New Month. New Challenge.

When you manage to still surprise yourself.

Three practice paintings in gouache

I’m not sure if this is a sort-of Groundhog Day mentality, or if I, like Dory, suffer from short-term memory loss, but somehow I manage to still surprise myself by my own ability to completely fail the day and wake up the next morning thinking: Today! Today is the day.

I mean, I know how to take a lickin’ and keep on kickin’.

Sketching ideas for gouache paintings

Despite two (or maybe three?) failed attempts at art challenges this year I have decided to take on a new 90 day challenge to be more consistent in my painting practice, learn how to make “gouache paintings” in Procreate, and, create new surface pattern designs. In my estimation, if I am able to focus on these three objectives over the next 90 days, I can then:

1. update my website with a new, consistent body of work (it’s been on my to-do list for two years)

2. gain a little traction for being known as someone who paints with gouache (and a bit of mixed media, who am I trying to kid?)

3. put my knowledge to work creating more complex surface pattern designs

4. have fun (what a concept!) - the most darn fun thing I do in my business is painting and drawing motifs for patterns and I haven’t been doing enough of it

5. update my pattern portfolio and pitch my work

6. prove to myself that I can be consistent - and I really need that 💙

And so there I was, waking up on November 1st really believing I can do this! Just keep swimming!

Plus, 90 days is only 1/4 of the year - it’s not as scary as setting annual goals, but just long enough to fall off the wagon and get back on track.

I know. I know (!) what you may be thinking:

Stacie, as someone who has walked away from challenges in the past, it might be a better idea to FIRST try 90 days of gouache painting (including Procreate) and THEN try 90 days of pattern-making.

You are not wrong.

I’m confident I’m spreading myself too thin. But, I’m impatient, so I want to try to do them both and see how it goes. After all, this is my self-imposed challenge and I can do what I want! (Emphatically puts foot down).

I’m great at starting, rough in the middle, and pretty good at pushing through to the end. So, let’s see how this goes. I’ll bring you along with me.

If you know someone who would find joining me on this quest to be beneficial, please share! Everyone is welcome here to witness the good, the bad, and the ugly.