New year's resolutions have great appeal to me when it comes to improving my art career and setting better goals. I love to look back over the year and measure what worked and what didn't. I think that this is a good method and can haelp your goals become better defined each year. So let's be better, smarter, more productive artists this year! The following are some questions to help you through personalizing your goals for the year ahead.

Let's focus on three basic and important categories for you to assess and set new goals in: Reaching Out, Creating New Work and Generating Information. Answer each question below ask  yourself the following - Is this a goal I'd like to make for myself - if so how can I improve in this area and what are the baby steps I can take towards this goal.

1. Reaching Out

Informing people about your work.

Where ever you went and who ever you met were you able to make a soft introduction to your art? 

Have you submitted your portfolio to any galleries?

Have you submitted your art to any blogs?

Have you exhibited your work?

Have you posted your work on-line?

Have you regularly attended gallery openings to introduce your art to the local art community?

Have you asked new people you meet for their business cards and followed up with an email?

Have you sent out a newsletter updating people about your artwork?

Have you sent a catalog of available work out to previous buyers?

Have you regularly invited people into your studio to see your artwork?

Is your website up to date?

2. Creating New Work

Production of your work: gettin' 'er done!

Have you taken creative risks with your work and tried new things?

Have you developed creatively and given yourself permission to experiment?

Have you been consistent with your production throughout the year?

When production was slow was there a good reason?

Did you find ways to increase your production?

Were you able to meet deadlines?

Did you work on the art that you really want to be making?

Was their any artwork that you wanted to make but didn't get around too?

3. Generating Information

Writing about your work: generating written information about your work that can be shared!

Have you written about each series (if applicable) that you created this year?

Have you written about each individual piece you created this year?

Have you written about the work that you created this year in the greater context of the work you were making before? ie. in the context on your career.

Have you developed the path of your career as a re-tell-able story?

Have you documented all of the work you made?

Are images of new work on your website?

Is detailed written information about your new work on your website?

I hope that these questions give you a moment to think deeply about these three basic elements of your art career. Don't be afraid to make new year's resolutions that are outside your comfort zone as an artist.