OK so here we are in 2026! I’ve been quiet over here on Substack because I’ve been busy busy busy recording my class, Greeting Card Academy, which I’m SUPER pumped about! BUT despite being busy busy with this mission I’m on, I’ve also decided to kick this year off by joining the amazing Genna Blackburn’s 75 Art Challenge. Why did I decide to do this? Because I KNOW that accountability is everything! (**To be clear I have zero affiliation with Genna, so this isn’t an undercover sales pitch. This is just me sharing with you where I’m at.)
We all know there are SO many free art and drawing challenges out there on the internet these days, so why on earth would I PAY to be a part of one? The answer is simple…accountability. I know that if I have a little skin in the game, I am much more likely to follow through. Does this hold true for you too? Are you looking to get more flow and consistency with your art practice? If so, maybe you want to check this challenge out as well! I’m sharing it here to help my fellow artists build the daily practice of working on our craft. I say it all the time, the artists that find success are not some special breed of humans that are just more talented than the rest… nope. They are the ones that KEEP. SHOWING. UP. and putting in the work on a CONSISTENT basis.
In fact, my word of the year for 2026 is CONSISTENT because the truth is, whatever you do consistently WILL have an impact on you, whether good or bad, no matter what it is! I have proven this to myself time and time again. For example, when I was in my 20s and consistently partying and eating like crap all the time, I consistently had a blast…and consistently felt like crap lol. Now that I’m in my 40s and putting in the work to consistently eat well, consistently sleep enough and consistently work out, I feel better than I ever have in my life! (*To be clear, in my book, your 20s SHOULD be for having fun and figuring it out so no regrets there! ;)
Anyway, all this to say that one of my artistic goals is to get better at hand-lettering. This is a huge asset as a greeting card designer, and honestly one that I need some serious work on. I know that the way to improve is… you guessed it… consistent practice, and also accountability. Which brings me back to Genna’s drawing challenge. I decided rather than just trying to tell myself I would draw for a certain number of days and then likely falling off quickly because ya know…life… I would instead put some skin in the game and join her challenge, which costs $75 ($1 a day) and provides you with a community of other artists also doing the challenge, to give myself a little kick in the butt to stick with it… the accountability I need to keep it going. If you’re interested, the challenge starts today so check it out and join me!
And if you’re looking for some real accountability in 2026 to finally get your greeting cards published, be sure to check out my class! It will give you only the exact information and guidance you need to get your cards published, and nothing you don’t. No fluff, no b.s. Just direct information to move you forward!
What are you doing to hold yourself accountable and build consistency for your good habits in 2026?