New Beginnings

With the beginning of the New Year a lot of us are reflecting on our past year, looking forward to new beginnings, and thinking of changes to make for the new year.   Since attending a talk by Dana Tanamachi, I’ve been thinking a lot about making goals and writing them down on a piece of paper, so that I always have a physical reminder to refer back to that will keep me focused on what I want to achieve.

I thought about where I want to take the business, and where I want to be in my personal life, and set the following goals for myself this year:

Goals # 1 – Get More Involved in the Design Community

Edmonton has such a diverse design community full of talented designers that are helpful and extremely supportive. Learning from other designers, even those in different design fields can give you a new perspective and help you acquire new skills and design tools. My goal is to attend as many events as I can this year hosted by local organizations such as CreativeMornings Edmonton, MADE, The Hunt + Gather, and Make Something Edmonton.

Goal # 2 – Work More With My Hands

It’s easy to get into the habit of jumping directly to the computer for online inspiration or to start the design process. This is especially true when there is pressure from deadlines. Though this can yield effective results, seeking offline sources of inspiration through sketching, painting, photography or even music can help us approach projects from a wider angle. My goal is to make alternative inspiration an essential part of the design process by spending the start of every project with sketching and free-drawing. In order to expand my creative outlet, I also plan on working on at least one small personal project a week whether it’s refining my drawing skills, practicing hand lettering or going on a photo expedition around town.  I will be sharing these regularly via instagram,

Goal #3 – Blogging Regularly

Blogging encourages one to get think creatively and critically about one’s work as well as other people’s work. It’s also a great way to share ideas, get feedback, and connect with others in the industry. My goal is to blog at least once a month about design, business, and other personal areas of interest.

Happy New Year!  What are your goals for the year?