Goal Check in!

Hey Stranger,

I wrote a post that had all the goals for the semester so this is my listed check in. Some of those goals I have met with ease and some I went above and beyond; others I feel like I was making goals that don’t fit the way my studio practice operates at all and was an unnecessary expectation of myself (very average Ana behavior).

I am going by the list in the other post:

1) I have not read every week but I have read 4 books that I use and look at regularly. Two classic lit books, one woodworking book, and of course, my painting bible: Alla Prima II.

2) preliminary sketches in soft pastel was kind of unnecessary, I didn’t get my references done until week 6 (ish) and I ended up doing tons of graphite and vine charcoal compositional sketches accompanied by small oil painting studies of what I plan to paint. So I met the goal but re-oriented it in a way that’s relevant to what I do.

3) I have gone large for thesis, i’m doing all paintings as 4 feet by 6 feet. Originally I did plan on using canvas but after a conversation I was like ‘what the hell, i’m choosing surface I don’t even like using, why?’ and opted for wood panel.

4) I have been supportive of our new first years, I do walk throughs of studios quite often and we’re all quite good about giving eachother advice and feedback, super nice.

5) I do ask for criticism and surprisingly, I always expect horrible feedback but the way I’ve been going the semester, the feedback has been mostly good. Mostly, with an occasional “why are you making this unnecessarily hard for no reason?”

6) I was running the nonmajor welding workshops but I got switched to body casting.

7) SO MANY SKILLS from my last job have moved into my own works. It’s very practical, however, there’s been an adjustment period. I got so used to another artistss approaches and working on her work that now I’m “restarting” and “relearning” in a way.

8) I could be keeping up to date on my thesis manual a little better, it’s just good for remembering all my deadlines.

9) I have tried lots of new things this semester! Now to stay open to new things the rest of the year and my life.

10) ok this is the one I’ve neglected. Prioritizing my wellness….I was doing pretty good about that in the first few weeks of the semester, I cook all my own food, my apartment was always clean and I’ve been doing yoga before bed. Then after some weeks, the habits crashed and the stress was MAXED. I’ve been reintroducing the good habits, building slowly, but I am definitely still overworking myself. In my defense though, I have an insane amount of work to do before I graduate.

11) I have been looking at teaching jobs a lot, but I have yet to apply. I need to get all my paperwork and materials I need for applications together first before I can apply.

12) I have not been applying to shows as I should, but I have invitations.

13) I have worked on my CV and kept my forever work in progress of my statement. I’m satisfied with it (for now) it will change and be updated as my work changes over time in my career.

I’d like to add one more additional goal from that previous list however, and it’s a goal of being at least in progress of painting all three paintings by the semester’s end. It’s ok to not be finished yet, but please have all surfaces done and in progress of painting.

That’s all for now,

See you!