Creating Momentum

​You know what it feels like when you have momentum. You clean out a closet on a rainy afternoon, and a month later you’ve re-organized your whole living space. 

An art career is no different. You need ways to get started, to keep going, to sustain your energy and enthusiasm over the long term so that your art practice grows in an authentic way.

I believe it works best to create broad goals focused on your own behavior. This may seem counter-intuitive, since most planning gurus recommend having specific, narrow goals (sort of like a to-do list). Here’s the difference: instead of deciding to “visit three local galleries this week” you broaden that goal to “become more visible.”

This broader goal is flexible, opens up possibilities, and engages your creative self. To become more visible, you might decide to volunteer at an art center, or stop by a frame shop to find out if they show the work of local artists, or build your social media presence by posting about your materials and process. All of these actions will naturally lead to other actions that move you forward.

Another example of a broad goal is to “learn something new.” This goal might encourage you to sign up for a workshop, or join a professional society, or reach out to a mentor or coach for advice. Each activity will help you learn something new in a different way, and they all put you in motion.

Broad goals create momentum. They are especially helpful for emerging artists who are overwhelmed by the hundreds of “artist opportunities” out there. You can also use such goals when you are stuck or confused about the path forward, or just ready to build the next steps in your art career.