The Life Pursuit: San Smith

Goals for 2010 and a big announcement...

First off, I want to apologize that I only posted once last week even though I was hopeful to post more! I had a good bit of posts I wanted to share, but I ended up feeling stressed and decided to put it on hold. The reason for the stress:

Last Friday I put in my two weeks notice at my job... because I'm quitting to work for myself full-time starting February 12th! This was my last goal to complete for 2009, and probably one of the biggest goals I've ever set for myself.

It's such a weird mixture of emotions to finally be sharing this: I'm excited, relieved, nervous... I've been working towards this for a long time and it's amazing that its finally happening!  I can't stop smiling - I'm really looking forward to starting my career as a freelance illustrator and making more time for my Etsy. Also - I'll be accepting commissions again, so if you were ever interested in having me draw you something - now is the time to email me! ;) I'll touch more on that later...

So what does this mean for my blog? I plan on posting a lot more :) I'm basically coming to work for you guys! Ha! No really, I will be making blogging one of my top priorities so I can share art and give back. I'm currently planning what kind of things I want to cover this year... I'm hoping to finally get a P.O. box for a contest idea I have - holding a few give-aways - and trying to make more videos and tutorials! If you have any suggestions as for things you'd like me to blog about this year, please let me know. :)

Anyhow, enough text! I think its time I shared my goals for 2010:

My goals this year are pretty lengthy - matter of fact they are currently 2 and half pages! I didn't really want to paste all of that into my journal, so I tried to summarize them to a few key points. For 2010, my goals are to take better care of myself through exercise, work hard on my new career, be smart and creative about money, and travel more to visit my friends out of state. I'm excited about the plans I've made so far and looking forward to creating a memorable year! :) As far as exploring the person I want to be, I found that I was kinda already going in the direction I had hoped. I decided write it down anyways for documentation's sake and so I can look back at it when I want to feel inspired.

On top of sharing my goals, I thought it might be nice to share some of the awesome visual goals a few readers came up with:

1. Julie from Rotten Cupcakes, 2. Krissi from Krissi's Art Studio,
3. The Bunny Geek, 4. Sam from Wrongdecade

Aren't those too cute?! I'm really excited people tried this out for themselves - I hope everyone accomplishes great things this year and that the visual list method helps!

So yeah - longest post ever... but! Much <3 and big thanks to everyone who has visited my blog in the past two years. All the comments, support and kind words over the years have really helped encourage me on taking this big step in my career. SO THANK YOU thank you thank youuu :) You guys mean so much to me!

Stay tuned for awesomeness starting February 12th!

Making visual goals for 2010: part 3

And here is the final installment in my visual goal posts! (See part 1 and part 2 here.)

How this worked for me

Sure sure, making lists is a lot of fun fluffy ridiculousness. An excuse to be crafty. But does it really work?

I originally made my first visual goals because I was unhappy with my place in life. I was in a bad rut and needed an escape plan! So, what better time to make goals to fix things than New Years eve? I made my first visual list, took a deep breath and then began to slowly follow through as each day passed...

I was skeptical the first year I did this - I didn't fully believe I would actually get anything done. But I did - I accomplished everything on my list!! When I realized with a little hard work and motivation, I could do just about anything... I decided to go with bigger goals that seemed more like unattainable dreams. I made the next year's list with my pal Laila over some coffee, and I remember thinking - Can this really work again??

Well, I have some good news: The goals I made in that cafe a year ago will be fully completed at the end of January 2010... and I will have some exciting stuff to share in February! Yes - it actually worked again! :) How cool is that?

I think its amazing that we can really accomplish anything with a little bit of planning, hard work and motivation. (Saving money and running a blog can be motivating factors too. ;D ) I believe in this so much that I had to share it with you guys. I think life is too short to move forward with out realizing your dreams - so if you are feeling like I did 2 years ago, then please try this out! You've got nothing to lose and will be amazed with what you can accomplish!

Some last little tips to help follow through on your goals:

If you are wanting to do something that involves an activity - such as exercise more, meet more people or learn a skill, then start looking into classes. One year I looked up the cost of yoga classes, knitting lessons, weekend college courses, craft meet ups, etc - wrote down dates they were occurring and set aside money to go to these events. Then I had a set date in mind when I would accomplish something, and what would be needed to do such. Easy! All that was left was to just go to class... ;)

If you are planning for something very large, such as moving far away or starting a new career - then focus on doing some research every month and documenting what you find. Learn how these changes might effect your money and lifestyle, and if anything is required to prepare. For instance - when I thought I wanted to move to San Francisco, every month I looked into cost of housing, career options, chatted with friends and family who lived there on opinions, heck - even visited a few times! I decided I wasn't ready to move yet, but it really gave me a great outlook on what I will need to do when that time comes and how realistic the move is.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. Make lists! This will help keep your mind free, and calm the anxiousness to accomplish something. Every little thought and note is a step forward! A lot of my goals involve planning or saving money, so list making really helps keep me organized and relaxed. I like to make lists of things I need to do during the month and lists of things I'd like to buy... so I can really think them over before indulging in unnecessary spending. Heh!

    

Hope you guys find this helpful and inspiring. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this, so take the ideas that work best for you! And as always, remember its OK if you don't accomplish everything on your list. What matters most is having fun and working towards your dreams - every little action counts and helps you grow as a person.

I'll be sharing my goals next week (I'm working on them today!!) so until then, good luck goal planning and please do share if you try this out! I would love to see everyone's lists and journals.

Creating visual lists, journals and goals for 09!

Its the last day of 2008... Which for me, means its time to make some visual lists of what I want to accomplish in the new year!

What is a visual list? To me, its a lot like a regular handwritten list, but incorporating some methods of mind mapping, photos and illustrations with the written text, and then combining all of these things into a creative final conclusion! I always keep my lists in one big scribbly sort of journal.

"The Creative Entrepreneur" by Lisa Sonora Beam, is a book that uses this method to make artist's business ideas happen. In the book it says,

"Creatives tend to be visual, action-oriented learners. We respond to visual stimuli. We also need to be engaged in a personal, meaningful way with the material...Visual journaling helps us go beyond what we know in our rational mind, so we can access other ways of knowing - the kind of knowing that results in truly original thinking, ideas and creative breakthroughs."

How to get started! Grab a journal, a pen/pencil/whatever! - and get thinking. I prefer using a Moleskine sketch book because its small enough to carry in my bag. I've scanned in a few pages from my visual lists I used to plan for 2008 as examples. I was not happy with how things were going in 2007, so I used visual lists and journaling to figure out how I could change things and make goals. Ideas I tried that might work for you:

• Make a list of people or things that inspire you. Write a number next to each item, and then on a different sheet of paper, write down with the corresponding number a few reasons why this person or thing inspires you. When you are done, cover up the first list - it's not what is important! (I hid mine under a sheet of cardboard with an illustration - out of sight, out of mind!) Instead, focus on is how many repeated factors you wrote on the second sheet. Those repeats are most likely what you are aiming to become with yourself! This is a great way to figure out where to start on planning goals.
• Make a list of all the "biggest myths" you tell yourself! Do you not believe in yourself, or think you are incapable of doing something? Write down these silly notions and take a good look at them when you are done. Most likely, they aren't true. Figure out ways to prove to yourself they are truly myths!
• Do a mind map! Draw your name in the center - and branch off of it with whatever comes to mind about who or where you want to be. Look at these concepts - what do they mean to you?

Once you have an understanding of where you want to be, goals should come easily! Gala Darling wrote an excellent article on making goals last year, inspiring me to make 3 lists: Goals that scare me, Things I want to do before I die, and Easy/simple/smallish goals. After writing it all down, I took one goal from each of the first two lists and then several from the third. Fine-tuned everything, and then I wrote it all down in a final completed list.

This is the most important step - it seals the deal! Like making the promise to yourself more realistic. And guess what - IT WORKED! I opened up my old visual journal today to write this post, and I saw I had completed everything on that list but one thing, which I plan to roll forward into 2009. Not bad, huh? :)

Ideas to keep you inspired once you have come up with your goals:

• Paste in your journal photos/illustrations that inspire you.
• Doodle to your heart's content!
• Write down whatever you fancy at the moment. I love making lists of things I'm adoring or dreaming of - it keeps my spending at bay and my heart calm.
• Jot down a few good/interesting points from each day! This will help you learn to look at the positive aspects of life. 
• Make a small calendar of the months from now till next year in your journal. Next to each month as it occurs, write down an accomplishment or something you are proud of. As time goes forward, you will have this to look back at and will easily see your progress!
• Look up things to aid in your ideas and goals like classes, books to read, people to contact, things to purchase, etc. - and build a to-do list with it in your journal!
• Don't focus on pages being perfect works of art. This is just for you! It's all about being inspired and learning about yourself. Just have fun!

Good luck! If you end up making a visual journal or list for the new year, please share!
I would love to see others!

You can see more from my past visual journals here on my flickr.

Inspiring links:
How to set amazing goals - Gala Darling
5 Kick-ass reasons to use a journal and how to do it - The positivity blog
Really simple goal setting - Zen Habits
Trusting in the universe - We like it raw

2008 in review

Survey taken from Miss Jemibook's blog, Lolita.

describe 2008 with 3 words:
Positive, life-changing, explorative

which concerts did you visit in 2008?
Just Broken Social Scene. Not much of a concert go-er!

where do you live now?
I live in Atlanta, Georgia. That part hasn't changed for a while, but we did move into our cute little house when 2008 began.

what happened on your birthday?
Chris surprised me with a trip to a Kangaroo Farm in the morning, in the afternoon I went to the craft fair with my friends, had dinner with my family and then cake with celebrations in the evening with more friends. It was a FANTASTIC 25th birthday! I felt so lucky.

what was your favorite moment in 2008?
Eating ice cream in the middle of the night during the rain in Amsterdam with Chris, going to Le Flash in October with Laila and looking down to see stars at my feet in the rain, chatting late with Jen K while she was house sitting, sharing meals with my favorite pals, and so much more...

which one was your favorite month?
Oh gosh - Probably June through August - does that count? :) (25th birthday, Paris & Amsterdam, fabulous adventures...)

most influential people in 2008?
my friends and my boyfriend, for being always inspiring me to stay positive

do you regret something?
Not at all.

did your life change in 2008?
I'd like to think so :) I feel like its heading in a wonderful direction

did you find a new job?
No, but I began to open my eyes to new plans.

are you happy that 2008 is over soon?
Kinda, yeah! I'm excited to what 2009 could bring!!

have you already made plans for traveling in 2009 - and if yes, where to?
So far just San Francisco for more business trips. I would like to go on a trip with my gal pals though somewhere!

best book you read in 2008?
the Moomin books

best film you saw in 2008?
Happy Endings, Angela A, Broken English

5 Musicians you listened to in 2008 too much!
Brazilian Girls
The Bird and The Bee
Stars
Yelle
Stereolab

what were you doing at new years eve last year at 23.59?
Just getting over food posioning...At our third party and getting ready to crash out our place with a friend.

how are you gonna celebrate new years this year?
I haven't decided yet, but I hope it is involving wine and fun conversations with my most favorite people.

what are you looking forward to in 2009?
Making new goals and accomplishing them! Going on new adventures. Getting to know my loved ones even more. Taking lots of photos and drawing lots of pictures.

what do you want to change in 2009?
Possibly where I live. Hopefully my career path.

what are you NOT looking forward to in 2009?
nothing!

are you planning on having any kids in 2009?
Oh man, no... ! I'm no where near ready for that.

One Picture From every Month :

San Francisco

Ever since we have gotten back from your trip, I can't stop thinking about it.

While it was a very quick trip - I had an amazing time. (As usual!) The above is the beaaautiful view from our hotel we stayed in. I was super starry eyed when we arrived to our hotel room and I looked out the window - GORGEOUS!

While we were there we visited Japantown (and Kinokuniya books!! Excellent suggestion, Kelly!), Loyal Army, Kid Robot and went to the opening show "Printed Matter IV" at Giant Robot. I ended up getting a super cute hoodie, print by Joe Toe and tons of books on making stamps from Japan during all the store hopping.

It really was such a nice little whirlwind of a weekend...and it's gotten me thinking about possibly taking the big step of moving there. Not sure when or how - but I've started doing research to find out if this is a good idea for me (and ze boyfriend!) for the future. I'm sorta building a mini report on it! So far its feels a little silly - but it totally gets my imagination spinning on possibilities! Have you ever thought about moving across the country or to somewhere totally far from home? Did you end up doing it - and if so - how did it go? Tell me your stories!