February 23, 2014

Change is Hard: 2014 New Years Resolutions + 2013 in review

Kitty N. Wong / collage of fashion illustrations in 2013
MMXIII in review. My favourite drawings from each month. Little red lips 'errday, everyday.

1. Creamsicle Girls. 2,3. March. Drawing Fashion Week. 4 5. 6. 7. Shoes I Never Wear. 8. Intro to Fashion History comics. 9. More Shoes. 10. Dazed Digital. 11. 12. Women I've Wanted To Be.

There comes a time in every 20 something's life when she decides to stop being reactive and start being proactive about her goals. She wakes up realizing there's only a few more years before she turns the big 3-0 and being young will no longer serve as a valid excuse for not getting shit done. 2014 is that time for me, I'm going to take this year to get serious about pushing harder to build this thing that I love -- art, illustration, whatever you what to call it, into a real thriving career for myself. And that means keeping track of my finances, putting as much energy into sharing my work as I do making it, being deliberate about every piece I make and pitching my ideas to people I want to work with. Money, Fame & Power - get it, grrrrrl.

2013 resolutions list in scanned sketchbook page
And to get there I've made a couple of resolutions for 2014 to help me reach those goals:
1. Intern/assist at a good art gallery where I could see/envision/wish my work to be in in the future (art gallery owners: do you have a vacancy for a back scrubbbbber?).
2. Do as many group shows as possible (5+).
3. Sell some originals (if you see anything you like feel free to email me, or check my Etsy shop).
4. See more art in person.
5. Have a solo show.
6. Make/print a zine and get it distributed.

This week I went through a break up, just a little one but enough to give my world a little shake and to get me thinking about my priorities. So even though it's now February I'm adding 2 more resolutions to the list.

7. Dress more interestingly.
8. Approach people more: those cool people you want to hang out with, ask them to grab a bite to eat. That cool artist you want to assist, just ask him. Just do it, stop being embarrassed.

Writing these goals down and posting them onto the World Wide Wide turns my stomach a little bit, it's terrifying. What if I don't end up doing them? Or the goals I set are laughable and too high? But I guess as with prices you quote for your art, if the goals you set don't flip your stomach a bit then they aren't high enough.

Setting goals is important, but I'm also a huge believer in looking back. It gives me a bit of courage to look back and say "Hey! I've done this before and I can do it again.". And this time last year, I wrote down three things I wanted to achieve:

- Get an illustration published in print.
- Open a retirement account.
- Get some Instagram followers.

And at the beginning of the year both the first and the last goal seemed pretty impossible, I had only one very small personal commission under my belt and I didn't seem able to find a niche for my work or get anyone to pay attention. But I'm very happy to report on the last day of 2013, I had not one but three printed features! Some money invested in a mutual fund and almost 1400 very lovely new Instagram friends!

2014 is the year of art!

Now it's your turn: Did you make any resolutions this year? Tell me in the comments. If you did, how are they going now that we are two, almost three months in? Can you believe it's going to be March next week?

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