ago! <<

:D

>> i've always wondered if doing a light trail like that during the summer <<

It works. I've something similar done, long ago, in places with display gardens or statues -- things they can play with using spotlights.

>> in places where fireflies are common--would yield some really ethereal results. especially in terms of photography and long-exposure! >:0

... but not where there are fireflies. They need the dark, because light confuses their signaling. It's a reason why they are diminishing. :( They adore my yard, though; I'm out in the country with trees, tall grass, and short grass but I rarely use pesticides even for spot-treating things.

Re: Go you!

[redstringraven]

D:> ! ahh, that's a good point about the fireflies. i hadn't thought of that in terms of the lights confusing their signaling. which is a little goofy, since one of the places i've worked had a specific approach to path lighting in order to avoid confusing the local turtles. something to do with moonlight if i remember correctly. 6.6

Re: Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Without human light pollution, water reflects more light than land. Many turtles use this for navigation, especially hatchlings heading for a creek or sea. Light pollution can make them go in the wrong direction, causing lower survival.