So, to continue on with yesterday's post about goals, today I'm going to talk about some of my future goals. I'm trying hard to focus on a small number of goals, and then once I reach them I can add more. I have a bad habit of making way too many goals, and then not reaching ANY of them.
For starters, I'd like to increase my client base. Specifically, I would like to get more graphic design companies in on the action. So far, most of my clients have been friends and some bands we know. This only provides me with a few jobs a month, and one cannot save for retirement on a few jobs a month. My goal over the summer is to visit potential clients and let them know I exist. Do you think that having a baby strapped to my back will inspire sympathy and get me more clients, or will it look unprofessional and make everyone think I'm a crazy hack job?
My second goal this summer, which is a really big one for me, is to design a few of my own shirts to retail. This one scares me a little because of all that it involves: investment of capitol, locating proper venues for my work, doing some designs that are marketable but not too mainstream that people will actually like and buy *gulp*. There's also a lingering fear that the market is saturated with screen printed stuff, and I'm not sure I'm cool enough to produce designs that will rise to the top of the pile. I guess we'll find out.
My third goal, which is kind of last on my list, is to try to promote my custom crochet work. The opportunity to have a vendor's table at a festival at the end of the summer fell into my lap the other week, so I can't pass it up. I've got to get some sample stock put together, possibly a catalogue, photograph all my items, have forms for custom orders, the list goes on.
I've got a busy summer of goal chasing ahead of me. Lots of organizing, promoting myself *shudder*, and drawing *woo!!*. I've also got some secret long term goals, but it'll be a while before I can talk about those. It may be 10 or 15 years before I actually see them come to light, but at least I know I'm on the path. That's the great thing about goals, you can have some short term easy to achieve goals to make you feel like less of a shit sack, and long term goals that give you something to really work for and feel accomplished when you do achieve them. Whether it takes you 1 year or 20, the important thing is that you're working toward something that's important to you. If you've got the time, I'd love to hear about your goals.
