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Monday, October 16, 2017

The Benefit of a Mini Goal and Some Great News!


'Summer Perfection'         15x10       pastel       ©Karen Margulis

I am a firm believer in setting goals. But I call them Mini Goals. They are things that I hope to accomplish. They may be big things or maybe just a little thing. But they don't have any time deadline. I just keep plugging away and working everyday with the mini goal urging me on.

Mini goals keep me motivated. When I meet one I try to set another one. I don't put pressure on myself to meet the goal. I figure if I am working hard and still having fun I can't help but get better and eventually meet the goal.

Well I am thrilled (yes I am thrilled) to share that I met one of my mini goals. My painting 'Summer Perfection' was awarded an honorable mention in the 19th annual Pastel 100 Competition for Pastel Journal.  It has been a goal of mine for several years. I do enter every year and swallow my disappointment when I don't get in. I just keep plugging away. It feels good to have met this goal!


What goals have you set for yourself?  To give you an idea of my mini goals I'll take you back 13 years ago when I first began painting. I was at my first pastel exhibition for the Southeastern Pastel Society. I made a mini goal that I would someday get into that show. I got in the next year! My next goal was to become a member of excellence. And the goals went on from there pushing me to paint more and study more and paint more. Mini goals make me a better artist!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Congratulations, Karen! I know you feel like this marks a special time! You have earned it!

Holly said...

How cool. It's s lovely painting. I look forward to seeing it in the magazine!

Larissa Powers said...

Beautiful! I only just started painting in pastels (or anything, really) in August after doing almost nothing but calligraphy for almost twenty years. At this point I've got a bunch of mini goals. 1. Sell a painting to a stranger. 2. Every year starting next year, I am going to submit five pieces to the PSA. It's a handsome reach. 3. Next year I plan to enter our local portrait competition. Mini-goals!