Goals – Updated

As I prepare for the upcoming 12 Week Challenge, I have developed a short list of goals in an effort to further account myself to completing this journey I started, along with a few even more personal ones.

They are, in no particular order:

Short term –

• Start a comic strip: I know this is a bit out of the realm of children's illustration, but I have wanted to do this longer than I have illustration itself. I have what I consider a good idea, the characters pretty much fleshed out, an a blog address reserved for the big release. This is nothing I am considering taking to a syndicate, just a personal project I want to see come to fruition.
  
  
• Do at least one colored illo each week, perhaps with a different medium (I just bought some oil pastels I want to try!)
  
  
• Do at least 3 quick sketches each week
  
  
• Get healthier: As I sit at a computer all day at work, and then sit at a drawing table quite a bit as well, in addition to sitting watching TV at night. I am quite sedentary. I do get out and play with the kids in the evenings when the weather permits, and occasionally walk, it is not enough. If I try and run with the kids, I am easily winded. I also drink too much soda (my caffeine), and stay up too late... basically doing nothing to warrant the late nights. So I resolve to eat better, drink better, exercise more, and sleep more, for myself and my family.
  
  
• Learn at least one song on the piano: I don't plan to take lessons, mind you, but get the sheet music and go from there. I have one in mind!

Long term –

• My portfolio and web site done in the next six months
  
  
• A published illustration in the next year
  
  
• A published book within the next 5 years

I am going to copy this list and put it near my computer in another effort to stay the course.

Jonathan Woodward, the man behind the 12 Week Challenge, just posted all of the participants on the Zero2Illo website. So far up to 60. There is some amazing talent.

Best of luck to us all!

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A quick addition...

I would like to thank Susan Mordigal for awarding me the Renee Award recently. The Renee Award is in honor of Renée Khan, who, for 4 years, journaled about her battle with Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer on her blog Circling My Head. Renee passed away in early March this year, however, family is continuing to update her blog. I am flattered that Susan thought of me for the small tidbits of encouragement and advice given to her since we "met," since this is what the Renee award is all about. You can learn more about the origins of this award here.

Secondly, I would like to thank Shirley Benitez for awarding me the Creative Writer Blogger Award. I try to make my posts as interesting as possible, so thanks, Shirley, for noticing. However, there is great room for improvement, and I will be working on that in the future.

I know these 2 awards have been floated around the blog-o-sphere quite a bit, but I personally would like to pass the Renee Award back to both Shirley and Susan for their kind words, as well as to Alicia Padrón. She has been a constant source of advice, encouragement, and support since I started.

And I could honestly pass the Creative Writer award to all my blog friends, as I get so much from each blog I visit, be it encouragement, inspiration, or a good laugh!