📅 10-03-26

In this email I share an idea I had for a cool accountability system/tool I might add to the drawing-from-imagination course I’m building

Yesterday I had a long call with another creator in my space - Tieran, from Broken Draw.

It was supposed to be a quick catchup, but we ended up talking for over three hours ! <3

( Turns out he’s also a reader of this newsletter which made me blush 😊 )

If you don't know Tieran, he is a very dedicated artist who got pretty skilled at drawing from imagination.

Even though we’re at different stages of our journeys, focussing on different goals, with different approaches, we realised that

With ONE being by far the biggest of all:

Accountability.

Why is that?

When you’re not forced by school or by a job to do something, everything comes down to you.

The deadlines you set for yourself are much harder to take seriously.

Nothing bad happens if you don't show up.

No one cares.

That's probably the real reason why the vast majority of you told me in a recent survey that you struggle staying consistent.

Yet accountability is something people rarely think about when they start a self-taught journey.

Me included.

I've found exercises that make the process feel more fun and enjoyable.

I've found systems that make the routine feel less of a chore.

But it still comes down to me.

Nobody is holding me accountable to make progress on my roadmap.

Nobody is actually checking that I do as I planned.

So you don’t just need to learn the skill.

You also need to get very good at managing yourself.

So what then?

At the end of the call I came to 2 conclusions:

1️⃣ - I need an accountability buddy for my art+youtube journey

2️⃣ - If I want to help you learn to draw from imagination, I also need to help you stay accountable along the way.

Luckily, number 1️⃣ has been solved in the call:

Tieran and I will meet on a weekly basis to check-in on our goals and keep each other accountable! 🎉

But number 2️⃣ got me thinking all night.

I felt awful this morning.

I almost skipped the gym.

But my girlfriend forced me to go with her (she's my gym accountability partner I guess, I'm just realising it now 😅) and I'm SO GLAD she did!

Because I found a solution I'm excited about.

Genius idea

( I want your honest opinion on this please, read carefully first )

As you know I am working on a course that is laser focussed on teaching you how to draw from imagination.

But how can I bake in an accountability system that is effective?

The accountability system should NOT turn the course into some sort of messy community thingy.

It should also NOT turn the course into some kind of expensive personal feedback coaching kind of thingy either.

So here's the idea:

A simple website connected to the course where you upload a picture of your work at three key points of the program.

But there is a catch.

I will be able to see everyone's work, AND...

... you can tick a checkbox to "Make your work public"

☝️ That's the fun part:

If you choose to make it public, you also unlock the ability to see everyone else’s work from that same stage.

Including mine. 🙈

... and maybe Tieran’s too.

(Tieran, if you’re reading this… I’ll be coming after you if you don’t upload yours 😉)

I like this idea because it does several important things at once:

• It creates a moment of accountability
• It lets you see that other people are going through the same journey
• It makes you want to complete all 3 stages

And it's simple! (I mean.. not the coding part.. but that's okay)

What do you think of this idea? (please reply to this email)
​

I'm super curious to know if you would like that.

And of course, if you want to learn to draw from imagination and you like my approach to things..

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE

..why are you not on the waitlist for the course already!??

Join the Waitlist

:)

I hope you enjoyed this email.

And as always:

Have a strong week
🫶

Massa

P.s.

A little ramble here that I didn't want to put in the main body of the email to avoid risking it being too long:

It's clear to me that information without application doesn't lead to transformation. A tutorial might give you the information you need, but to actually apply it you need motivation.

And sometimes motivation comes by simply seeing someone else at the same stage pushing forward. So that's the core principle behind this idea for the accountability system I want to include in the course.

And as you know from drawingtimer.com, I enjoy coding simple tools that actually help artists practice and improve.

So building something like this would make a lot of sense to me.

But before I go too far with it, I NEED to know what you think.

Just reply to this email and tell me if this sounds useful to you, or if it feels unnecessary. (I read all replies)

And if you’re curious about the course itself, know that people on the waitlist will be given the opportunity of Beta Testing the course BEFORE it goes live at a super reduced price. Click here if that sounds interesting.

P.p.s.

I did a trip with my mother visiting Valencia, Spain, and we went to the "Museo de las Ilusiones" (illusions museum) .. This perspective trick blew my mind 🤯