I’ve always hated the idea of goals.
In my early years, I was dealing with a mix of family turmoil, my own angsty artistic personality, and some rebelliousness that made goal setting seam like something either “pie in the sky” or akin to selling out. Over the years that followed, I got married, had two boys, and started to be <gulp> more of a grown up (though my wife might disagree on just how much). Later, goal setting started to be something I reluctantly started entertaining, like a kid poking at his room temperature broccoli.
It might be good for me, but C’mon.
There was even a moment, when I decided that my big picture goal was to be a published illustrator. A clear goal. I then took the steps towards that goal. It was all very adult-ish. And I made it across the finish line which was cool for a bit, but didn’t have the motivational lasting power I was craving. Big goals are like that.
Hi, I’m Jacob Souva, an author and illustrator of books for kids. This is Drawing a Blank, a weekly helping of what I’m learning about publishing and my creative practice. 3/4 of the posts are free. Access everything as a paid subscriber. Either way, I’m glad you’re here!
Today, I’ve settled on something in the middle, amorphously distant, and decidedly goal-adjacent - but to me far better. Something like this:
I want to be a creatively unique storyteller for kids who never stops getting better.
I want to grow into my voice as an author-illustrator in an authentic way.
I want to be respected by my peers and the industry I work in, for the right things.
The pushback on this kind of thinking is always “how will you know how to get there, if you don’t have a set destination?” and I get that. Overly vague goals can seem hard to attain.
So, here’s what I got. The answer for me is in identifying the big picture, yet vague goals (like the kidlit specific ones above) and then working on a series of habits or actionable items that strike out in that general direction. It’s less of “a clear destination and here’s the map I’m using to get there” and more of a “heard about a secret shrine and here’s the general direction, oh and also that villager might share some wisdom about a long lost key buried under an ancient lagoon, feel free to wander about, don’t get too distracted by snacks.”
In practical terms it looks something like this:
Goal-ish Item
I want to grow into my voice as an author-illustrator in an authentic way.
Habits
Daily: Read a new picturebook. Note stories that connect with me in a deep way. Ask why?
Daily: Start a self-directed drawing habit that focuses on these elements. Keep them all in the same sketchbook or folder.
Weekly: Collect story ideas in the form of a question (open-ended).
I then build the habits over a short time (months, not years). In the past, I’ve used similar processes1 to ramp up and build towards my um, not-quite-goal goals. Way back in 2016, I wanted to work on having multiple characters all inhabit the same world while getting better at visual storytelling:
Around that same time, I wanted a vehicle for growing my texture and color knowledge. I had heard some comments by industry people that my use of these things were somewhat unique. How could I build on that? A daily practice involving letters:2
These short-term, self-initiated projects with hazy goals in mind, really propelled me into my next steps. I see it even more now, looking back to these early projects.
I think I have a bead on why this works so effectively for me. More in part 2.
I finally crossed something off of my to-do list that’s been sitting there for over a year: a dedicated page for Author-Visits on my web site. I also just wrapped up a series of visits to a Binghamton NY area school district. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun and hope to do a bunch more. This post chronicles that experience:
I used Folktale Week 2024 to explore pattern and then wrote about it:
Some of these I’m sharing as a snapshot in time! I learned so much but I’ve since built upon this foundation. (What I’m saying is, if you like them, sweet.. but if you think they are lacking, have mercy I was a newb.)
This is so good Jacob. So relevant to me. You’re a couple steps ahead in your goal processes so i’m going to steal some of your very practical ideas! Cheers!
Are S.M.A.R.T goals really smart? I’ve been using SMART goals, but noticed I’m very much unrealistic on how long it takes me to achieve them…