"Enjoy the Ride" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. This painting was inspired by my family's trip to Mexico, the beautiful tradition of Dia de Muertos, and thoughts of love ones who have come before. Life can seem like such a slog sometimes. A constant struggle of trying to get ahead, putting out fires, overcoming one obstacle after another. It can feel like we’re in survival mode, and it takes everything we’ve got just to make it through the day. It’s easy to grow tired and become discouraged, maybe even bitter and a little angry. This is because we don’t have perspective. Our ancestors, who have already traversed this lifespan and have seen what’s beyond, have a different perspective than we do. They are now able to see the big picture. They went through the valleys, but their purpose was ultimately revealed. They have the full understanding that the journey is shorter than we realize. …
Looking For Orcas
"Looking For Orcas" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I’ve heard that God always answers prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes, he says yes in ways that seem like a no. During a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest, one of the things I wanted to see was an orca. We heard stories of a mama and her baby being spotted in Puget Sound. We kept our eyes peeled on the ferry ride to Victoria. Our vacation home was on a bay on the Olympic Peninsula and every wave in the distance seemed like it could be a killer whale in the process of surfacing. We never saw one. We could have booked a sightseeing tour, but time and weather and the ages of our kids conspired against us. Maybe next time. As I have reflected on this minor disappointment, and through the act of creating this painting, something occurred to me. God knew I wanted to see an orca, but because he knows me so deeply, he also knew why …
The Superpower Shared by Artists and Scientists and You!
"Imagination Can Take You Anywhere" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. In my family growing up, I was always the art guy. Today, I make a living painting pictures, telling stories and writing books. My younger brother Dan was the science guy. He now works for a cancer hospital analyzing and improving “systems,” or something structured and boring like that. I always saw us as complete opposites, which is how I think most people see art and science. Yes, my brother and I are different, but I was also decent at math and enjoyed doing experiments in chemistry class. Meanwhile, he had a pretty good drawing talent that went under the radar. Today he collects Pearl Jam posters because he appreciates the art. I was so locked in to looking at the difference between us that I never noticed the connections. Artists are thought of as free-spirited, open-ended, and subjective. Scientists are often viewed as …
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How Many Licks?
"How Many Licks?" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 24. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? A commercial that appeared on TV when I was a child asked that very question. It turns out that a number of folks have tried to get to the bottom of this. A group of engineering students from Purdue University built a licking machine, modeled after a human tongue, and determined that it took an average of 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. A chemical engineering student from the University of Michigan built his own licking machine and recorded that his required 411 licks. And a group of junior high school students ditched machines in favor of human lickers, and reported an average of 144 licks. Apparently, the world really may never know how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. I remember the first time I took my …
The Power of Silliness
"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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