6 Important New Years Resolutions For Artists

1. Set One, Big, Long-term goal

Artist's resolutions tend to be focused on long-term goals. Maybe it’s making that one large painting, selling some of your work, or entering your paintings in a competition, but this long-term big goal will require attention and lots of work. 

These bigger resolutions may not even be accomplished within a year and may look more like a 3-5 year plan. But start to consider and plan some things you want to accomplish as an artist. Be detailed in this long term goal and love it!  Your journey may change, but if you have a bigger goal that you are consistently working towards, you’ll find that in the upcoming year you have a bit more focus and a view of the bigger picture. 

2. Set Some Smaller, Immediate Goals

Those long-term goals can get a bit tiring, so make sure to break them down into actionable tasks that you can work on month-to-month, checking points off your list. 

If your goal is to sell a painting, maybe you start to grow your website or social media following in order to build followers and exposure. 

Or maybe you want to make a very large project, so you break that large painting down into sketches and research and studies. 

When it comes to making New Years resolutions for artists, make goals that you can meet each month will help you stay encouraged, boost your confidence, and increase your desire to meet more goals. 

3. Schedule Time to Paint

If scheduling time for your art is not a reliable habit that you’ve developed already, this is the time to do it! Most research shows that if you keep something up, consistently, for two months, that action will become a second nature habit. 

Scheduling time to create art on a consistent basis is crucial for artists. Start a calendar and plan out your to-do list. Set deadlines and schedule time to actually sit down and work. 

Once you schedule that time, treat it as precious and don’t let anything eat into it. Think of the time you schedule as class time, that you’ve paid for and you must attend. Then keep track of your attendance, find an accountability partner, and get started on making time to paint.  This is probably one of the most important New Years resolutions for artists.  Schedules can be tweaked because life happens, but make sure to place an importance on this time for yourself. 

Here are some additional ways to find the time to paint. 

4. Join a Community of Artists

Setting up New Years resolutions for artists and sticking to them can be achieved much easier when surrounding yourself with like-minded people.  A community is essential for artists! Without it, you will miss opportunities to grow, change, and improve as an artist. Peers can help you to feel supported, encouraged, and can hold you accountable for meeting those deadlines that you’ve set!

Join an online group (which you already have if you’re an Evolve student!), find a community art group, meet artists on social media, or take a class. 

While artist communities should not be your source of learning, they can be an amazing way to stay encouraged and focused on your work!

Read more about why you need community as an artist here!

5. See More Art!

So many artists aren’t feeding their creativity by actually viewing art in person. Another great New Years resolution for artists is going to museums, gallery shows, art openings, or private studios to build creativity and inspiration. 

Exposing yourself to artwork creates experiences for yourself that can be used to formulate new ideas and new expressions for your own work. A piece of art impacts every viewer in a different way, so the more artwork you study and expose yourself to, the more creativity will grow. 

Read more about building creativity and experiencing art here!

6. Share Your Work

It’s easy and comfortable to hide our work. We know that in a year or even less we will have grown so much and our work will have changed so much. But if you get into the habit of hiding your work until it’s perfect you will never show your work. 

The process can be scary as no one likes negative feedback.  This is your journey of learning though.  You can start with having a private account with a few trusted friends.  Get into the habit of posting and when you feel more comfortable, you can make your account public.  

There are many benefits from sharing your work, whether it is on social media, in a show, or even just with a teacher. You might get critiqued, and in fact, I hope you do! Artists grow when they hear honest feedback on how to make their work better. 

Making art isn’t about making something perfect every time, but rather it’s about finishing that piece, learning from your mistakes, and going on to create something that you could have never imaged you were capable of. 

Let your work be seen! Otherwise, you’ll never grow to your potential. 

Final Thoughts on Setting New Years Resolutions for Artists

Is making New Years Resolutions for Artists something you're thinking about?This year can be the year that you grow immensely as an artist. All you need to do is set some achievable, concrete goals and then consistently meet those deadlines, goals, and resolutions. 

Be realistic, and set goals that you are capable of achieving. Use this not as a time to set impractical resolutions, but rather as a time to reset your workflow and take your success into your own hands!