GOALS

I always set myself goals, yearly goals, loose life goals and more immediate goals on a daily or hourly basis. In 2009 I set myself a goal of changing my career and the way I work. Not only was my goal to do this I wanted to do it well. I chose to do the MA in Authorial Practice at UCF, and I wanted to achieve a distinction. As time went on and I realised how much it was going to take to achieve this it began to sink away, but my determination and that goal made me move forward and through the struggles, and in the end I achieved my distinction! When I went for the interview Steve (Braund-course leader), showed me the cabinet where all the inspiring and treasured books that are signed to him, from all manner of important and seminal illustrators, were kept. Another goal which I voiced in the interview was to have my work in that cabinet, among artists I aspire to. I gave a copy of the book I made for my show, The Royal Beasts of Bialoweiza, and it is happily sitting in their today.

My goal this year is to move my own work forward. To carve out a career with my own stories and illustrations. To be positive in every possible way, on a daily basis and to put my creative self out there, while choosing carefully the paths I take, using intuition and foresight to move forward in the most effective way. I take time out everyday to be creative in my own way. it may be five mins or an hour. By posting photographs I have taken in the day or writing for my blog or scribbling ideas down for my books. It's all mine and for no one else. I have learnt that by doing this, my published work lies a lot easier in my timetable, and I am a lot happier on a daily basis. I have given my all to my published work in the past and never realised what a scraifice I was making. My goals have given me a reason to put myself first, and it feels nice.