So last year, as part of the altMBA program I signed up for I did this goal setting exercise – something I wanted to accomplish, set targets, goals, etc.

Goal: Create a Comic Book

Gap: Learn to Draw

Execution: Draw for 30 minutes each and every single day.

Outcome: keep reading…

Definitely not as easy as I hoped/thought.  I don’t think since I started that I have hit the 7 days a week of drawing since starting, but I have gone as high as 5 and as low as 0.  Did life get in the way?  Sure it did.

Did it I want it to?  Sure I did.

Firestorm1Because no matter how many ways you slice it, it hasn’t been an easy goal.  Since March, I’ve been pushing myself a lot more, trying to get better and over the hump of “knowing what great is, and knowing what I am doing is definitely not great”.  I’ve definitely taken inspiration from this little book – “Steal Like an Artist” – and trying to learn as much as possible from many of the greats artists while also going back to many early creators to learn from them.

I’ve tried very hard (although sometimes fallen victim) to getting caught up in the learning and not the actually doing (because that’s an easy way to avoid the hard work.

It’s been an incredible learning experience – types of pencils, paper, markers, shading, perspective and depth perception (who knew all of this).  And things you take for granted – drawing hands, eyes, but really hands – they are so incredibly hard to draw.Firestorm2

As I’ve late, I’ve taken to drawing some of my initial sketches over again to see what level of improvement has happened.

The left is from September 12, 2015, the right is from tonight, July 5, 2016.  You might not see all the differences but trust be, they are there.

So if you’re wondering whether you should stick with where you are at, whether it will ever come to fruition and whether you’ll ever get there.

You’ll only know by keeping on keeping on and keep pushing.

And if you’re looking for more on setting goals and other endeavours, I strongly suggest you look at the last cycle of Seth Godin’s altMBA program.

PS – Notice the very, now legit, signature – true confession – I spent an evening doing these 🙂

 

 

 

Want more? Check out my book Code Your Way Up – available as an eBook or Paperback on Amazon (CAN and US).  I’m also the co-host of the Remotely Prepared podcast.

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