Dream Big

- - - | written by Jason on 6/20/2021 | - - -

The Most Important Step to Achieving a Dream…

...is the next one. How do you eat an elephant?I’m not sure what elephants taste like, or why you’d ever want to eat one, but the answer, of course, is one bite at a time. (Mustard is optional, but a little enthusiasm never hurts.)The same instructions apply when it comes to accomplishing a big dream: One bite at a time.Tinkering embodies this spirit perfectly. Tinkering implies baby steps, not grand gestures: a little of this, a little of that.I've accomplished some of my biggest dreams in the past few years. They were all accomplished with a healthy dose of tinkering, taking one baby step …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/6/2020 | - - -

Big Dreams Don’t Come True the Way You Think

Big dreams don’t come true the way you think.At least not the way the movies have taught us. You know, with magic wands and pixie dust and a few clicks of your ruby slippers. The best ones come little by little, over a long period of time, and often appear like they'll never come true at all. You may recall me mentioning a few weeks ago that we were outbid in our effort to buy our dream home. In a near miraculous turn of events, that home is now...ours! What the what?!? In January, our family of five will be moving to Sheboygan, the Malibu of the Midwest and official Bratwurst Capital of …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/20/2019 | - - -

3 Rules You’ll Need to Break to Achieve Your Dreams

This video is a collaboration I did with American Family Insurance about 3 rules you should totally break if you are serious about achieving your dreams. Inspired by my book, Penguins Can't Fly +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist. Although a little bit of structure is good when it comes to planning out your future and working towards your goals, certain ‘rules’ can hold us back. Think about it, who says you have to go about your life a certain way? Who says following the rules is the recipe for success? Remember, everything is impossible…until it’s not. …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/8/2019 | - - -

Hope in the Desert

When Kim and I started this adventure, we were optimistic. Very. When we decided to abandon my career as a freelance illustrator and designer, we felt very strongly that my comic strip Kim & Jason was going to hit the big time. We planned to live on Kim’s kindergarten teaching salary, which we knew would require sacrifice, but we were fairly certain that within a year, Kim & Jason would take the world by storm and we’d be exchanging phone calls with Oprah and her people. We had no idea it would take five years before we’d be able to earn a living with our …

[Read more...] about Hope in the Desert

- - - | written by Jason on 12/1/2019 | - - -

Don’t Stop Believin’

My family went to Mexico to see whales. That’s not the only reason we went to Cabo, but then again, the whales weren’t in Mexico because they were hoping to be seen. The tour company guaranteed we'd see them or our next ride was free, but we were told that we had a one in five shot of actually seeing one breach. It was recommended that we improve our odds by booking several excursions. Our itinerary and budget forced us to take our chances. As we skipped across the waves on our small vessel, my little family prayed to St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, and we invoked St. …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/22/2019 | - - -

How to Tell When Your Dream is Not Really Your Dream

“Angry Eagle” by Jason Kotecki. 16″ x 20″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. I spent nearly seven years writing and drawing a comic strip that wasn’t successful. Well, that’s not entirely true. People enjoyed it. It had fans. And it made a little bit of money. But it never got syndicated and didn’t generate a big enough audience or enough revenue to earn a living. And so I had to stop. It was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do, especially after pouring so much time, energy and money into that endeavor. Seven years of developing the discipline …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/10/2017 | - - -

Believing in Miracles

"Cupcakes Are Miracles" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. Especially after I found out that the roles of being George Lucas or Superman were already taken. Like most artists, I started out making “copies." I drew Simpsons characters and portraits of athletes and celebrities. It was how I learned my craft. As Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, "Everybody imitates before they can innovate. My first real attempt at saying something original was through comics. First a …

- - - | written by Jason on 1/17/2016 | - - -

Dream On, Artist

I love encouraging people to think of themselves as artists, regardless of whether they can draw a convincing bowl of fruit. Because my definition of artist goes beyond people who can draw or paint or sing or sculpt or dance. I think Martin Luther King, Jr. was an artist, not just because he was a great orator, but because he took a stand for something. That’s what artists do. The problem is that examples like this are pretty intimidating. I am no Martin Luther King, Jr. And, no offense, but neither are you. The thing we forget is that neither was he. At least not the MARTIN LUTHER KING …

[Read more...] about Dream On, Artist

- - - | written by Jason on 4/22/2014 | - - -

What If Money Were No Object?

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." --Alan Watts It's overly simplistic to say that all you need to do to be successful is to "follow your passion." It's and important factor, but not the only one. However. Money is a powerful force. Our view of it and need for it impacts our decision making in many -- often subconscious -- ways. One good way to make sure you're on track for living a great story is to ask yourself, "What would you be doing if money were no object?" How would you spend your time? What would be …

- - - | written by Jason on 2/9/2014 | - - -

What is Your Glorious Purpose?

My favorite line in the movie “The Avengers,” is when the villain Loki declares, “I am burdened with glorious purpose.” I love that line. It’s pretty funny in the movie, because it speaks to Loki’s delusions of grandeur. Although, in truth, each of the heroes in the movie could probably say the same thing and mean it. But because their intent is noble, the connotation of the entire statement is changed. I too, am burdened with glorious purpose. Not to rule the world, but to make it better. Are you? If you aren’t burdened with glorious purpose, then binging on Facebook and …