Art as Usual

The first thing to do when making a dream a reality is simple. So SO simple. You need to DREAM  (sounds obvious I know but sometimes we don't allow ourselves the time). Then, you need to BELIEVE in them. This is the part when you start to think the seemingly impossible is possible. That's a huge step. Now, these dreams can become GOALS. Goals can be achieved through action. So a list of baby steps would be good. That, then, gives you a place to start. Ta-da! After this it's just a matter of work, and time, although you need to keep in mind what  you're trying to accomplish. This will keep you from getting side tracked, and it will keep you focused on achieving your goal. But what about when you're done with one? How do you choose where to go next?

When I wrote my book I really loved having a definite goal with a clear path to achieving that goal. There were deadlines and milestones and it was all scheduled with the end result being the book's release. That was SO cool! When my part in the book was finished I figured my next task was to promote the book because really I wrote the book so that others would feel inspired, and for that to happen it meant getting people to see and buy the book. Okey doke. I figured I'd look up a bunch of magazine deadlines and try my best to meet as many of those as I could. This blog was another place to find people like you (who are like me) and might be looking for some ideas, new techniques to try, or just for some encouragement. Publish. Blog. Connect. Check, check, and check.

But then what? How do you choose and focus if you don't really know where the path you're on goes? Or even where you want it to go? A couple of days ago I stumbled via the Etsy Success newsletter the blog of Tricia McKellar. It's titled wonder thinking (which I think is absolutely brilliant) and has a number of really fabulous resources available free of cost. Right away I printed out her Business Plan-O-Rama (you can find a link on her sidebar). It's basically an artist friendly guide to the business plan for those of us who are business plan shy. I read it rather quickly and am looking forward to taking some time to work through. I definitely wanted to share it here with you. Just in case anyone else is looking for some help self-directing as well.  

I'd also love to know what you all think? Do you just go with the opportunities at hand or do you seek out and plan your course? How do you know where to go next? How do you know where to concentrate the limited amount of time you have? How do you choose? Thanks for your comments!!!