By this time next year I want to have accomplished several goals. Actually, probably many more than I will list here, but these ones are especially important to me.

1. Launch a Webcomic Spiritual Guide: Ian McConville

If you know me in real life, then odds are you have heard me utter the phrase “I want to start a webcomic…. soon”. This had been going on for almost a decade, and for a short while in High School I did have one. Now I find myself with the motivation and time to actually accomplish this goal.

Ian McConville is the artist/creator of the webcomics MacHall and Three Panel Soul. I read MacHall from age 15 until it ended in 2006, and then follow McConville’s less updated Three Panel Soul since then. He has explored different art forms over the years and did all of this in his free time, as a hobby. This is something to aspire to do.

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2. Freelance Photography Spirit Guide: TBD

In all honesty, I am very new to professional photography. Give me a photo and I will Photoshop the crap out of it… that is to say, I know all the post work. So I will be purchasing the equipment and learning about lighting and aperture and other camera words. I have a bunch of attractive friends that I’m sure would love some free photoshoots while I practice. Also I will be attending a Photoshop Seminar for work, which I plan to learn loads from.

I don’t really know many photographers… that’s something else I will learn about.

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3. Move Out Spiritual Guide: New York City

I am at a place in my life where I need to be self-sufficient. Not because I hate where I am now (in fact there are many reasons I love being at home), but because there are aspects to who I am that I will not learn until I am out on my own, making my own decisions. I am moving on to the next stage of my life and step will mark the beginning of it.

My Job is not too far from NYC, and every time I visit the city I find something new and exciting. I also have many friends currently working or residing in the city, who i would like to see more often. I’ll still need my car, and I can’t afford living in the city, so close by is the goal. But who knows, the right job off and I could fly off to another corner of the country… that is a scary thought I am trying to be open to.

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4. Read more classic literature. Spiritual Guide: Neil Gaiman

There is that list out of 100 books you should read. I’m sure the list is more like a thousand or even a million books you should read. And I know I can better myself from reading and hearing new ideas and perspectives. Plus, I love a good story. I even love a bad story if it has a good hook.

Neil Gaiman wrote The Sandman comics among many other highly-regarded books, and they are chock full of allusions and references to mythology and ancient literature and even history. My Dad and I have both come to realize many of the best stories often contain references to other great pieces of work. Star Trek: The Next Generation has constant references to both Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes stories. Gaiman is an imaginative man and he is probably the most suited spirit guide of the ones I’m listing today.

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5. Write a story. Spirit Guide: Brian Lee O’Malley

I have so many stories rattling around in my head. Some have been rewritten a dozen times since I was twelve years old, others get ripped apart and I will combine it’s best parts with the best parts of another story. Either way, I have stories to tell.

Brian Lee O’Malley is the author and illustrator of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. I did not choose him for a spirit guide because I want his success or because I too want make graphic novels. I chose him because in a recently online Q&A his advice to any aspiring author/illustrator was JUST DO IT. It won’t be prefect. You’ll develop a style over your first few stories. And there is not way to prepare for every problem you may encounter when creating a story. This is a lesson I am trying to learn, and is a huge motivation for these goals. I know I will sit in the “preparing to launch stage” forever if I don’t give myself the right kick in the ass (ex: my webcomic)

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There are plenty more goals, but maybe it’s best I keep some of them to myself. Anywho, it should be an interesting year.

~Andrew