Hey, Reader!

Happy Thursday aka Eduletter day!

I don’t know about you, but last week, this was me:

And after I was done panicking about my existence, I realised that even though this year is about to come to an end, there’s still plenty of time left to make real, meaningful progress.

In fact, looking back at the last year, I think it’s safe to say Q4 is actually the PERFECT time to make meaningful progress.

We’ve got 13 solid weeks before the new year.

That's enough time to complete a collection, start conversations for your first licensing deal, build a portfolio, or finally launch on that POD platform you've been researching since February. But, it’s also equally easy to let it all go and do NOTHING.

The difference between artists who finish strong and those who just drift into January?

They track what actually matters.

Not their feelings about progress (which lie on bad days).
Not vague hopes that "things will work out."
They track concrete evidence of forward movement, and they use that data to make better decisions every single week.

Today, I'm showing you exactly how to set goals you can actually measure (this is exactly what I use), and how to track them in a way that creates real momentum (not just pretty spreadsheets you never look at).

But first, let's celebrate some gorgeous work that caught my eye this week:

Alison Janssen Studio's Floral Magic:

Maximal florals with a loose watercolor feel—so much movement and charm.
The bold warm tones against the cool gray make every bloom pop.
Perfect for fabric collections, spring dresses, or statement wallpaper.

Show them some love on IG

Dominika Godette's Daffodils Delight:

Fresh and flowy florals with a hand-drawn look that feels airy and happy.
Balanced color palette makes it easy to pair with coordinates.
Great for planners, tea towels, or spring-themed gift wrap.

Show them some love on IG

Sofi Grace's Heritage Revival Winner:

Folk art meets fine detail in this vintage-inspired repeat.
The symmetry and birds give it serious "heritage wallpaper" vibes.
A stunning fit for wallpaper, home goods, or even book covers.

Show them some love on IG

Listen, I get it.

The word "goals" makes most creative people want to run screaming in the opposite direction.

Goals feel corporate. Restrictive. Like someone's trying to turn your art into a boring business checklist.

But here's what I've learned after years of both avoiding goals (and wondering why nothing changed) and actually setting them properly (and watching my business transform):

The right goals don't restrict your creativity. They protect it.

They protect your time from getting scattered across a million directions.
They protect your energy from getting drained by stuff that doesn't actually move you forward.
And they protect you from reaching December wondering where the year went.

So let's talk about setting goals that actually work, and tracking them in a way that keeps you moving forward.

Tip #1: How to define what "progress" looks like in measurable terms

I'll never forget the conversation I had with a pattern designer friend last December.

She was frustrated, feeling like she'd "wasted" the entire year. But when I asked what she'd wanted to accomplish, she said: "You know, just... grow my business. Get better at patterns. Be more consistent."

And I realized: she never had a chance of feeling successful because she never defined what success actually looked like.

"Grow my business" could mean anything. Getting one more sale? Landing a six-figure licensing deal? She was measuring progress against a moving target that existed only in her head.

No wonder she felt like a failure.

Vague goals = wishes.

And wishes don't give you direction, milestones, or that satisfying moment when you can actually say "I did it."

You can't measure "better." You can't track "more consistent." And you definitely can't celebrate progress when you don't know what progress looks like.

So if you're sitting here in October thinking "I want to make Q4 count," let's get specific about what that actually means.

The Q4 Framework: S.M.A.R.T. Goals

I know, I know.

SMART goals sound like something from a corporate training manual. But stick with me, because this framework is the difference between "I want to do more art stuff" and "I completed three collections and uploaded them to POD platforms."

S - Specific Not "create more patterns" but "complete 3 mini-collections of 4 patterns each"

M - Measurable

Numbers you can track: collections completed, pitches sent, revenue generated, portfolio pieces finished

A - Achievable Realistic given your current schedule, skills, and resources. Don't set yourself up to fail by planning to create 50 patterns while working full-time with three kids.

R - Relevant Actually moves your business forward. Not just busy work that feels productive but leads nowhere.

T - Time-bound Has a deadline. In this case: December 31st (or earlier!)

Here are actual examples of goals that DON'T work, and how to fix them:

❌ "Build my portfolio"
✅ "Create one 12-pattern portfolio website showcasing 3 cohesive collections by November 30"
❌ "Start selling patterns"
✅ "Upload 3 mini-collections (12 patterns total) to Spoonflower by December 15 and promote each collection with 5 social posts"
❌ "Get licensing deals"
✅ "Send 20 pitch emails to home decor brands by December 1, with customized portfolios for each"
❌ "Be more active on Instagram"
✅ "Post 3 pattern process posts per week for 12 weeks, tracking which content types drive traffic to my shop"

See?

The second version tells you EXACTLY when you've succeeded. There's no guessing, no moving goalposts, no wondering if you did "enough."

The Q4 One-Thing Rule

Now, before you get excited and set seventeen goals for the quarter, calm down.

You don’t want 3 months to suddenly become: complete five collections AND build a website AND start a newsletter AND pitch fifty companies AND learn new software AND grow Instagram to 10K AND—

Stop.

Pick ONE primary goal for Q4.

Just one.

You can have supporting goals (daily creative practice, weekly posting, etc.), but identify THE single accomplishment that matters most right now.

And then SAY NO to everything else.

That’s what it means to commit to one goal. Whatever doesn’t align with that goal, gets sacrificed. And if it gets “hard” to say no, just remember that it means you’re doing it right.

Tip #2: How to use your progress data to make smarter decisions every single week

Okay, so you've set your Q4 goal. You know what you're working toward.

Now comes the part that separates artists who actually achieve their goals from those who just... hope really hard:

Building a system that tracks your progress AND uses that data to improve your approach.

See most people would set a goal in October, work on it sporadically, and then check in December to see if they magically hit it. Spoiler: they usually didn't.

Let me tell you about two pattern designers I know:

Designer A set a Q4 goal to upload 3 collections to POD platforms. She created patterns every week, tracked how many she completed, and by December had uploaded her collections. Goal achieved!

But her sales were terrible. She made $47 total across all three collections.

Why? Because she never looked at WHICH patterns were getting views, which color palettes were converting, or which platforms were actually working for her style. She just kept creating and uploading without adjusting based on feedback.

Designer B also set a goal to upload 3 collections. But she tracked differently.

After uploading her first collection in October, she monitored which individual patterns got the most views and favorites. She noticed her geometric designs outperformed her florals 4:1. She saw that warm earth tones converted better than pastels on Spoonflower specifically.

So for Collections 2 and 3? She doubled down on geometrics with warm palettes. By December, she'd made $500+ in sales.

Same goal. Different approach. Wildly different results.

The difference? Designer B tracked, learned, and iterated.

And here’s how YOU can do it, too:

The T.R.A.C.K. System

These are the five categories that actually matter. Pick the ones that align with YOUR Q4 goal (you don't need to track all of them):

T - Tangible Creative Outputs

Examples: Number of patterns completed, collections finished, portfolio pieces created, pitches sent, mockups made

R - Revenue Generated

Examples: POD sales (by platform), Licensing deals, Client project income, Which collections are selling

A - Actions Taken

Examples: Days you showed up (even for 15 min), new techniques practiced, skills learned and applied, experiments tried

C - Connections Made

Examples: Client conversations, art director responses, community engagement, networking touchpoints

K - Knowledge Applied

Examples: Skills learned AND actually used (not just consumed), feedback you implemented, process improvements you made, tools you mastered (not just bought)

How to Actually Track This

I like to make my life easy. So the way I work is simply using a spreadsheet:

It’s perfect if you’re a data-oriented people who like seeing numbers accumulate.

Create columns for your key metrics
Fill it in for 30 minutes every Sunday (you could do it within 5 minutes, but I suggest take out as much time as you can, but do this well)
Track weekly AND running totals so you see the compound effect

As per your goals, you want to start by tracking the measurable numbers:

Every week when you review your numbers, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What's Working?

Look for patterns (the data kind, not the design kind 😉):

Which collections are generating sales?
Which platforms are actually converting?
What creative actions led to real results?
Which pitches got responses?

Then: Do more of THIS.

2. What's NOT Working?

Be brutally honest:

Which actions ate hours without producing results?
Where are you spinning your wheels?
What's draining energy with zero payoff?
Which strategies produced absolutely nothing?

Then: Stop doing THIS (or pivot).

3. What Did I Learn This Week?

Reflect on insights:

What surprised me about these results?
What assumption was proven wrong?
What small experiment taught me something valuable?
What would I do differently next week based on this?

Then: Implement ONE change.

Test it for a week. Track whether it moves the needle. Then decide whether to keep it, adjust it, or try something else. It’s all about:

Tracking → Learning → Iterating

Let me show you how this actually works in practice:

Week 1 Tracking:

Created 2 patterns
Posted 5 Instagram stories
Sent 3 pitch emails
Result: $12 in POD sales, zero pitch responses

Week 1 Learning: "Hmm. My Instagram engagement is high but sales are basically non-existent. And my pitches aren't getting responses—maybe my subject lines are too generic and getting buried in their inbox?"

Week 2 Iteration: Based on what I learned, I changed:

Made pitch subject lines more specific ("Fall Floral Collection for Home Decor" instead of "Pattern Design Inquiry")
Added direct shop link in Instagram bio with clear CTA
Created 1 Reel showing pattern process instead of just stories

Week 2 Tracking:

Created 2 patterns
Posted 1 Reel, 3 stories
Sent 3 pitch emails (with new subject lines)
Result: $47 in POD sales (the Reel drove traffic!), 1 pitch response

The Insight:

Instagram stories weren't the problem. Lack of clear CTA to my shop was. Better subject lines on pitches got one through. These learnings carry forward into Week 3.

See how that works? Track → Learn → Adjust → Track again.

You won't be perfect. That's the whole point. Each week you learn something, make one small change, and get a little bit closer to what actually works for YOUR business.

Let me tell you about my absolute FAVORITE Procreate trick that has saved me HOURS of work when creating pattern collections.

You know that moment when you’ve created the perfect Buffalo check pattern in navy blue… but then realize it would look so much better in pink? Or when your client loves your pattern but wants to see it in their brand colors?

In the old days, I’d start completely from scratch. Re-draw everything. Re-color everything. Basically, waste an entire day on something that should take five minutes.

Well, I’ve got a little hack that lets you change colors in your patterns instantly without affecting the structure or losing any details. It’s like magic, but better, because it actually works!

The Alpha Lock Color Swap Magic ✨:

Here’s how you can do it:

Set Up Your Pattern Correctly
The key is to keep different colors on separate layers from the beginning. For instance, if you’re creating a Buffalo check pattern, keep your dark blues on one layer, light blues on another, and background on a third.
The Two-Finger Alpha Lock Trick
When you want to change a color, here’s the magic move:
- Select the layer with the color you want to change
- Use two fingers to swipe right on the layer (yes, literally just swipe right—Procreate’s version of dating apps 😂)
- You’ll see a checkerboard pattern appear on the layer thumbnail—that’s Alpha Lock in action!
Instant Color Change
Now any color you drop, brush, or fill with will ONLY affect the existing elements on that layer—leaving the transparent areas untouched.
- Simply tap the color you want
- Drag it onto your alpha-locked layer
- BOOM! Instant color swap without changing your pattern structure

My Pro Tips for Alpha Lock Mastery:

Group Related Layers: If your pattern has multiple layers with the same color (like all your navy elements), group them first, then Alpha Lock the whole group for a one-click color change
Test Multiple Colorways Quickly: Create duplicates of your grouped pattern layers, Alpha Lock each one, and try different color schemes in minutes
Remember It Works with Textures Too: Alpha Lock preserves all the beautiful texture and detail in your elements while only changing the color

This technique is absolutely essential when creating collections where you need multiple colorways of the same pattern!

Do you already use this?

Hit reply and let me know if there are any places you feel you’re wasting too much of your time and would love to “speed it up”!

That’s all! It’s time to create>consume!

Q4 is all about making intentional progress on what matters most, tracking that progress honestly, and building momentum that carries into the new year.

You have 13 weeks. What will you make them count FOR?

Before you go set your Q4 goal, let me know which tip resonated most with you right now:

The Q4 Goal Framework - I need to define what success actually looks like

The T.R.A.C.K. system - I need better ways to measure progress

The Alpha Lock Color Swap!

I need help with something else (hit reply and tell me!)

I read every email I get, and always try to answer your questions either by replying or by writing an Eduletter on that topic.

So don’t be shy. 😊

Until next Thursday, keep creating!