Goal Setting For Creatives - Why Goals Aren't The Creativity Killer You Think They Are

Most of us as creative people like to feel free from any restrictions or boundaries.

One of the reasons we are creative, and we continue to explore different ways of expressing that creativity, is because a regular non-creative life where we do exactly the same thing day in day out is our idea of torture.

We're wild exotic birds who can fly wherever we want, whenever we want! So why chain ourselves down with anything that resembles plans, schedules or limitations?

This kind of logic means that phrases like "goal setting" and "5 year plan" send shivers down our spines, and sends us running away with our hands over our ears going "LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU...". Metaphorically speaking, of course.

But goals aren't the big scary monster you fear they might be.

In fact, you already have goals for your creative life. You just don't call them goals. And with a little extra thought, these goals can become the key to more focused creativity, with more confidence, than you've ever experienced before.

Suspend your disbelief for a few sentences and let me explain.

For example, if you're a painter, your "goals" might not be "I want to paint a 13 part series of 5 foot by 7 foot canvases, each with 17 layers of Coeruleum Blue overlayed with flashes of Process Magenta, exploring a young woman's voyage from teenager to young adult in Arkansas in the 1950s"...

Maybe you do have this vision, if so that's great, go for it! It's more likely though that your goals are things like "I'd like to explore working with some large 5 foot by 7 foot canvases" or "I've always loved Coeruleum Blue, I'd like to paint a series experimenting with different subtle shades based on this colour".

We all have these plans, these creative goals in our minds.

There's a famous saying that a goal is just a dream with a date on it. For us as creative artists, a goal can also be an idea with a date attached.

So your idea - "I'd like to explore working with some large 5 foot by 7 foot canvases" - is only an idea until you actually start doing it. And for that it needs a starting point.

Goal setting ISN'T about planning in this kind of detail:

Painting goal for next Saturday:

10.00am: Buy 3 canvases.

11.00am: Place first canvas against wall.

11.02am: Gather paints.

11.05am: Open cap of Process Magenta.

11.06am: Squeeze precisely 27ml of Process Magenta into paint saucer.

11.07am: Choose brush no3 and mix paint in an anti clockwise direction.

11.08am: Make first brush stroke on canvas, a light diagonal swish at an angle of 43degress...

This would be ridiculous. And yes it will kill stone dead any kind of creative spontaneity.

Here's an alternative goal and plan though that could help you no end:

Painting goal for next Saturday.

10.00am: Buy 3 canvases.

11.00am: Place first canvas against wall.

11.01am to sometime later that afternoon: Explore the ideas in my head and experiment freely with the paints I have.

Notice the difference?

The outline idea is there, experimenting with the 5 foot by 7 foot canvases. You've simply made it a goal by committing to a start time and setting aside some time to explore your creativity.

Without that idea, date and start time, you'd have nothing.

Think about some of the ideas you've had in mind for a while to explore in your creative life. Write a list of the top 5. Then pick one that really speaks to you, and simply write a date and time next to it when you're going to begin, and how much time you're going to initially set aside to work on it.

Congratulations, you're goal setting! Wasn't so painful after all, was it...