"Like a Boss" by Jason Kotecki. Mixed media on canvas. 16x20 inches. Original and prints available here. Life can feel like a high wire act. You’re doing your best to juggle everything on your plate: your job, your family, your finances; and just when you think everything is going pretty well, you glance down and see someone whose yard looks way better than yours. How do they get those flowers to flourish like that? Or someone’s kids who are in way more activities than yours. Will my kids be less attractive to colleges? Or someone who just drove up in their new car. Should I be thinking …
You & Improved
The Upside of Nonsense
"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 …
That Time My Painting Got Ruined Right After I Sold It
"Monkey Business" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. 16x20 inches. Prints available here. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The scene was the Escape Adulthood Summit and I had just sold one of my new oil paintings. I was elated. It had been only a year since I first offered originals for sale, and this was the first of three I'd sell in one day! I proudly added a "sold" sign to the canvas, a badge of honor that would be on display for the rest of the event. Later that day, I heard a disturbance in the Force. Someone had inadvertently knocked over a few of the …
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Why Your Superpower Might Be Hidden in Plain Sight
Superman doesn’t have to think about flying in order to soar above the clouds. Spiderman doesn't have to practice sticking to a ceiling. The Flash doesn't have to put in any extra effort in order to run really, really fast. While the rest of us marvel at their extraordinary abilities, these heroes are merely doing what comes naturally. Which begs the question: What are your superpowers? Everyone has at least a few, even though they may not feel particularly talented or special. The problem is that they're often hidden before our eyes. We overlook our own superpowers because …
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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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What to Remember When Launching Something New
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 …
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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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How To Find Your Passion in Two Easy Steps
How can I be happier? What am I supposed to do with my life? How do I follow my passion if I don't know what it is? Big questions. Common questions. And the answers might be hidden in our childhood. Seeds are often planted in our childhood that serve as clues to what we’re supposed to spend our time doing as grown-ups. Sometimes we just need to engage in a little detective work to figure out what they mean. I got an email recently from someone who was reading my first book and wrote to tell me her favorite part: So far my favorite part is in Chapter 4, Live Passionately. You tell …
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