Giving

by | Mar 3, 2011 | Chinese Proverbs, Self | 0 comments

Thanks to CK for the quote today. 
Everything is part of a cycle.  It isn’t just one thing about you that can help fill others. It’s all sides of you.
  • That includes your kindnesses, wisdom and expressions of concern.
  • It also includes your humor, intelligence and expertise.
  • Don’t forget your athleticism, competitiveness and enthusiasm.
  • Don’t denigrate or downplay the value of your beauty, looks, clothing, smile, hair, and body.
  • Your creativity as well; your art, voice, green thumb and love of culture.
  • Most importantly,  don’t make the mistake of thinking your struggles, successes and failings aren’t helpful to others.
The world and the people in it may need all sorts of sides to you.  To give yourself, you need to feed all those things in you as well.  That is why being enthusiastic about your life, pursuing with passion what you have available to learn and experience, isn’t a selfish thing.

I have a friend, from whom I got this quote actually, who is a great example of this.  She has her own personal goals in many aspects of her life.  She pursues them with a passion.  BUT, she doesn’t just do it just for herself. Every step of the way she is revealing herself and her passion to others. She is encouraging others in concrete ways to pursue their own dreams and goals as well.    It is not one-sided, and she is not alone. There are many who do the same for her as well.

Everything is part of a cycle.  Fill yourself to fill others.  Fill others and you will be filled.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote is a Chinese Proverb
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One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Imitation (guest napkin)

giving 2011 love self growth sustainability “chinese proverb” proverb receiving selflessness

Only a Fool

by | Mar 2, 2011 | African Proverbs | 0 comments
Sometimes it’s good to jump in, other times it’s not.  When to be careful and when to throw caution to the wind is a delicate art. It can lead to bad consequences and it can lead to great leaps of wonder.  How to know the difference isn’t easy.  The only advice I have is to be as thoughtful and intelligent as best you can, but test with one foot first!
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote is an African proverb

Charm is a Product of the Unexpected

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Jose Marti | 0 comments
buy her book here

I went to a post on ‘The Happiness Project’ blog today and unexpectedly found a wonderful story about finding the unexpected.


The author, Gretchen Rubin, wrote about her intense happiness in finding unexpected art in public places.  It got me thinking about both topics, happiness and art, and my response is exactly the same. I love art in museums, but I LOVE unexpectedly coming across art in non-art spaces.




This is what I wrote as a comment on her blog:

What makes me extremely happy is coming across an unexpected piece of art, in the middle of a non-art world. While on a long run in a park in Waco, Texas I came upon a giant art installation being made; a grouping of anthropomorphic, whimsical huts made out of branches, with doors and windows for all to go in and out of. It was just being finished, the artist was there, as was the city official in charge of the grand opening, which was taking place in just a few minutes. I stopped my run 4 miles short, chills up and down my spine, to stop and be happy in the presence of unexpected and beautiful art. I went to the artist, Patrick Daugherty, and made sure he knew at least one person was very, very happy to see his ‘River Vessels’ installation.



I went looking for quotes on ‘unexpected’ and came across this one.  It really does get to the heart of what makes something or someone charming.  I know I will see art in a museum, but I am delighted and charmed, often to the point of giddiness, by seeing art where I don’t expect it.


My illustration took a turn towards another example of charm, the type associated with romance.  It’s not the flowers that make it charming, it’s the unexpected charm of having a frog be the one who gives them.


So, be on the lookout for what makes you happy. I bet you’ll find in part it’s connected to having a joyfully unexpected event happen in your life.  Better yet, why don’t YOU help make that wonderfully unexpected event for someone else!  If you are a frog, not a prince, get flowers. If you are neither, be on the lookout for the charming frog as much as the charming prince!
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


Quote by Jose Marti, 1853-1895, Cuban writer
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One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Eavesdropping



Island of Knowledge, Shoreline of Wonder

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Uncategorized | 0 comments
I love this quote.  Contrary to some religious cliches spoken by uneducated people living in fear, you are NOT doing something wrong by becoming educated and then relying on that education to help you make good judgments in life.

The best example of this for me is my eldest daughter, Rebekah.  She is the most curious, knowledge seeking person I know. She has enthusiasm and energy for anyone and anything that comes alongside her on her journey.

After high school she decided to go to a unique school, St. John’s College, in Annapolis, Maryland.  The curriculum is inspired by the Great Books collection that was published back in the 30s out of the University of Chicago. They study the major disciplines from the original source material dating back to the ancient Greeks and moving forward historically. They do the science experiments, the math problems, and discuss the philosophical issues that the great minds throughout history have taken on.  All the students study the same curriculum and get the same degree, basically a degree in Philosophy and Math.

Her time there led her to find an area of further study that one doesn’t usually associate with an esoteric curriculum of Philosophy. She decided to go into Neuroscience.  She is now a Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience at George Mason University in Virginia.  She is what I consider to be a budding superstar in her field.

But here is the funny thing. She is still the most enthusiastic little girl when it comes to her life. She loves going into creeks and finding frogs and turtles. She loves video games and can whoop most anyone’s rear in Halo and any other hard-ass ‘boys’ games.  She loves martial arts and singing in her Unitarian Choir.  She will call me up and be talking about cellular biology with the same enthusiasm and joy that she had as a little girl talking about American Girl dolls or our garden in the backyard.

I love her for that and this quote is all about that love for her.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote author unknown

wonder knowledge education curiosity exploration daughter father love enthusiasm

The Girl with the Wonderful Eyebrows – Part 2

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Texas, Travel Napkins, Waco | 0 comments


 

I came down to the dining area at the hotel in Waco.  I saw a young woman with great, fun, spikey hair sitting down with someone who looked like her mother and a friend. I went and found a guest napkin & drew them.  The mother had copper eyeshadow, and I love copper eyeshadow on almost anyone. Haven’t ever really figured out why, but I do.  I know, the color of her eye shadow in the drawing isn’t copper, so sue me.  This story has nothing to do with this drawing.

As I was drawing a woman asked if she could borrow one of the chairs at my table. They sat at the table next to me and I overheard them talking about the big Baylor Sing competition of the night before.  My daughter was in the same event so I asked them what they thought of it.

We got into a friendly discussion about the various acts, which were good, bad, ugly, etc.  It turns out their daughters were also in the competition (they were in acts that we ranked very high, so that was good).  I mentioned that I was an artist and I didn’t think enough attention was paid to the visuals of set design, costumes, etc. in the judging.  They said they noticed I had been drawing and I explained about ‘The Napkin Dad’, and told them about this website/blog.  I gave them my card.

My wife showed up so I went to help fix a plate of food for our daughter, still upstairs getting ready.  When I came back my new friends were laughing and cracking up about something. They had just gone to my site on their iPhone and said, ‘You won’t believe it, but Hilary, the girl with the wonderful eyebrows?  We have known her since she was 6 months old, she is one of my daughter’s best friends.’

I brought out the drawing I did of Hilary and they took a photo to immediately send to Hilary’s mother back in Phoenix.  I like this story.  Life is good sometimes and it makes me happy.

Here is the link to Part One

 

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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman 

The Girl with the Wonderful Eyebrows – Part One

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Texas, Travel Napkins | 0 comments

 

 

Today I am in Waco, Texas visiting my daughter.  I am hanging out at Common Grounds, a coffee spot right off the Baylor campus.  I am watching the parade of students come in, order their drinks and go back out to their next class.  The woman serving, Hilary, has beautiful eyebrows she is not sure she likes. Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn’t.  I like them, and told her so.

 

Hilary, The Girl with the Wonderful Eyebrows, at Common Grounds, Waco, TX
The travel napkin today is the paper towel that serve as napkins here.
To read about the coincidence that followed meeting Hilary, check out Part Two.
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Drawing © 2016 by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Yellow – Silence isn't Always Golden

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Colors - 2011 | 0 comments

Day #5 of the Color series. Check out white, green, blue and red in days past. 

The cool thing is to always talk about being silent.  Listen with two ears, talk with one mouth in that ratio. Sayings like that are all around us.  Religion says silence is good.  Meditation is good, it’s silent.


What isn’t good is silence that is rooted in cowardice and fear.  Silence when you see abuse and violence.  Silence when you see corruption and hate.  Silence when you see manipulation and deceit. Then it is good to speak.

But just like anything else, if you aren’t going to speak up in the small things you see, if you aren’t going to practice speaking, then when it comes to something big, something that really matters, you might not be able to speak very well.

Don’t be a coward. Don’t be yellow.  Speak up.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote author unknown

Red – Beauty, Comfort and Kick-ass Red Lipstick

by | Mar 2, 2011 | Colors - 2011, Gwyneth Paltrow | 2 comments

Have you noticed yet that I am doing a series and I haven’t even told you?  It’s on color.  So far we have white, green, blue and today, red.
Do you like GREEN eyeshadow? THEN why aren’t you wearing it?
Do you like PURPLE bras? then why aren’t YOU wearing one?
Do you like PINK?  Then why isn’t your ROOM painted it?
Do you like RED lipstick? ThenWHY aren’t you wearing it?

Finally, are you a cyclops?  No, of course you aren’t.  BUT, you are unique somehow.  Why aren’t you admitting, allowing and celebrating that uniqueness?

You aren’t EVER going to be comfortable in someone else’s skin, only, if you are lucky, in your own.  So, why are you living your life to please those who don’t like green eyeshadow, purple bras, pink rooms and RED lipstick?

I mentioned yesterday that my cousin’s son, Gavin Powell, died in a terrible tragedy this week.  Reading about him in his friend’s memorial tributes online you get the picture of a very unique and fun young man. One who wanted to grow a beard at age 16 and did. Who liked Rastafarian style hats and wore them.  He was seen as a bit eccentric.  My response? Three cheers for it!  The world needs more uniqueness, more eccentricity, not less.

My grandfather, who spent many summers in Colorado, got into the habit of collecting and wearing western style bolo ties as he got older.  My father inherited some of those and would wear them as well.  I, in turn, have inherited them, and have some of my own.  I love bolo ties.  Not only do I think they look kick-ass cool, they connect me to my father and grandfather just the same as a ring might for a woman.  In the meanwhile, my wife isn’t so hot on them. But guess what?  I love my wife, and I don’t want to embarrass her (that’s why I shower once in a while) but I am going to wear bolo ties when I want to wear bolo ties.  And I hope she wears what she wants, even if I don’t think it’s the greatest thing.

Being comfortable in your own skin means be who you WANT to be, in style and substance.
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Drawing and commentary/rant by Marty Coleman 

Quote by Gwyneth Paltrow, 1972- not dead yet, American actress