"The Burger King" by Jason Kotecki. 40 x 40. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. When Kim and I are goofing off, either alone or with the kids, one of us will often challenge the other to "own it.” What this means is that we have to push away any iota of self-consciousness and fully commit to 100% concentrated silliness. When you see someone trying to act like a funny character or dance in a ridiculous way, you can tell if they are not “owning it.” You can tell they feel awkward, and that awkwardness makes you feel a little awkward, too. But if you’ve ever seen someone "own it,” it’s like they’re the only person in the room. They look patently ridiculous — way more so than the person who feels awkward being just a little silly — and they positively don’t care. That is powerful. Each of us has a line that marks how far we are willing to go in looking silly in front of others. For most of us, that line is not very far away. …
Todd Strasser, September 2018 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Todd Strasser is a bus driver for the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin. After attending the 2018 Escape Adulthood Summit with his wife Jennifer, he shared this story that tells a lot about his Adultitis fighting ways. He likes to stop at lemonade stands and support the kids that are trying to earn a little extra money. One weekend Todd was driving his bus. On that particular Sunday, he stopped at a root beer float stand. Todd shared that the kid running the stand was wide-eyed when the big long bus pulled up and was in even more shock when Todd asked his passengers if anyone would want a float because he’s buying. …
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Shine On: Our Trip to Mexico and the Unexpected Souvenir We’ll Never Forget
"Shine On (Stained Glass)" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. After months of anticipation about our family’s first trip Mexico and an escape from the Wisconsin winter, the weather report turned foreboding. All eight days were calling for rain. Kim and I were crushed. Our family had finally recovered from a three-week battle with the flu over the holidays, and we were really looking forward to the time away to recharge in the sun and surf. On the plane, I read something in a devotional about God being a “living God.” That really struck me. I too often think of God as some far-off historical figure who did a lot of neat things in olden times, forgetting that he lives in the present tense, active in the here and now. In that moment, I felt totally at peace. I knew that God knew how big of a deal this trip was to us. I believed that if he was willing, he could easily blow a weather system a little north …
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The Wind In Our Sails
"Wind In Our Sails" by Jason Kotecki. 24 x 30. Oil on canvas. Original is available. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. This painting was inspired by a family vacation to Mexico. One thing that was abundantly clear in the week we were there is that the Mexican people love their color. When you’re accustomed to everything being Pottery Barn beige and gray, it really stands out. I wanted to incorporate that vibrant, whimsical color, along with one of the culture’s great traditions, Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I think it is a beautiful way to look at the afterlife, and the ancestors who went before us. I appreciated the idea of seeing death as a part of the life process, rather than an end in itself. I also liked the focus on how much we owe to the people who came before us. In American culture, the independent spirit of the individual is celebrated. That’s fine, as far as it goes. Except that there is no such thing as a self-made man or woman. No one …
How to Be Lucky
"Good Fortune" by Jason Kotecki. 12 x 12 Oil on canvas. Original is available. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. Lucky is winning a game of Candyland against my daughter. Most things in life that seem lucky are often anything but. I don't like how chalking up someone’s success to a lucky break strips away credit. Not only from the person who worked hard, but also from God, who (often anonymously) orchestrated so many of the events and circumstances along the way. Undoubtedly, where you are born, who your parents are, the color of your skin, and whether or not you grow up to be 6-foot-8 with the ability to jump over a school bus are completely out of your control and could all be considered "luck.” And yet, having any of these so-called advantages is no guarantee for success, while not having them does not condemn one to certain failure. Every NBA draft class is filled with dudes who won the genetic lottery but won't last long in the league. I could be all …
Ruby Faye Smith, August 2018 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Kim and our daughter Lucy had a really neat experience meeting Ruby for the first time. It was on a week night at around 9 pm. A mutual friend (Cheri Neal - a recent Adultitis Fighter of the month) was shocked to learn that both Kim and Lucy had never heard someone yodel before and this needed to change! So, she called up Ruby and away they all went to her house for a spontaneous visit. Not only did Ruby welcome the three of them with open arms, she enthusiastically played a song for them on her guitar (“Hey Good Lookin’”) before yodeling beautifully in her pajamas...at 9:30 PM! Yep, Kim knew immediately …
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Is Kitchen Dancing a Good Idea?
"In This Kitchen We Dance" by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20 Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I painted this for my wife's 40th birthday. It's one of her favorite quotes, and it perfectly captures the spirit that fills our kitchen. As kids, we danced all the time. We danced when we were excited. We danced when we were happy. We even danced when we were bored. Why did we ever stop? Maybe we started worrying about looking foolish. Maybe we’ve discovered that the world isn’t as carefree as thought it was. Maybe we are afraid of pulling something. The kitchen often serves as the primary gathering place in a home. From time to time, our kitchen hosts spontaneous dance parties. If a favorite song comes on, we crank the volume, and our family of five casts our cares to the wind and shakes our booties to the music. Mind you, these dance parties are mostly devoid of any talent (although my son Ben has some sweet moves), but they are …
Why Pessimism is a Lousy Strategy
"Half Full" by Jason Kotecki. 12 x 12 Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I like to think of myself as an optimistic person. After all, I am a lifelong Cubs fan who always believed in the hope-filled power of next year. Then again, when they lose three games in a row these days, feeling certain that they’ll never win another game again seems pretty pessimistic. The truth is, I’m probably a little bit of both. The optimistic side of me believed that Penguins Can’t Fly would be a New York Times best seller. It wasn’t. This defeat, along with a number of other epic failures in my career, add up to bolster the popular argument that I should minimize the chance of pain and defeat by keeping my expectations low. This strategy of operating with low expectations is employed by many. The thinking goes that if you don’t get your hopes up about something, then you won’t be as disappointed if it doesn't work out. And if it turns out …
2018 Escape Adulthood Summit Recap
The theme for the sixth Escape Adulthood Summit was "Shine On." It's always good to be reminded that even on the darkest days, the sun isn't gone, it's just hidden. This Summit was a call to look for the light during our seasons of darkness, and to bring light to others, by sharing our talents and kindness. For the third consecutive year, it was held at The Barn at Harvest Moon Pond, which is a beautiful spot in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin, miles away from the Adultitis-ridden pace of everyday life. As always, the line of people waiting to enter buzzed with anticipation, Golden Tickets in hand. Attendees were treated to some of the most delicious gourmet cotton candy, compliments of Jo and her son from Sugarsmith. Once the door opens, the wild rumpus begins, and guests are treated to a goodie bag filled with fun stuff for fighting Adultitis. Two of Madison's best food carts were on hand to serve lunch. And it just …
The Consequences of Your Courage
We just wrapped up Escape Adulthood Summit #6. I’m definitely tired, but also overflowing with joy from being around such awesome people that renew my hope in humanity. As Kim and I pulled away from the barn in the big yellow rental truck, she said, “Even if we never get to do another one, no regrets." She was referring to a discussion we had back in 2011, on a chilly night in a cozy cabin in Alaska. We talked about regrets that night, and asked, "If we only had one more year together, is there anything we’d regret?” The only thing that came up was the “live event.” For years, we dreamed about hosting an in-person conference for Adultitis Fighters. We had experience organizing events and attending retreats. What we didn’t have was the certainty that anyone would come to ours. We doubted whether or not we’d even get one person to sign up. Long story short, we did. Every single Summit has sold out so far. And every one has been special in its own way. At the beginning, I …