Are Your Side Projects Sabotaging Your Goals?
Fri Jan 30 2026
Get your FREE Illustration Training Plan Worksheet (PDF) — tomfroese.com/freetrainingplan
"It’s a marathon, not a sprint"—but what does that actually mean for your creative career? In this episode, Tom looks back at his biggest insights from 2025 and explains why trying to "do it all" is the fastest way to stall your progress.
Using his experience as an ultramarathoner, Tom shares how to apply a training framework to your illustration practice to ensure you're building "functional strength" rather than just busy work.
The Danger of Dabbling: Why multiple professional roles create competing interests.
Training Blocks: How standard timelines help you build progressive fitness in your art.
Functional Strength: Identifying which habits support your main goal and which ones undermine it.
The Power of One: Why 2026 is the year of doing one thing exceptionally well.
[Download] FREE Illustration Training Plan Worksheet
[Read] 2025: The Year in Review (Substack)
[Listen] The One Big Shift for Social Media in 2026
I’m building a new signature course for illustrators and I need your input. Take this 5-minute survey to help me build it, and get 20% off at launch!👉 Take the Survey Here
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Get your FREE Illustration Training Plan Worksheet (PDF) — tomfroese.com/freetrainingplan "It’s a marathon, not a sprint"—but what does that actually mean for your creative career? In this episode, Tom looks back at his biggest insights from 2025 and explains why trying to "do it all" is the fastest way to stall your progress. Using his experience as an ultramarathoner, Tom shares how to apply a training framework to your illustration practice to ensure you're building "functional strength" rather than just busy work. The Danger of Dabbling: Why multiple professional roles create competing interests. Training Blocks: How standard timelines help you build progressive fitness in your art. Functional Strength: Identifying which habits support your main goal and which ones undermine it. The Power of One: Why 2026 is the year of doing one thing exceptionally well. [Download] FREE Illustration Training Plan Worksheet [Read] 2025: The Year in Review (Substack) [Listen] The One Big Shift for Social Media in 2026 I’m building a new signature course for illustrators and I need your input. Take this 5-minute survey to help me build it, and get 20% off at launch!👉 Take the Survey Here