In The Next 30 Days

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
- Louisa May Alcott

Goals are amazing, aren’t they? I feel so motivated by knowing what I’m working toward, knowing where I’m headed. I love that because of the way it makes the path seem so clear. I’m really great writing down long term goals for myself. And I love a daily goal (read to-do) list for the way it breaks down my day and makes me feel like things really can be accomplished. I really want my 30-day challenges to share some of that do-ability, some of that structure. So this will be the first of a regular monthly post that will outline my goals for each 30 days. I want to, as Alcott wrote, “look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”

Here are my goals during these 30 Days to Find Creativity:

• Define what creativity is for me. It’s such a subjective thing, creativity. It means something different for everyone, but I know that I can’t find it if I don’t even specifically know what I’m looking for, right? I have some general ideas of looking at the world in a different way or making something from nothing, but I want to be clear.
• Write a short story. Here’s something you might not know about me: I have a master’s degree in creative writing. Yep. I do. I used to write a lot of fiction and creative non-fiction. I used to write every day. Recently I’ve started a story for the first time in years. I want to finish it in these 30 Days.
• Create something I’m proud of to share with you. I’ve planned my month of posts, and I’ve saved one day to share something new and awesome, something I made, with you.
• Feel creative. Probably most of all I want to feel that spark. I want to feel like I am capable and fresh and excited to imagine again.

Do you set creative goals for yourself? What goals (creative or otherwise) have you set for these 30 Days?