“Roam” by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
Starting at younger and younger ages, kids are expected to begin thinking about what they want to do with their lives. I feel bad for them, because between increasing homework loads and more demanding extracurricular commitments, they are given less and less free time to figure out who they are and what lights them up.
No matter how old you are, a little space to roam can make a big difference.
After three grueling years producing his show, Sam and Friends, Jim Henson was burned out and ready to give up on puppetry. Then he left for a yearlong walkabout in Europe. He took in puppet performances throughout the continent, impressed by how appreciated the art form was outside the United States. “Until then, I hadn’t taken puppetry all that seriously,” Henson said. “It just didn’t seem to be the sort of thing a grown man works at for a living.” But Henson returned from Europe energized and inspired, and would eventually create The Muppet Show and Sesame Street.
I like the idea of a gap year, which is typically a period of time taken between high school and college to deepen practical, professional, and personal awareness. I’ve also heard of people taking them mid-career, or married couples who take them when they become empty nesters, to re-establish their relationship as it enters a new phase.
Every once in a while, we all need a bit of time and space to wander, wonder, and think about what’s next.
I love this definition of roam: To go to different places without having a particular purpose or plan.
Here’s another good one: To move about or travel aimlessly or unsystematically, especially over a wide area.
The next step in our life journey is not always evident. Perhaps you are in a season that calls for some aimless travel, even if it’s just spending a few days outside of your normal routine.
Sometimes we need to break free from the day-to-day.
Sometimes we have to roam a bit to find ourselves.
“Space Invaders” by Jason Kotecki. 12 x 12. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
Some of you are old enough to remember the Atari video game system. A far cry from the advanced graphics we see in games today. And only one button!
One of the most popular games was called Space Invaders, which I have featured prominently in this painting. It was a simple concept: you try to shoot as many aliens as you can as they descend down your screen. As the game continues, the aliens descend at an ever-increasing speed. If they reach the bottom, the alien invasion is successful, and the game ends.
To me, this is a great metaphor for Adultitis, a disease that Kim and I have committed our lives to help defeat. All of you are familiar with this enemy, even if you’re hearing the name for the first time. It’s what happens when you lose your sense of wonder, your curiosity, and your childlike zest for life.
Quite literally, Adultitis means “swelling of the adult.” And when you’re walking around with too much adult, your life is more stressful and less fun.
Although I wish there were a magic potion or miracle cure that ended Adultitis once and for all, there just isn’t. Adultitis is always coming after us, just like those aliens. You can blast down a whole screen by going to Disney World, but on your first day back to work, another wave is ready to strike.
The key, I think, is to look at fighting Adultitis as a game. It’s most deadly when it hides in the shadows, convincing you to take yourself too seriously and getting you to focus on the negative.
But if you notice where it tries to sabotage you and laugh at its advances, you can diffuse its power.
Our family has had great fun in acknowledging when Adultitis has gained the upper hand, and we encourage one another to fight back. Extreme cases call for a pajama run or a spontaneous dance party in the kitchen.
My Dad always says, “Everything happens for a reason.”
I make it a game to try to figure out the reason. Anytime something bad happens, I start thinking about what good could come from it. What if you looked at the challenges you face like any other game?
Instead of looking at making payroll as a life-or-death situation, make it into a game.
Instead of worrying about not getting everything done today, make it into a game.
Instead of stressing out over how you’ll ever be able to conform to the new regulations in your industry, make it into a game.
Instead of acting like your current challenge is something found in the bad-tasting medicine aisle, mentally repackage it in primary colors and take it from the toy section. Breathe. Smile. Have some fun with it. By looking at it as a game and clearing your mind of the useless worst-case scenarios, you’ll actually be MORE likely to notice the people, opportunities, and ideas you’ll need to win.
You may believe that the stakes are much higher now compared to a silly game of Space Invaders. But are they really? With VERY few exceptions, the truth is that our fear of failure is worse than the consequences that come from actually failing. Sure, the project very well might flop, your efforts might go to waste, or someone may laugh at you. You could get rejected, dejected, or fired.
Sometimes, like the aliens, Adultitis advances past your defenses and wins the day.
But you know what? The good news is that you can hit reset and start again. Life WILL go on. It’ll be ok. You’ll be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get ready for the new — even better! — opportunity right around the corner.
“This Ain’t Kansas” by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
As dissimilar as they may appear on the surface, rural Midwestern farmers and rural Asian farmers have some things in common. One is a deep respect for tradition. This is an important value that can provide a sense of stability and help pass on hard-earned wisdom to future generations.
But I believe we must also have an openness to new things. Not so that we will abandon our ideals, but so that we can experience a much richer life.
It’s like the difference between experiencing life in black and white versus full color, like in the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.
Indeed, doing things the way you’ve always done them, and surrounding yourself with the same people, places, and opinions, is a pretty good way to live life in grayscale.
I made this piece as a reminder that sometimes we need to break free from what’s expected. Mashups of east and west, urban and rural, liberal and conservative, old and new, are what make life more interesting.
How does one opt for a more technicolor life? Simple: Take a break from your traditions.
Read a magazine or watch a documentary on something you know nothing about. Order food you’ve never tasted before. Take a new form of transportation to work for a week. Have a conversation with someone who holds an opposite point of view (without trying to convince them they’re wrong).
This openness to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of doing things is a key to unlocking opportunities that can change your life.
I have struggled the past few years trying to find my place. I have been a member of the National Speakers Association for over a decade now, and it has served me well. I have made wonderful friends and have learned a lot about growing a successful speaking business.
But in recent years, I’ve had a hard time finding relevant examples to model my business after. You see, I have this art thing that I do, which is very unique among the speakers I’ve encountered. Even the ones that incorporate art somehow into their offerings do so in a way that’s totally different than the direction I want to head.
And so I have spent the better part of the last two years seeking out art-centered business models. I have tried to learn as much as I can from other successful artists. And I’ve learned a lot, but it turns out, most of them aren’t so keen on the whole “speaking in front of large crowds” thing.
I was frustrated by my failure to find someone who has already done what I am trying to do. Someone who has a roadmap I can follow.
Until I finally figured out there is magic in the mashup.
It’s the combination of two seemingly unrelated things –public speaking and making art –that gives me my edge and helps make me stand out. Borrowing the best of what I’ve learned from great speakers as well as successful artists, while mixing in my own unique quirks and talents, has been a game-changer for me.
If you’ve been feeling paralyzed by the belief that things have to go a certain way, or if you’ve felt like a square peg trying to force yourself into a round hole, or if life just feels a little too gray…it might be time to mix in some new ideas, experiences, and assumptions.
“Life’s A Wave” by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
The familiar pit formed at the bottom of my stomach like a butterfly battle royal on pay-per-view. It developed after my mom answered the phone and told me it was for me.
When I was younger, I was afraid of just about everything. New situations always brought an enormous level of anxiety, and phone calls delivered a special level of dread.
It was a classmate on the other end, asking if I wanted to come over to play.
For most people, this would be great news, not a situation worth getting nauseous over. But I was not most people. I’ve never been keen on having my plans changed at the last minute. I had a whole day planned of doing nothing ahead of me. Not to mention, I’d never been to Chris’s house before. Talk about a new situation! It was clearly a sensory overload too treacherous for a lazy Saturday.
I quickly mumbled some excuse about how my mom wouldn’t let me today and hung up. “Whew! That was close,” I thought to myself, eager to return to my regularly scheduled day of surprise-free comfort.
Only one problem: my mom heard.
She ordered me to call my friend back up to tell him I could go. Gulp. That wasn’t at all embarrassing! “Hey Chris…hehe…good news…”
The thing is, I ended up having a great time. There were many similar situations in my childhood in which my mom shoved me out of the nest, and I almost always enjoyed it. Eventually, I started to make little leaps on my own. At some point, I decided I didn’t want to be an 80-year-old guy looking back on my life, wondering, “What if?”
The fear of regret became worse than the fear of the unknown.
Life can be a spectator sport if you want it to be. You can watch the action standing safely on the shore. It’s the best way to minimize risk, avoid failure, and stay comfortable.
The only problem is that it’s not much of a life.
The real action happens out in the surf. To ride the wave of an amazing life, you have to be willing to leave the shore.
Sometimes you have to take the plunge into parenthood even though you don’t think you’re ready.
Sometimes you have to cash in your rainy day fund for a venture that might not work.
Sometimes you have to book that trip today, because you never know how many tomorrows you have left.
I cannot guarantee that you won’t wipe out now and again. But the bumps and bruises that accompany a wipeout are more tolerable than the deep ache of wondering “what if?”
“Let There Be Light” by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
When we were children, creativity was a regular part of life, whether it led to building a fort out of blocks, fashioning a fantasy world with our imagination, or coloring made-up creatures with our crayons.
We are all still creative. Sometimes we don’t think we are, and sometimes we don’t use our creativity as much as we could. But our creativity is a gift from our Creator, and it might be my favorite. Not only is it amazingly practical, allowing us to solve problems and bring beauty into the world, but it’s magical and fun, too.
It’s been written that on the fourth day of creation, God said, “Let there be light.” And then he put the sun and the moon and the stars in their places. Here’s the amazing thing: the declaration still stands, but the torch has been passed to us.
It’s hard to imagine fashioning an entire solar system made up of planets and stars, but this painting is a reminder of the connection we share with the great Creator. Although he allows us to join him in the creative process, just like children, our results don’t always look quite as elegant. But it doesn’t matter. Because the reward is still the same and our efforts still matter.
In many ways, we still live in a dark world. In the past year alone, headlines have been dominated by natural disasters, violent terrorist attacks, and senseless mass shootings, resulting in the loss of so many innocent lives. Meanwhile, our social media streams are filled with people calling each other names. We don’t need more darkness.
Our world needs more light, not more snarky putdowns of people who think differently from us.
So…what are you doing to help?
Yes, it needs more than you or I can generate on our own, but never forget that even a tiny light can fill a room. The good news is we have what it takes because we have the gift of creativity.
We can create environments for those under our care to grow, thrive, and prosper.
We can create life-giving experiences for people who need a pick-me-up.
We can create a safe space for people to express their opinions without fear, shame, or humiliation.
We can create new technologies and systems to help more people more efficiently.
We can create conversations with people who just want to be heard.
We can create moments of magic and wonder for people worn out and weary.
“Let there be light” is a declaration. It’s also a challenge.
For me, creating art to bring joy and optimism to others is one way I’m trying to help bring light into the world. Please, will you shine yours this week?
“Cupcakes Are Miracles” by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. Especially after I found out that the roles of being George Lucas or Superman were already taken.
Like most artists, I started out making “copies.” I drew Simpsons characters and portraits of athletes and celebrities. It was how I learned my craft. As Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “Everybody imitates before they can innovate.
My first real attempt at saying something original was through comics. First, a sports panel cartoon I did in college called Obstructed View, then a comic strip called Kim & Jason. I became inspired by people like Charles Schulz (Peanuts) and Sam Butcher (Precious Moments), and I decided that I wanted to use my art to make a difference.
I was convinced that Kim & Jason was the way I was destined to do that. I had big dreams, and we worked really hard to make it successful. Undeterred by the scores of syndicate rejections, we tried self-syndication. Craft fairs. Gift shows. Fundraising programs. Some things were moderately successful. Most things failed epically. It never earned enough to live on, and Kim and I had many sleepless nights and tear-filled discussions wondering if we were crazy.
Eventually, my experience making a comic strip led me to doing cartooning workshops in schools, which led to speaking at churches, which led to the speaking I now do for associations and companies.
Speaking became more financially successful than Kim & Jason ever was, and eventually, I became so busy that, after seven years of making a daily comic, I decided to retire the strip.
Although Kim & Jason inspired many people and generated lots of smiles and laughter, it was hard not to think of my art as a total failure. As my speaking career took off, I put the “art thing” in the closet. I figured my attempt to be an artist had failed, and decided to focus on more “valuable” things. Even though I used my creativity in many ways while growing the business, I pretty much stopped making art.
After several years of inactivity — I dramatically call it my “fallow period” — I started to feel the urge to make art again. Little by little, I began to create. I started feeling alive in a way I hadn’t in a long time. So I kept going, eventually sharing it with others. People responded, not just to how it was made, but how it made them feel. And think.
I got a book deal with a big New York publisher largely because a literary agent saw some art that was shared by a friend of a friend on Facebook. In the design of that book, I marveled at the fact that 90% of the art in the book was created after my “fallow period.” But the book also contained stories, comic strips and paintings from years earlier. It became a love letter to the things in my past that I thought were failures.
I finally realized that they weren’t failures; they were the foundation.
Earlier this month, we hosted Wondernite, a special art collecting event that featured my newest works, all of which were created in the last two years.
Ten years ago, when I made the tough decision to retire Kim & Jason, if you’d have told me that new art I’d create would help me land a book deal, and that we’d be able to pull off an event like Wondernite, fill it to capacity, and sell the majority of the original art I brought to sell, I wouldn’t have believed you. I might have punched you in the face for being mean.
To me, how this journey ultimately unfolded feels very much like a miracle.
Miracles happen. I’ve seen them, in my own life and in the lives of others. Frustratingly, they are unpredictable and cannot be conjured up on demand.
I have had my heart broken many times by dreams that didn’t come true and miracles that never materialized. I have been tempted to give up, to quit dreaming and stop waiting for miracles. It seems easier. Less painful, at least.
But I just can’t.
I don’t know why sometimes a miracle shows up while other times it doesn’t. Maybe it’s because what we get in return is even better in the long run. Maybe it’s just random luck or something entirely.
Whatever it is, I can’t shake the belief that it’s still worth believing in them.
It seems like the people who see miracles are the ones who spend more time looking for them.
“Jump Around” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
This painting was inspired by a tradition that Badger fans have at University of Wisconsin football games. Between the third and fourth quarters, the song “Jump Around” is booming through the loudspeakers, and all of the red-clad fans do exactly that.
It reminded me of those old electronic football games in which tiny plastic athletes buzzed around on a green metal field. Readers of a certain age will know exactly what I’m talking about, and this painting will bring back all sorts of memories.
For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, well, I guess you had to be there.
With football season now upon us, I am reminded of a cool idea the leader of an insurance agency shared with me at one of my speaking programs. During pigskin season, he allows his employees to wear jeans and the jersey of their favorite college or pro team. (He even buys the jersey as a welcome aboard present!) Then, if their team wins over the weekend, they can wear it again on Monday. He reports that those days are always the most light-hearted and energized.
Even if you work in an environment where jerseys wouldn’t be appropriate, perhaps everyone could represent their favorite team with a necktie, lapel pin, socks, or coffee mug.
I think it’s worth figuring something out, because this sounds like a pretty good way to keep a team buzzing to me.
“Build Something Wonderfull” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
We went to the funeral of a friend’s mom recently. She died suddenly of a heart attack while at home with her husband, who was only into his second week of retirement. When my father-in-law Gary heard the news and learned that they were both in the same age range, he reflected, “Wow. I guess I’m really on borrowed time.”
He’s right. But not just because he was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis in his twenties and probably hasn’t had a pain-free day since then. And not just because he continues to amaze his doctors with how long he’s been able to keep on going. He’s right because we are ALL on borrowed time.
That becomes obvious when we hear of sudden heart attacks and car accidents. When we are faced with stories of tornadoes that drop out of the sky, ending lives at random, or see the aftermath of troubled souls who decided children are suitable targets for acts of terrorism.
Life expectancy may be 78, but that doesn’t mean we can expect to make it there.
Gary is on borrowed time. I’m on borrowed time. And so are you. The real question is, how are we investing this time we are borrowing?
By watching more TV? Keeping busy with activities that don’t really matter? Staying put on a career path we don’t really like?
Or are we building something wonderful by living with a sense of urgency and making hard choices that lead to a better story and a lasting legacy?
The choice is yours. But hurry, the clock is ticking.
“Monkey Business” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
“He’s all business.”
“Let’s get down to business.”
“It’s not personal, it’s just business.”
Business is usually regarded as serious stuff. Too bad, because it doesn’t have to be.
Some people seem to think that when it comes to business, you can’t have fun and be successful at the same time. Which is the dumbest thing ever. Leaders who see the power in bringing fun to the workplace are smart enough to understand that having a little fun in no way diminishes the seriousness in which one takes his or her responsibility.
The cool thing is that fun can be a competitive advantage. The old saw is true: People like doing business with people they like. If two real estate agents or financial advisors or home child care providors are equally proficient in what they do, but one is way more fun to work with, which one will make more money?
The truth is, there is no reason you can’t have more fun at work, even though Adultitis likes feeding you plenty of excuses:
“But my work is really serious.”
If your job is super serious, you’d better make sure you have some sort of humor outlet somewhere or you can plan to burn out in short order. Being a 9-1-1 operator is a high-stress operation, but the ones I’ve talked to who last have a top flight sense of humor that keeps them sane.
“But my work is really boring.”
Sometimes the actual work you might be inherently fun. (A Lego Master Builder or teaching at a clown school comes to mind.) But even if you’re not in that camp, there’s still hope. Have a job that requires you to perform the same boring task over and over? Online videos abound proving that some flight attendants have figured out how to make their safety instruction speech fun while others drone on in the same way, day after day.
“But my workplace is so bleak.”
You can always make your work environment more fun in some small way. There are famous examples that feature foosball tables and indoor slides, but you can easily turn your workspace into a whimsical art gallery or give your office supplies faces.
“But my co-workers are riddled with Adultitis.”
Even if you work with Adultitis-ridden colleagues (or mostly alone), you’re still not off the hook. You can bring an attitude of fun. First, quit hiding behind corporate speak and excuses about policy. Have a personality. Add a little fun to your wardrobe. And don’t take yourself too seriously. Our family doctor is very good at what he does. And he is really, really funny. In fact, I’m not sure I can describe my first ever prostate exam as fun or enjoyable, but somehow, by telling jokes and stories and keeping things light, he made it not the worst experience ever. Which is saying something. Oh, and never, ever underestimate the power of a red clown nose.
Yes, it’s technically possible to be successful in business without having any fun.
“Like a Boss” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD 🔴 Shop this art!
Life can feel like a high-wire act. You’re doing your best to juggle everything on your plate: your job, your family, your finances, and just when you think everything is going pretty well, you glance down and see someone whose yard looks way better than yours. How do they get those flowers to flourish like that?
Or someone’s kids who are in way more activities than yours. Will my kids be less attractive to colleges?
Or someone who just drove up in their new car. Should I be thinking about getting a better job?
For instance, my neighbor cuts his grass every six minutes. Okay, maybe it only seems like that. It’s probably more like sixteen. The point is, a perfect lawn is apparently important to him. I’m not here to judge, except I often do judge…myself.
Our lawn usually looks pretty shaggy compared to his, especially if it’s been more than a week since we cut our grass. And the fact that we hire that out makes me self-conscious. Does he think I’m less of a man because I don’t cut my own grass? Does he think we think we’re better than him because we hire someone to do it for us? Do the neighbors see our weak landscaping game and think our house is bringing down the home values in the neighborhood? It’s kind of embarrassing to say all this out loud, because I have no reason at all to think anyone is thinking any of this, but it does pop into my head when I lose focus on what matters to me.
I appreciate a nice lawn, but I value the extra time to spend with my family. One of the reasons I work so hard on my business is so I can spend more time doing what I love and pay someone else to do the things I hate.
Please understand that I’m not saying my way is the best one. After all, my neighbor friend is retired with kids who are grown. He has a lot more time to spend on keeping up his lawn. For all I know, it might be a therapeutic escape for him. It’s like comparing apples and mangosteens. Which is completely my point.
Television and magazines are filled with examples of people who seem to have it all together. They gracefully glide through life as the perfect mom, perfect wife, and perfect employee.
It’s all a facade. We don’t ever know the whole story, whether it’s the celebrity with the flawless teeth or the neighbor right next door. We all have different priorities and are fighting different battles (which often stay hidden from the camera’s lens or our surface-level observations).
I’m not here to tell you what’s important to you. I’m just here to remind you that it can’t ALL be.
The people who are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to keep up with an impossible standard of balancing everything perfectly, are making a huge mistake. Not only is such a standard impossible to attain, but they’re also allowing the busyness to distract them from what’s most important.
The people who are doing life right are the ones who are mindful of what kind of life they want to live and are focused on that.
How do you tackle life like a boss?
Stay focused on what’s most important to you. Ignore the rest.
