Art Series: Landscapes of Whimsy

  • Life’s a Wave

    “Life’s A Wave” by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas.
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    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?”

    What wave is it time for you to catch?

  • Let There Be Light

    “Let There Be Light” by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas.
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    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?

  • Build Something Wonderful

    “Build Something Wonderfull” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas.
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    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

    “Monkey Business” by Jason Kotecki. 16 x 20. Oil on canvas.
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    “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.

    But where’s the fun in that?

  • Invasion

    “Invasion” by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20. Oil on canvas.
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    I love macarons. I only had my first one a few years ago, but it was love at first bite.

    Not only am I always on the lookout for ways to get them in my belly, but I decided it was time to get them into some paintings. They’re so cute and colorful, after all, and perhaps keeping myself busy painting them would help distract me enough to keep me from eating them.

    I like the whimsy that comes from playing with scale, making something smaller or bigger than it would be in real life. Perhaps this reflects my early fascination with dollhouses, dioramas, and Micro Machine cars.

    One day, as I was doodling in my sketchbook, it occurred to me that a macaron looked a little bit like a flying saucer, and that was all she wrote. My imagination concocted a great scene in which an army of macaron UFOs descended upon a field of grazing cows. Naturally, one would have to be taken as a specimen for further experimentation, sucked up by some powerful tractor beam.

    I like the idea that a painting like this begs the viewer to ponder some questions. What kind of planet did these strange, sweet ships come from? What will become of the cow? And where will the farmer imagine it went when he awakes in the morning to find one missing?

    Yes, it’s all nonsense. But that doesn’t make it useless.

    “I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells.”

    –Dr. Seuss

    Perhaps these nonsensical questions will wake up our brain cells so they will be firing on all cylinders when it comes to tackling more vexing challenges in our life. Answers tend to be found by people asking the most questions. And sometimes the answer to a problem is hiding in something that looks a lot like nonsense.

    Maybe someday soon, one or more of Earth’s most pressing problems will be solved thanks to a discovery on some faraway planet.

    After all, it wasn’t that long ago that space travel was nothing more than science fiction.

  • Rocket Yeah

    “Rocket Yeah” by Jason Kotecki. 24 x 30. Oil on canvas.
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    We’ve been launching ourselves into space for decades now, and there’s still an element of risk every time we do it. Although very smart people do their best to minimize it, there is always the prospect of danger, disaster, and the possibility that it might not work. With all that humankind has gained from these amazing missions, I’m thankful we’ve had so many brave people willing to go for the ride.

    It’s good to remember that every worthwhile endeavor comes with an element of risk and requires at least some small measure of bravery. It comes with the territory and is a necessary consideration as we make our plans.

    However, I made this painting to also remind us not to focus too much on the danger. I know I can get sucked into spending too much time thinking about the risk, what I might lose, and what people will think of me if I fail (especially if in some spectacular fashion).

    Determining that an endeavor carries some risk shouldn’t automatically keep us from moving forward.

    The whimsy incorporated into this piece in the form of a bomb pop blasting off into space is a reminder to focus at least as much on the excitement of what’s possible and the potential gains to be made in the process of trying. This recalibration can give us the fuel we need to launch off into an adventure in which the outcome is unknown.

    Do you have an opportunity in front of you that’s freaking you out a little bit?

    Instead of worrying so much about what might happen if it doesn’t work, get excited by asking yourself the question, “What if it does?!”

    * * *

    [ Below is a video with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this painting – enjoy! ]

  • Pie in the Sky

    “Pie in the Sky” by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20. Oil on canvas.
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    In December of 2016, I wrote the biggest check of my life. Not in size, but in importance. It was the final check to close out a business debt that totaled $100,000 back in 2008. We paid it off seven months early, and for the first time since we launched in 2000, the business was completely debt-free.

    That felt really, really good.

    Deep down, I always knew we’d pay it off, but it seemed like it would take forever. In 2008, the year 2017 seemed a million years away. And before that, as we racked up said debt staying afloat while we tested business models, and funded small successes (and a few big defeats), surviving — let alone thriving — seemed pie in the sky.

    At least it did when we spent two whole days at a craft show in Milwaukee and only sold $7.94 in greeting cards.

    Or when my hometown newspaper, which ran my comic strip free for a whole year, decided to drop it when I asked for $10 a week.

    Or when we were down to the last $100 in our bank account more times than I care to remember.

    Pie in the sky.

    Coined in a song written in 1911 by a Swedish-born American named Joe Hill, we understand “pie in the sky” as something good and pleasant to contemplate, but very unlikely to be realized.

    I don’t know what the odds were of us actually building a real business with no experience, no proven business model, and no money. Were they as long as the Cubs rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to win the World Series? Or as unlikely as the Patriots coming back from 25 down with a little over a quarter to play to win the Super Bowl?

    The real question is this: How great does the deck have to be stacked against you before you give up, labeling your dream as pie in the sky?

    Only you can answer that, and every person has a different one. But we are often too quick to chalk something up as pie in the sky when it really isn’t. It can keep us from even starting. It lets us off the hook, thinking our dream was impossible anyway, because sacrifice and hard work and hope — yes, even hope — hurts sometimes.

    I don’t write this to place myself on a pedestal. If I have done anything well, it has been to persist. But my persistence was fueled by a belief that God placed this dream deep in my heart, and that he would see it through. Every day I woke up thinking, this could be the day — the day that we got our big break and everything would turn around. Some of the things that seemed to be big breaks turned out to be pathetic spurts and epic fails. Mostly, we got a lot of small breaks that added up to something pretty great. It certainly tested every bit of my patience and nerve and good sense, and made me question my sanity on more than thirty-seven occasions, but here we are.

    Not everything is worth seeing through till the end. As we grow, our dreams and desires, and priorities can change. But don’t be tricked into stopping just because the odds seem long. Everything is impossible until it isn’t.

    Yes, the odds may be long. Your stamina may be depleted. Your hope may be dim.

    But if the cause is great enough and your soul is on board and your motive is pure, keep going.

    You may just be able to grab that pie and eat it, too.

  • 100% Chance of Awesome

    “100% Chance of Awesome” by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20. Oil on canvas.
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    Awesome opportunities are everywhere in life. Sometimes they come disguised as monsoons.

    A few years ago, our basement sprung a leak and we were left with a mess. After months of moping, we asked, “What does this make possible?” We ended up transforming it into a studio for me, an office for my wife, and a play area for the kids. A previously little-used space is now our favorite room in the house.

    When something unexpected turns up, you have a choice: Dwell on the negative and listen to the fear, or open yourself to the possibility that something good is just around the corner.

    Becoming unexpectedly unemployed could be the spark that gets you to start that business.

    Becoming unexpectedly single could be the open door to a relationship beyond your wildest dreams.

    Becoming unexpectedly ill could be an opportunity to get closer to the most important people in your life.

    Life doesn’t always go as planned, but the next time a storm blows through yours, practice looking for what good thing it now makes possible. Do that, and you can expect a 100% chance of awesome.

  • Weeds or Wishes

    “Weeds or Wishes” by Jason Kotecki. Digital art.
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    “Dagnabbit! An army of weeds has taken over the yard. Better call the weed guy.”

    That’s how most people assess a backyard overrun with dandelions. But not children.

    They see a thousand wishes. Thousands of flowers to give to mom.

    It’s true: a backyard flush with dandelions can inspire an hour of exciting adventure for a five-year-old. The same backyard can also inspire an hour of expletive-laden adjectives for a fifty-year-old.

    It’s the exact same scene. But an entirely different perspective.

    A person came up to me after one of my presentations, and under her breath, sheepishly admitted, “I’m sorry, but they’re still weeds to me.”

    I thought that was interesting, especially because I never actually said they weren’t. Dandelions are, at least horticulturally speaking, weeds. But they are also, according to most four-year-olds, wishes. (And flowers for Mom.)

    The thing is, challenges are like weeds. Once a challenge has sprung up in your life, pretending that it doesn’t exist doesn’t make it true.

    A field of dandelions may very well represent a million weeds, but it can also represent a million wishes. It’s both. The power comes in deciding which viewpoint you choose to adopt.

    They are weeds. They are also wishes. The cool thing? You get to choose which one you spend more time focused on. And your choice can change everything. It’s the most important factor that determines the likelihood of your happiness and success.

    For example, let’s say you lose your job. Waking up tomorrow and going back to your previous place of employment is not going to change that fact (but may merit you a restraining order). Likewise, while grieving is normal and healthy, spending every day from here on out wishing you still had that job, being angry about being let go from that job, and telling yourself over and over again that no job could ever measure up to that one is only ensuring one thing: that you’ll never find the next (potentially better!) job.

    Challenges are real. They’re hard, uncomfortable, and often very much unwanted. If we spend our time and energy complaining about a challenge, we miss out on the fact that it’s also an opportunity. 

    So. What frustrating, terrible, no-good thing has sprung up in your life recently?

    Let’s not pretend that it’s not frustrating, terrible, or (seemingly) no good.

    But let’s remember that it could also be an opportunity – a chance – for something awesome.

    Believe it or not, most of the things we don’t like about life are changeable. The tricky part is that in order to get the result we desire, the first thing that needs to change is…us.

    Is it really that simple? Actually, yes.

    A change in perspective can change everything.