Creatively Self-Employed

A new newsletter is out! Lots of good links and news in there, including this article I just wrote:

Making Your Creative Goals Stick
by Kristen Fischer

Creatively self-employed people have a diverse array of ways to help ensure that resolutions and goals for the new year come to fruition.

True, everybody can use these tools. But I think they're more effective for the creatively self-employed because we have a unique setting and extraordinary abilities to create our own destinies.

1. Incorporate goals with a decorative flair. Sure, you can display your goals in a cubicle, but you've got a whole studio as a creatively self-employed person to help you stay reminded of your goals. Make it funky and use your personal style to convey your hopes. Start a cork board to display your goals, paint a banner or design a poster. Go beyond what someone in a day job could do and integrate your creative capabilities into goal-savers. I have a scrapbook that I keep on my desk to define my work goals. A flip-through reveals tons of inspiration and pretty images to keep me motivated.

2. Break it down. This is key to making goals happen. Jot down the baby steps you need to take to get to where you want to go. If your goal is to get five new clients in the new year, map out what you'll do to make it happen. Will you use direct mail? Job boards? Or target the clients and approach them on your own? Will you follow up via email or phone? Will you set up a meeting and bring in a new portfolio to secure the deal? How will you make it happen? Think of the everyday things you can do and pair them with some deadlines.

3. Speaking of deadlines, set some--even if you're a procrastinator! While waiting till the last minute to act can be a great motivator, it's good to take into account the numerous things that can happen to stand in your way. You may want to set up a client meeting by the end of the first quarter. Don't wait till March 25th to make that happen. Someone you need to land a deal could be held up with a huge project or out of town. Start early. Work ahead--you could get swamped and not have time in February and March to work on the details.

4. Carve in time. I know you have tons of work to do, so devoting even 20 minutes a day to your goal is not too much to ask. You don't have to set aside a week to take charge--start small. Figure out how much time you need and when it works best for you. If you're super creative in the mornings, take a morning to work on your goals. It doesn't have to be every morning, either, but it's good to recognize when you work best.

Discuss it: What are your creative goals for the year, and how do you make them stick? Chat away and swap ideas with other creatives over at our message board!

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