Jason

- - - | written by Jason on 10/20/2016 | - - -

Must Be Nice: A Fresh and Funny Take on Gratitude

I'll be at the Dream Bank in Madison on Thursday, November 10th. You should come. Here's what I'll be talking about: "Comparison may be the thief of joy, but it sure is hard to ignore people who have bigger paychecks, better health, more talent, less debt, longer vacations, larger homes, thinner waists, or nicer mother-in-laws than us. It’s not easy to be thankful when the lucky breaks always seem to land in someone else’s lap. Get into the spirit of the season with artist and author Jason Kotecki as he shares his fresh and funny take on gratitude. He’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/16/2016 | - - -

The Adultitis Election

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “I don’t usually post anything political, but I just had to..." I don’t know about you, but this year’s campaign is really bumming me out. Recent issues of the Escape Adulthood Insider have featured comic strips exploring a presidential election from the viewpoint of kids. I originally created this one during the 2004 election season. And here I thought those days were divisive! Ironically, my frustration doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the candidates. I'm more disappointed in the rest of us, who complain about the negative tone …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/9/2016 | - - -

Make Your Own Rules: a Lesson from the Best Vacation Responder Ever

"We'd like Jason to give the same 90-minute presentation three times in a row with a 29-second break between each. Oh, and can he do it wearing a chicken costume?" A veteran speaker friend taught Kim and I a great line to use whenever a client begins demanding things we are not able to or interested in accommodating. In these situations, he'd politely redirect the conversation by saying, "This is how I work..." and then outline the personal policies he'd established. It was his business, after all, and he had the right to run it as he saw fit. Of course, the client had the right to look …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/26/2016 | - - -

Mary Helen Conroy, September 2016 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. Mary Helen Conroy is one heck of an Adultitis Fighter! Known as the Midwife of Midlife, she is a life coach who has cultivated a lifetime of daring adventures in her quest to help retirees rediscover the flame in their …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/25/2016 | - - -

How to Be (More) Creative

If you already consider yourself to be creative, good. If you don’t, you’re wrong. Now, you may not be able to draw a straight line or paint a recognizable portrait of your neighbor, but those are skills, not creativity. Have you ever figured out how to get out of something you didn’t want to do? Have you ever tried to convince a parent to change his or her mind about something? Have you ever built or fixed something using a make-shift tool that wasn’t intended for the job you used it for? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I’ve got news for you: You were being …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/18/2016 | - - -

Having Fun Takes Courage

When you’re an adult, it takes courage to have fun in front of others. It might seem ridiculous to suggest that having fun takes courage. Not at Disney World, perhaps. But having fun in scenarios that invite people to question your maturity, intelligence and sophistication? That takes guts. Kids are always on the lookout for fun, but adults operate as if you can have fun in certain environments. Hogwash. A few weeks ago, I delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Kim’s grandmother. Location numero uno on the “Thou Shalt Not Have Fun Here” list, right? But my speech had lots of little …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/16/2016 | - - -

Starting an Adventure Club at Work

Most people don't exactly love going to meetings. Alas, they are often necessary. But one team of healthcare professionals in Wisconsin is proving that even though a meeting may be mandatory, an appearance by Adultitis isn't. At the beginning of each meeting they've been reading Jason’s weekly Insider email message to kick things off on a positive and inspiring note. Then, the leader of the group introduces the weekly "Small Rebellion" from the Escape Adulthood Adventure Club. So far, they’ve accomplished the first five! They’ve eaten dessert first, made paper airplanes together …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/11/2016 | - - -

More Fun Please

I went to the dentist the other day to get my teeth cleaned. At the end, as the hygienist prepared to polish my teeth, she asked, "Mint?" "Actually," I said, "Do you have bubble gum?" "Yes!" She exclaimed. "We have cherry and raspberry, too." Judging by her reaction, my request was on the rare side, but she was happy to accommodate me. I have nothing against mint, but when did it become the official dental polish flavor of adulthood? At what age is bubble gum no longer an "appropriate" choice? (If I'm being honest, grape would be my first and last choice all day long.) Yet …

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- - - | written by Jason on 9/1/2016 | - - -

New Adventure Club Challenges for September!

Welcome to September! Adultitis is certainly excited about the calendar shift, as the lazy days of summer ramp up into busier times - especially for anyone affected by the back-to-school season. Well, we refuse to surrender, and we’ve got four new Small Rebellions specially designed to upend the Big A. They’re part of the Escape Adulthood Adventure Club, where we send free stickers (kind of like merit badges) by mail to the first 100 folks who complete the challenges and share their escapades online. Rally your friends, your family, your co-workers — or even just your little old self — …

- - - | written by Jason on 8/28/2016 | - - -

The Ultimate Comeback for Haters, Compliments of My Grandma

My grandmother made German cookies called lebkuchen, referred to her couch as a davenport, and hated when her grandkids wore their hats backwards. “Makes you look like hooligans,” she’d say. She was also famous for saying, "Raspberries to ya!” I’m pretty sure this witty comeback was a polite (yet colorful) alternative to saying “screw you." So that’s where this art came from, painted on the top of a grocery store flyer. At first glance, it appears to be a negative departure from my more optimistic work. But it’s only really negative in a certain context. There comes a point in our …

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