Let’s pull back a bit from the details and go over a big picture topic today: finding your focus as an artist or creative. 

Finding your focus is kind of a similar process to honing your signature style, but today we’re discussing more your life as an artist in general. 

Here are 3 tips to help you narrow down on just what you are all about!

Tip #1: Write down your long-term goals. 

Thinking about where you may want to see yourself in just a year, 5 years, or 10 years will help you narrow down on what you should be working on now. 

Some questions you can ask yourself: 

How much time do you want to spend on your art? 

How do you want to live each day to day? Do you want to be running a business full-time, painting just for fun outside of your day job, or something in between?

How exactly do you want your life to look differently than how it does now? What do you want to add, or take away? 

How do you want to spend your time when you are working? Only doing the creative part, with a team to manage and help you with other tasks? Or all on your own? 

How often do you want to be working? How much time are you taking off? 

I believe that our creative businesses should be built around our lives, and not the other way around. Answering the questions above honestly will help you envision the life you truly picture for yourself. 

Tip #2: Get as specific as possible with a plan. 

You’ve written down exactly how you envision your life as an artist or creative biz owner. Now, how do you get there? 

Focusing on just one or a few things can be so hard when you have lots of ideas or passions. But by dedicating your time to one main path, I think you’ll find your version of success a little more quickly than jumping from thing to thing. 

Thinking about the questions you answered above, what kind of artistic path will get you to the life you imagine for yourself? 

Break it down into the smallest steps possible and write them down. 

For example, let’s say you want to be an artist known for her gorgeous wallpaper designs. But you’re spending your days running an Etsy shop with digital printables…Well, it’s time to design some wallpaper! Cut back on other tasks if you can, and dedicate your time to sketching, mocking up wallpaper designs, researching sample costs, and finding potential local clients to work with. Everything else is just noise preventing you from reaching your true goals!

Note: If in this example, say your Etsy shop is your main source of income. It doesn’t mean you have to close it, but instead of designing new products for it, sell what you have in the shop already and spend that extra time on those wallpaper patterns!

Tip #3: Ponder what is no longer serving you. 

And that takes us to tip #3: cut out anything that takes away from your main goal. Whether it’s a certain material you use that you know you want to deviate from, or a mindset issue that is stopping you from moving forward with your biggest dreams. 

Think about what in your life you know you no longer want to be doing. Maybe it’s a time suck, drains your spirit, or uses up your funds without much return. You probably know what it is already! How can you transition that out of your life to let something new and more fulfilling can make its way in? 

I hope this helps you think about what you want from 2021 and beyond. 

Want to dive deeper into finding *your* focus as an artist entrepreneur? My mini-course, Creative Clarity, is exactly designed to help get you there! 

It’s a self-guided online course with four video lessons, a thoughtful workbook, and a chance to ask me your questions. Hope to see you there!