The Art of Jason Kotecki

Sometimes in the winters of life, the game is simply this: figure out how to win today.

Don’t limit your potential by trying to squeeze yourself into someone else’s tame, safe, predictable prescription for success. 

Sometimes doing nothing is the very best something you can do.

You and me, we’re like matches. Your spark can enflame and bring life to others.

Don’t let the naysayers stop you. But be careful; Fighting fire with fire leaves both of you as a pile of ash.

Take it from the sloth. Achieving anything worthwhile is a marathon, not a sprint.

A big dream can break us. But the broken places within us are not defects. They are the places where light can shine through.

When we become resentful of missed expectations, we are in danger of missing other opportunities and blessings we didn’t see coming.  

You can’t count on every dream coming true. But you can count on somebody calling you crazy for dreaming it.

The Wright Brothers did not wait for permission to change the world. You can just do things.

In choosing to live boldly, Amelia Earhart showed us all how to rise above the ordinary and reminds us that life is meant to be an adventure.

Serious artists don’t let preparation turn into procrastination. We don’t need perfection. But we do need your art.

Buddy the Elf shows us how to embrace life with joy, creativity, and unrelenting optimism.

Sometimes we encounter people who show up to guide us through a season, then disappear from our lives, like a ghost in the road.

Love requires you deciding that you’re not going anywhere, like a bison standing in the middle of the road at Yellowstone.

The small desserts we encounter on our journey are only a foretaste of what’s ahead.

Not everyone will catch your vision. That doesn’t mean it’s not real. Your idea might just be the hug our world’s been waiting for.

What disgusting things that cross our paths are really something else underneath?

I pray that God’s light shines forth from my work, so that others may see, believe, and experience sunshine in their soul. 

A comedic trailblazer who portrayed a strong, independent woman who wasn’t afraid to be funny, clumsy, or ambitious.

We are surrounded by the unbelievable, but because it’s familiar, we treat it like an afterthought. Every day becomes ho-hum. Keep your eyes peeled. Don’t miss it. The unbelievable is everywhere.

Kids are not alone in their misguided understanding of the world. We grown-ups believe our fair share of ridiculous things.

Princess Leia encourages us to embrace our own strengths, stand up for what is right, and never lose hope in the face of adversity.

For those in a spot where you are waiting for answers, and all you’ve received so far are the three dots…

Adultitis hates laughter. All the more reason to make it a priority.

A whimsical reminder to always be yourself while giving other people a chance to do the same.

You can’t predict or summon the ultimate wave. But you can make yourself ready to make the most of it when it comes.

It takes faith to release a prayer into the great unknown, but that faith is always rewarded.

Anyone can count the number of seeds in a watermelon, but only God knows the number of watermelons in a seed.

You’ll need two things in the fight against Adultitis: water balloons and a wingman.

We have a propensity to grow numb to wonder. What are you taking for granted?

Ted Lasso’s sunny disposition and can-do attitude inspire us to maintain a positive outlook and approach challenges with resilience and determination.

Paul Reubens embodied Pee-wee Herman with unparalleled dedication and addressed universal themes with humor.

We all need to carve out some quiet time. The when probably isn’t as important as what we do with it.

We don’t need you to be a horse. We don’t need you to be a hummingbird. We just need you to be you.

We often assume that to be successful, we need to be great at one thing. Nope. You just need to build a talent stack.

Sit-ups are a waste of time if we never ponder why we wanted the six-pack abs in the first place.

We don’t always need to have an hour-long conversation for our relationships to thrive. 
A high five might just do the trick

When looking back on a year, it’s easy to overlook the small songbirds hidden in the forest of our lives.

There is a light within you. It might be hidden in your pain, your brokenness, or the thing that makes you weird.

We don’t have to be afraid of feeling the feels and examining what they have to teach us.

This may come as a shock to you, but you have a special brand of awesome that no one else has. 

If we truly want to get rid of something bad, we need to replace it with something good. Drop gummy bears, not bombs.

It doesn’t matter how many Froot Loops you can balance if you were supposed to be paying attention to the Cheerio.

We are called to be leaders who seek out the lost, the young, the weak, and the forgotten.

Willy Wonka challenges conventional expectations and encourages us to find delight in surprises.

A good sherpa knows the power of whimsy. It might be the best path to take right now to get where you want to go. 

Mister Rogers understood the importance of play, creativity, and imagination in both children and adults’ lives.

Life is filled with contradictions. There is good and evil, joy and pain, hope and fear intermingling in all of it. 

Life is neither perfect nor pretty. But if you look close enough, you will find blessings in disguise and reasons to celebrate.

Instead of wasting our time arguing over who is the GOAT, use their example as inspiration to cultivate the greatness within us.

The big difference between fairy tales and real life is that in real life, it’s usually not the frog that transforms, it’s us.

What if we reframed our problems as cosmic crossword puzzles to decipher, a Rubik’s cube to solve?

When you’re at the end of your rope and feeling hopeless, you give it one more day.  Darkness shall not overcome the light.

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

This piece is part of a series of nine paintings inspired by the Beatles’ song “Here Comes The Sun.”

Whimsy and fun are often seen as extra, nonessential. But fun is its own reason for being.

The most successful people see opportunities that others miss.

We are all called to be heroes. This calling may require sacrifice and new way of acting, but it doesn’t require spandex.

Life is a lot like a video game. Don’t miss the adventure of a lifetime. Insert the coin.

When hope seems lost, remember that the same God who called light forth from the darkness is still in control and is working all things for good.

In our dark moments, sometimes we need patience and sometimes we need a new perspective. Either way, dawn is coming.

Bring the tradition of eating dinner together back into the fabric of your life. The health and happiness of your family depend on it.

A desert often looks dead, void of life and hope. But that’s only if you’re not looking closely enough.

In a noisy world, make a joyful noise. And remember: We don’t all have to be the same to work together.

Why do whales breach? What if they’re literally jumping for joy?

The small desserts we encounter on our journey are only a foretaste of what’s ahead.

Maybe something in your life has cracked recently. Is it broken, or the start of a new opportunity?

You may not be perfect, but you are already great. Gold teeth or no.

Adventures are rarely tidy. Sometimes the greatest blessings spring forth from the biggest messes.

While we wait to see if the world is going to end, let’s do something productive with our time.

Until morning comes, may we continue to fix our eyes on the humble lights pulsing with hope all around us.

Sometimes the moment we’ve been waiting for arrives dressed in unremarkable clothing.

A relationship doesn’t get really good until you’ve gone through some fires together.

When you try something that might not work, it’s true: it might not. But in the end, many other good things will come of it.

Joy is an inside job. If you have it, wherever you go, that’s where the party’s at

Life can seem bleak, desolate, hopeless.
Keep going. What you ultimately encounter might be better than a cold glass of water.

Why do we stop believing in fantastic things? Why do our wide eyes grow so dim with age?

In a world that feels like it’s too rushed, too noisy, and too demanding, it’s always time for s’mores. 

Embrace your guilty pleasures. Find what lights you up and love it. Never outgrow your sense of wonder.

Owls look angry, but maybe they’re just focused. Staying focused is wise – keep your eye on the prize!

It’s ok to feel anger, disappointment, and grief. The question is, what do we do with it?

Don’t beat yourself up for being in last place in the games you’re not playing.

We need to embrace our weirdness. About 93% worth.

We should all be dreamers. We just need to dream with 3D glasses.

We need to model the rhythm of the cheetah. She knows that she can’t run all the time, even if it is the thing she does best.

Sometimes we get so caught up chasing the next moment that we forget to savor the one we’re in.

It’s amazing how many things that started out as preposterous eventually become rather obvious.

Sometimes the tiger we’re fighting is nothing more than a house cat.

If you want to experience the summit, you have to say goodbye to sea level.

Too many people give up the dream and settle for the dreamsicle.

If the loved ones who have gone before us could give us advice, it might just be this: enjoy the ride.

Sometimes we miss the answer to our prayers because we’re looking in the wrong place.

We are all artists, even if we can’t draw a stick figure. And likewise, we are all scientists, even if we don’t wear lab coats.

The first times come with a lot of fanfare. But the last times come and go without a whisper. Live accordingly.

In the battle between light and darkness, the darkness doesn’t stand a chance.

The people who have gone before us live on as the wind in our sails, guiding us into a bright and colorful future.

Want some good fortune? Be good at what you do, and be a good person, and the luck part has a way of taking care of itself.

As kids, danced when we were excited, and happy, and even when we were bored. Why did we ever stop?

There’s power in looking silly and not caring that you do.

Half empty or half full? Both are correct, but one perspective is proven to make your life better.

Like a single drop of food coloring in a pitcher of water, a little whimsy is enough to transform everything.

Don’t settle for merely dipping your toes into this adventure called life.

It took a while to become an expert at taking yourself seriously; it will take a while to get back to normal.

Sometimes we need to break free from the day-to-day. Sometimes we have to roam a bit to find ourselves.

Fighting Adultitis is like playing Space Invaders. It’s relentless, but you can win if you treat it like a game.

Sometimes we need to break free from what’s expected. There’s magic in the mashup.

The real action happens out in the surf. To ride the wave of an amazing life, you have to be willing to leave the shore.

“Let there be light” is a declaration. It’s also an invitation and a challenge.

It seems like the people who see miracles are the ones who spend more time looking for them.

A tribute to a classic toy and an idea that’s a pretty good way to keep a workplace team buzzing.

We are all on borrowed time. The real question is, how are we investing this time we are borrowing?

It’s technically possible to be successful in business without having any fun. But where’s the fun in that?

Stay focused on what’s most important to you. Ignore the rest. That’s how you tackle life like a boss.

Yes, it’s all nonsense. But that doesn’t make it useless. Nonsense wakes up the brain cells.

Instead of worrying about what might happen if it doesn’t work, get excited by asking, “What if it does?!”

How great does the deck have to be stacked against you before you give up?

This is my tribute to the 2016 World Series Champs, the Chicago Cubs.

A fun mashup of a vintage Nintendo video game classic and the old-school game from childhood. 

Different is cool. But what do we do with things that challenge our beliefs or question our long-held assumptions?

Regardless of what goals remain unattained or what inconveniences are currently plaguing us, our lives are pretty dang good. 

Awesome opportunities are everywhere in life. Sometimes they come disguised as monsoons.

You can follow best practices or you can be innovative, but you can’t do both.

One backyard. Two entirely different perspectives. A change in perspective can change everything.

You are only the ringmaster of your circus and your monkeys. Focus on the things you can control.

Every single day is a holiday. It’s just that most days, what to celebrate is up to you.

We’re not about shirking responsibilities or ignoring reality. We’re just trying to get back home.

If you’re going to dream, don’t worry about being realistic. And be very, very cautious about what you label as “impossible.”

We can’t control what happens to us in life, but we can control how we react to it. It always helps to bee optimistic.