Creating a Bhag
Creating a BHAG is a tool that helps you live out your values in the studio and in life
Because I find the hectic upcoming holidays take the wind out of my sails when I go back to the studio at the end of our summer break, I find creating a BHAG can help.
Why act now?
October is a perfect time to start thinking about what my studio life could be next year, for two reasons:
1. It allows me to fully focus on my family and enjoying our summertime New Zealand Christmas.
2. I avoid stuffing around when I go back to the studio in late January.
What in the world is a BHAG?
I battled aimless dithering because I didn’t know what to do when I returned to the studio. Then I discovered the power of creating a BHAG
What in the world is a BHAG? It is an acronym for Big Hairy and Audacious Goals. What Big Hairy Audacious goals would I like to achieve in the next twelve months?
Making a BHAG and reviewing it every year is a tool that helps me live out what I value in the studio and in life.
However, you may find it difficult, maybe impossible, creating a BHAG, IF you don’t know what you value and know your why. Click here to read about that.
I battled aimless dithering because I didn’t know what to do when I returned to the studio. Then I discovered the power of creating a BHAG
What in the world is a BHAG? It is an acronym for Big Hairy and Audacious Goals. What Big Hairy Audacious goals would I like to achieve in the next twelve months?
Making a BHAG and reviewing it every year is a tool that helps me live out what I value in the studio and in life.
However, you may find it difficult, maybe impossible, creating a BHAG, IF you don’t know what you value and know your why. Click here to read about that.
Creating a BHAG for 2023
My biggest heartfelt desires for my 2023 studio life were to get my YouTube channel up and running again, and see my career thrive.
These were BIG, considering the crazy four years from which I had emerged.
Knowing your why gives you a solid foundation for creating a BHAG to help you build a dream or vision of what your studio life could be. Then you can create targets that lead you closer to seeing your vision come to life. Then, incremental steps forward everyday bring you closer to those targets. The results are powerful.
My Why
I consider the desire to create art a gift. For my own self-respect, and to serve as a role model to our children and grandchildren, I want to model tenacity. I believe a person is never to old to be the artist they aspire to be.
My vision
After I got kicked off FB and IG in 2022 (because a hacker posted bad stuff) I wanted to restart my YouTube channel as a public social platform. I also wanted to explore creating a way to socially engage on my website. Lastly, I desired to create large artwork to sell in galleries and specific shows.
My Targets
My target goals were next. These are sometimes called SMART goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. My eight target goals were:
- Create 52 abstract works for my YT channel by May 2024.
- Create a complete a series of works each month.
- Publish 1 wide form video weekly on YT.
- Create 3 or 4 YT shorts per week.
- Update and redo my website in conjunction with the YT channel relaunch.
- Relaunch Charles Bargue this year. Update the old videos with new intros.
- Enter ILT July 2023
- QAS Art Awards Show in December 2024
How did i do?
October is the best time for me to review last year’s BHAG with an eye toward going back to the studio after summer break.
Twenty-five of the 52 target works have been completed or started and over 20 videos are published.
Making 3 shorts a week divert too much time from my other aims. Likewise, id decided making Charles Bargue videos was no longer relevant to my desire to play with abstracts in the studio.
Finally, in light of my target of 52 works in 52 weeks, making works for the two exhibitions weren’t doable this year. I’m okay with that.
Now, I’m assessing what worked and what didn’t so I can craft my Big Hairy and Audacious Goals for next year.
can't complete a BHAG?
Creating a BHAG does take time! However, if you don’t possess that at the moment, I do urge you do take two steps that will help you in the studio next year.
- Make the time to think about what your values are; and write them down!
- Use your values to craft your why for your art career.
Doing these two things made a huge difference for me in the studio.
Once you do know your values and your why, it is really straightforward to make your own BHAG.
There are a lot of experts that can help with thinking about what you value and how to find your why. I’ve created a “Useful Resources” of three that have helped me.
useful Resources
Click the links below for information.
Small forward motions every weekday resulted in WABI SABI
My Wabi Sabi derivative works are now complete.
In real time, I started working on them well over three months ago. It took that long because life happens. However, making one step forward every weekday, and knowing my why, my vision and my targets, has given me a series of works that I really appreciate.
But that's not the end of the story.
In early 2024, after planning for my big summer break, I returned the these works with “fresh eyes” and genuinely completed them. I really chuffed. You can see the results by clicking on the blog post below, titled “Design Your Time in the Studio”.
Wabi Sabi Derivative
Click the images to enlarge
