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October Goals: Progress Not Perfection
This article goes over my October Goals in my digital art journey and online art business.
September Goals Reviews
In September, I wanted to learn things that could directly help my business. Hand lettering is a skill with many applications. I can create unique products and even marketing materials for my business. So at the beginning of September, I learned Digital Hand Lettering on Skillshare.
Then I finished September learning a little bit about Marketing. I learned about niches and customer avatars for my business. Overall, September was a success. I learned a lot about my business and how I can start selling my products. But I still haven’t sold anything.
Related Posts: Create Goal Action Plans with Goal Management
Why I am Striving for progress not perfection
letting go of perfectionism
Perfectionism is an alluring but deceptive trap. It convinces us that anything short of flawless execution is a failure. However, this mindset can paralyze growth. Perfectionism often stems from fear—fear of mistakes, fear of judgment—but when we let go of this need to be perfect, we free ourselves to experiment, explore, and evolve. In skill-building, the emphasis should be on making progress, no matter how imperfect. The messy, mistake-filled journey of learning is far more enriching and transformative than the pursuit of unattainable perfection.
My journey is all about learning new skills. While I have let go of the need for perfection in my art, the same cannot be said about my feelings towards my art business. I want to make money selling my art. That is the goal I set for myself this year. However, my plan has not worked. After four months of work and dedication, I have not made a sale. Since I made my first product, the next step is to make a sale. However, I haven’t because I do not have the “perfect platform” to sell my products to an audience. I have fallen into the perfectionism trap.
power of incremental growth
Building any skill requires time, effort, and patience, but too often, we find ourselves tangled in the idea of instant mastery. The truth is, real growth happens incrementally. It’s the small steps forward that lay the foundation for long-term success. Instead of being overwhelmed by the destination, focus on the beauty of the journey itself. Each day of practice, no matter how minor the improvement, compounds over time, leading to significant progress. Mastery is not a sprint but a marathon, where endurance and steady development win over bursts of perfectionism.
Building a successful online business requires the mastery of several different skills. I need to master Product Design, Marketing, Copywriting, Sales, Accounting and so may other things that make up a business. My need for perfection makes me crave instant mastery, but that is not realistic. So instead in to better to focus on incremental growth.
The same rings true for my art journey. I will get better as a digital artist with small steps of improvement.
“Getting 1% better every day counts for a lot in the long-run”
James Clear
Creating Sustainable habits for growth
consistency over intensity
When building skills, it’s easy to believe that intense, exhaustive practice sessions will yield faster results. However, long-term growth is more effectively achieved through consistent, moderate efforts. It’s the daily dedication, even if it’s just a small amount of time, that creates the foundation for sustained improvement. A scattered, high-intensity approach may lead to burnout or frustration, but steady, consistent practice integrates skills more deeply into your routine and mindset.
brilliance of small wins
Celebrating small milestones can have a profound impact on maintaining motivation during the skill-building process. These small wins remind you of the progress you’ve made, even when it feels slow or insignificant. Acknowledging incremental achievements—whether it’s mastering a small technique or improving a specific task—creates a positive feedback loop. It encourages you to keep moving forward and reinforces the idea that every step, no matter how small, is a victory worth recognizing.
Themes for October Goals
Last month’s themes focused on building my business. The themes for October center around the idea of “Progress Not Perfection”. I want to make incremental improvements in my journeys this month.
Digital art journey: Practice makes better
This month I want to focus on improving my skills. Nothing is learned instantly, you have to put in the work to get better. The saying you hear a lot is “Practice Makes Perfect” but I don’t agree. Over the years, I have heard different versions of this saying, all with the same message. If you want to get better at anything, then you must practice. As such I have created my own version of this saying, “Practice Makes Better” where my effort will increase my art skills.
art business: Art Marketplaces
Building a successful online art business takes a lot of time. My ultimate goal is to have my own e-commerce store hosted on my website. However, I do not have all the skills to make that happen anytime soon. So, I have chosen to pivot. A beginner-friendly avenue for selling art online is to use an e-commerce marketplace.
My October Goals
Digital art: daily practice
Last month I fell in love with Hand Lettering. Turning words into art is the perfect art form for a Digital Artist who happens to be a dedicated bookworm. I keep imagining taking the quotes from my favorite stories and making them into colorful posters.
“I will practice Digital Hand Lettering for 30 minutes every day. Taking at least one Skillshare class to learn new techniques or find a book to help me with further study. I will complete 1 piece of hand-lettered art that features a full word.”
Online art business: Zazzle Store
This month I am pivoting my online art business. It is taking much longer to build my website than I expected, so I have decided to sell my art on a Marketplace. Zazzle is my online marketplace of choice.
“I will open a Zazzle Store to sell my art on products for customers to purchase. I will learn about Zazzle using YouTube Tutorials. This goal will be met by listing 5 items in my Zazzle Store.”
Working my business in my October goals
I am continuing my journey to being a professional digital artist, which will be met by making at least $1 from selling my art. With my October goals, I will be exposing my art to an audience that will hopefully purchase it. This is the start and in the coming months, I will hone in on the skills and strategies I need to make that first sale. Maybe next month I can say I have met that goal, but for now, I simply want to make progress in my journey.
