Mastering Artistic Goals: The Power of Enjoyment & Ease in Creative Success
As artists and creatives, we often set ambitious and challenging goals. Sometimes they are downright daunting. But they are our dreams and our dreams matter! Today, I want to write about two vital questions to consider when goal-setting: "Is it enjoyable?" and "Is it easy?"
Now I’m not saying that our goals must always be simple or enjoyable. The path of an artist is challenging, and overcoming obstacles is part of our growth. And heaven knows, we can do hard things. The idea is that to achieve far-reaching goals, we must evaluate these questions at each step. If we do, we dramatically increase the likelihood of accomplishing these goals.
Why Enjoyment and Ease Matter in Goal-Setting
Sustainability: Enjoyable, simple goals are more likely to stick with us long-term. They prevent burnout and keep our creative energy flowing. They create long-term habits we can build on.
Motivation: When steps towards our goals are delightful, we're more likely to take them. Period.
Stress Reduction: Simpler tasks reduce overwhelm. This helps us maintain our mental and emotional health, which enables us to keep moving forward.
Creativity Boost: Have you ever tried to make something beautiful on a deadline? Ever tried to create something great in a loud, crowded space? Enjoyment and ease can open up our creative flow just as frustration and pressure can destroy it. Honestly, I can’t think of a better or more important reason than that! ✨
Balancing Enjoyment, Ease, and Challenge
Of course, not all aspects of achieving a goal will be enjoyable or simple, and that's okay. We’ll need to strike a balance. The key is to ensure that enough of the journey is enjoyable and easy so you can keep moving forward. Here's how you can apply this concept:
Break Down Your Goals: Divide your goals into small, manageable tasks. This makes the process less daunting and easier to tackle.
Inject Enjoyment into the Process: Find ways to make your tasks fun. You could work outdoors in a garden. You could turn your task into a game: finish it to spend an hour of guilt-free reading. (#Dramione fan fiction is my favorite reward right now 🫣😆)
Celebrate Your Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Have yourself a little party. Give yourself a gold star. Look in the mirror and say “Wow, we’re doing it! Awesome job so far. Let’s keep going.”
Be Flexible: If you’re stuck on a goal that isn't enjoyable or simple, change it! Don't stay blocked. Make it fun. Simplify it. Let it evolve.
Journal Prompts for Applying "Enjoyable" and "Easy" to Your Goals
To help you add pleasure and ease to your goal-setting, consider these journal prompts:
List your major goals. For each, what parts are you most excited about? Why?
Consider your work environment. How might you make it more enjoyable?
Reflect on past successes. What role did enjoyment and ease play in these? Where did you get stuck? How did you get unstuck?
Identify your most challenging goals. How can you simplify them or make them more fun?
Remember, the path to achieving our goals doesn't have to be a slog. By keeping enjoyment and ease at the core, we allow ourselves to move forward. We have more success to celebrate! We may even find that the artistic journey can be just as exciting and enriching as reaching our goals.
Yours in Creative Community,
Sarah K
Want to explore this topic further? Here are some articles for further research:
