2026 Art Goals for an Emerging Fantasy Artist
It’s the new year, and I realized I didn't write a blog post last year about my creative goals. I was so busy with work at the time that I didn't even think about it. So I'm going to talk about what I accomplished last year that I'm proud of and what I'm looking forward to this year.
Reflecting on Last Year
Just like in the past, I'm not trying to reinvent myself for 2026; I'm just trying to build in more creative practice. Last year, with my job, I didn't paint as often as I would have liked, but this year I have a much more flexible schedule and plan to take full advantage.
Returning to Social Media
In the past, I left social media because it was causing too much stress and affecting my creativity. Because of a job I took, I had to reinstall the apps, and since I was going to be doing it for others, I decided why not do it for myself. So I’m back on the socials with no real following. I do want to give a shout-out to those who do follow me right now. You are seriously the best. Your support is awesome. You follow a small art account, and you are there for it. Thanks for the views, the likes, and the occasional shares. You are much appreciated.
Celebrating Small Wins
I’m proud that last year I launched a new website, sent out a few more newsletters, and sold my fantasy artwork in person at a couple of local shows. It’s always nerve-racking when you apply to juried shows. You never know if they are going to like your work or if the show is super competitive.
In 2025, I was in the emerging artists tent at the Broad Ripple Art Fair, and I had a booth at the Fisher’s Harvest Fest.
This was the first time I’ve ever shown my work in person, and I really loved it. Everyone who came into my booth was so friendly. It was cool to talk art and fantasy with strangers. I think one of my favorite moments was when an older man came in with some teens, looked at my wall of originals, and said to them it’s like traveling to a lot of different realms. Inside, my heart jumped, and I was like “YES!” He totally got what I was all about.
I love it when people I don’t think will understand totally get it, especially the older sci-fi guys. I feel like most women understand fantasy art right away. I loved hearing people’s plans for where they would hang the prints. I also sold an original at the Fisher’s Harvest Fest, which was really amazing.
Setting Simple Goals for This Year
So this year I’m keeping the goals simple.
- Apply to some shows. If I get in, cool. If not, that’s just more time to paint and apply again next year with a larger body of work.
- I don't really have any social media goals. I kind of decided I’m just using it as more of an archive of work. When I have something completed, I will post it, but I just can’t add feeding the machine and hoping for a reward to my list of goals. So I guess my goal is to care less in that arena.
- Paint more. With a more flexible schedule, my goal is to just paint a lot more this year.
- Play with oil paints more. I have them. I only did a couple of acrylics with oil last year. I want to use them more this year.
Final Note
It’s all pretty simple. Give less fucks and paint more fantasy art!
