Hello there! It’s Rebecca with you for my last post of 2018! It’s so hard to believe that the year will be over in just a few short days, isn’t it? As I’ve been buried in the hustle, bustle, and tinsel of the holiday season, I’ve also been giving a little bit of thought to 2019 and what I’d like to do with a brand-new year. Of course, there are the obligatory goals—exercise more, eat healthier, get more sleep, drink more water, etc. I also always give a thought to what I’d like to accomplish as a creator. In today’s post, I’ll give you a peek at my goal tracker and show you some of the We R Memory Keepers Journal Studio tools I used to help me stay focused.
I’m excited to finally take my graphic design up a notch with ProCreate for the iPad Pro. There are many creative areas I’d like to further develop—sketching, hand lettering, water coloring, just to name a few. My list was getting pretty long, and I began to think I was taking on far too much. But when I really started to think about it, I realized that many of the techniques I’d like to learn or improve could be accomplished by tackling ProCreate.
With my list not sounding as daunting now, I set out to figure a way to track my progress. I really wanted a way to stay accountable and focused, while keeping track of what I was learning. I pulled out a May Designs journal which has grid pages, as well as a perpetual week in review. I could make my tracker on one of the 2-page grid spreads and use the weekly calendar to track progress.
I turned first to the WRMK All In One Journal Tool, using several of its features on the 2-page grid spread. My idea was to track the entire year of practice, so I used the top part of the guide to create 12-month tracker. I made 3 circles and 12 straight lines to divide the large circle into 12 parts. Those serve as January through December, and go in a monthly order, with January at the top. I then drew 3 horizontal lines in each month’s column, which gave me 4 long rectangles; they represent 4 weeks per month.
Underneath the circle tracker, I’ve created my color key. I used the Journal Tool again to make this, utilizing the 3-lined stencils and 3-circle markers. I color-coded each circle to represent how many days per week I’ll practice ProCreate. It’s possible I’ll allow myself weekend breaks, though I’ve included the 6-7 days/wk option in case I change my mind. I’m looking to form productive habits with this, too, and practicing every day is the best way to establish those.
When I finish the week, I’ll fill in the grid with the corresponding color. (I’m keeping daily track on the weekly spread, which I’ll share later in the post.) I’ve filled in December as an example, though I haven’t actually been keeping very good track of my practice, as it’s been few and far between this month!
I’ve made some notes about where to find inspiration and resources in case I get stuck. Both the “Find Inspiration” banner, as well as the half-box were made with the Journal Tool, and similar drawings are on the facing page, as well.
Speaking of the facing page, I used the Magnetic Alphabet and Symbol Stencils to trace 2019 CREATE onto the top of my page. I covered the words with some opaque washi tape to add some color to the pages and used a few darker strips for the same purpose.
I included some of the illustration hashtags I like on Instagram, which will be another resource throughout the year. I’ve left extra space in that box, as well as in the inspiration box, because I’ll likely find more of both in the future.
Lastly, I want to keep a list of all the art and design skills I hope daily practice in ProCreate will help to improve. While I won’t be tracking those individually, I’d still like to keep them in mind in order to stay accountable to them.
Here’s a quick look at my week-at-a-glance, as well. I’ve kept it simple, filling in the dates for the first week of January, and on each day, indicating a space for both the number of minutes I practiced, as well as the particular skill I worked on.
On the opposite page, I used the Alphabet Stencils again to write THIS WEEK IN PRO CREATE. I created a box to write notes, tips, or thoughts with the All-in-One Journal Tool, and I’ve got a spot to write down the total minutes and days practiced. This page set up is subject to change, depending on what I want to write down each week. I may also decide to track the week with a similar circular tracker, as well; it remains to be seen.
I’m excited to begin, and excited to (hopefully) watch my improvement! It’s also nice to have a notebook exclusively devoted to this goal so it’s easier to stay focused.
A couple other things I wanted to mention are the Travel Workspace and Washi Spool Keychain you’ll see in the photos. They’re a couple of handy tools that, even though I’m not traveling far (mostly from my desk to my couch or dining room table!), these hold the necessary utensils so I can work on this anywhere. It’s got a nice hard surface on which to write, and plenty of pockets. The Washi Spool clips onto it, and the outside is soft felt so it’s gentle when I’m carrying it with my iPad. It doesn’t get handier than that!
Wishing you all a very Happy (and productive) New Year!
Supplies:
Travel Workspace
