"Invasion" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. 20x20 inches.Original and prints available here. 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 …
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The Power of Turning Things Upside Down
Whenever I draw a portrait, I always do something that my wife thinks is weird. After I get the major shapes and outlines blocked in, I turn my reference photos and artwork upside down. Then I keep drawing. The reason I do this I because inevitably, during the course of a portrait, I get to a point where something seems "off." Because I think I know what a nose is "supposed" to look like, I get lazy, and draw what I "know," not what I see. Turning my paper upside down tricks my brain into forgetting this is a "nose" so I can see it for what it really is: areas of shape and form. In order …
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What I Learned From Charles Ingalls (This Week)
Our family loves watching Little House on the Prairie. As a homeschoolers, it has been a great way to discuss some pretty big topics with our kids, like alcoholism, racism, bullying, and more. (Confession: I want to be Charles Ingalls when I grow up!) We just finished season four. In the final two episodes (which TV Guide put on its 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time list), the big railroad companies were flexing their muscle to gain more power, engaging in questionable tactics that were putting farmers in rural areas out of business. Walnut Grove, the town where the Ingalls family lived, was …
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Dealing with Bees (and People Who Have Adultitis)
The other day in the car, our family was talking about bee stings. My daughter Lucy shared her personal strategy: "When I'm around a bee, I just try to stay out of the way." A good strategy for dealing with bees. It occurred to me that it’s a pretty good strategy for dealing with people who have Adultitis, too. A child life specialist came up to me after a speaking engagement in Connecticut. She wanted to know how to deal with people that have Adultitis. She gave an example of putting together a fun themed sports day for the hospital, and being disappointed that so many …
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Improving Workplace Culture: 3 Ideas Adultitis Doesn’t Want You To Know About
Perhaps a fog of negativity has settled in at work. Maybe everyone’s on a hair trigger and trust in each other is at an all-time low. No matter what the details look like, when Adultitis has infiltrated the culture of a workplace, it may seem like the only viable option is to initiate a scorched Earth firing campaign and start from scratch with a new team of fresh, happy faces. Maybe it is. Or maybe you could experiment with one of these three ideas first. Mr. Potato Head Goes on Tour. Get a Mr. (or Mrs.) Potato Head. Write a simple but heartfelt note to an employee or co-worker, put …
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The Practical Side of Playing Make Believe
Sometimes playing "make believe" is the most practical thing you can do. Remember The Land of Make Believe, made famous by Mr. Rogers? Let’s go there for a quick trip: Pretend you just won the lottery. Power Ball. After paying taxes, you now have $150 million in the bank. Sweet. Now what? What would you do next? What's your ideal life? How would you spend your days? Where would you spend them? And with whom? Go ahead, don’t be shy or limited by what’s “practical.” Shoot for the moon. We're in the Land of Make Believe, remember? Would your life look any different than it does …
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A Tale of Two Blue Shoes
At three years old going on twenty-two with pink hair and arms wrapped in tattoos, my daughter Virginia keeps us on our toes. A few weeks ago, she decided she wanted to wear two different shoes. To church. To her credit, they were both blue. The logic was sound. She dug one shoe out of the closet, but failed to find the match, so she grabbed another nearby shoe and put that on. Problem solved. Kim and I appraised the situation and looked at each other. Ginny appeared determined. A fight to conform to a more standard footwear choice would likely ensue. Not that we're pushovers, …
How to Have Fun Doing Boring Adulty Chores
It’s easy to pine for the nostalgic, carefree days of childhood. The days when everything was simpler and you could eat a whole bag of candy without developing a stomachache or adding a single, solitary pound. Alas, as idyllic as childhood was for some, adulthood does have its share of perks, such as the ability to drive, decide where to go on vacation, and order strawberry margaritas at Mexican restaurants. But there is that whole “adulting” thing that cramps our style, complete with all those boring “adulty” things like paying bills, cutting grass, and vacuuming the floor. Ick. Good news! …
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12 Tips from This Year’s Adultitis Fighters of the Month
This year, we decided to shine a light upon some of the most remarkable Adultitis Fighters we've encountered, holding them up as dazzling examples of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. They don't possess any special superpowers, other than the rare ability to embrace and act on simple ways to have fun, spread joy, and not take themselves too seriously. We've culled some of the best Adultitis-Fighting tips from our twelve award winners from 2016. For some everyday wisdom that can help transform your life today while making Adultitis run for the hills, …
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365 Ways to Make Work More Fun
People do better work when they like where they work. While the Silicon Valley start-ups get all the press, what with their foosball tables and fancy-schmancy food courts, the truth is that it doesn't take much to create an environment where people like coming to work. What it does require is intentionality. And leadership that understands one can take their work seriously without having to take themselves seriously. Outdoor volleyball courts are great, and indoor slides that connect conference rooms are fun, but sometimes it's the little things that can make the biggest …