by Marty Coleman | Jul 9, 2012 | Gaylord Hotel - Grapevine, Travel |
Rules, Rules, Rules
In the fall of 2011 I happened upon a contest put on by the author and business woman, Susan Steinbrecher.
It was being promoted in conjunction with the release of her book ‘Kensho: A Modern Awakening – Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal‘.
The contest idea was simple; tell a story of an ‘aha moment’, an awakening, in your life. I was about to tell my Napkin Dad story when I read the fine print in the rules. It appeared to me from my reading of the rules that I would be handing over the copyright to my story if I submitted it and it won. I, of course, was not interested in letting that happen and so I wrote to the contest and told them of my concerns.
A while later I received an email from Susan apologizing for the wording in the rules and explaining they had no desire to own the copyright of any story and had changed the rules to reflect that. I was happy to hear that but I really didn’t hold out much hope I would win since I had sort of been in their face about the rules. But, I submitted it anyway. I put it in the ‘good thing I read the fine print’ category and pretty much forgot about it.
Lo and Behold
I got a call not too long thereafter telling me I had won the grand prize, which was a 3 day 2 night stay at the Gaylord Texan, a huge resort hotel just outside of Dallas, in Grapevine, Texas.
The certificate came along with material from both the hotel and from Susan’s company, Steinbrecher and Associates (a leadership consulting firm) and her 2 bestselling books, the aforementioned ‘Kensho: A Modern Awakening’ and her prior book, ‘Heart-Centered Leadership‘. I realized I was in pretty heady company.
My wife, Linda was very excited about it since it included an hour long massage at the spa for both of us.
It said we would get to stay in a ‘Presidential Suite’ which sounded cool, and had a free dinner awaiting us at one of their restaurants, Zeppole. All in all it sounded like a great mini-holiday awaited us.
Zeppole Restaurant in the Great Atrium
We thought about when we might want to go but really couldn’t figure out a good time for quite a while. Our daughter, Caitlin, was going to Baylor, south of Dallas, and we drove through Dallas regularly, but exactly when we would find time for a weekend there was murky. Finally the opportunity presented itself when Caitlin finished school and moved to Dallas. We would go there for the fourth of July and she would be able to enjoy it with us!
Fireworks over the hotel
Part Zero (the napkin)
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 5, 2012 | Independence Day, Road Trip, Texas, Travel, Travel Napkins |
On the road, deep in the heart of Texas!
I was awarded a 2 night stay at the Gaylord Texan resort from Steinbrecher and Associates for a story I wrote about the ‘aha moment’ in my life from being the Napkin Dad. Linda, Caitlin and I are here now over Independence Day and enjoying ourselves immensely.
The drawing was done after breakfast. I stayed down at the restaurant while Linda went upstairs to shower. The waitress was kind and thoughtful and I liked that her tag said she was from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
I will post something longer when I get home but had to get at least one ‘Travelin’ Napkin’ in while I was here!
Here is the drawing after I got home and was able to work on it a bit.
Here is the story of our time at the Gaylord, in four parts.
Part Zero (the napkin)
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 3, 2012 | Betty Friedan, Independence - 2012 |
Yesterday it was about men, today – women. It’s Independence Week at the NDD.
Why, Women?
This could be about men, it’s true. Many men don’t ever hear that voice inside themselves. But it does seem, at least in my American experience, to be especially true of women. But I would like to hear from my female friends, is this true for you? Have you heard that voice? Are you hoping to? How did you know it was from within and not just another voice from without? What did you do about it?
_________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who hasn’t read the book, but did see the movie.
Quote by Betty Friedan, American author & feminist
_________________
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 2, 2012 | Independence - 2012 |
Bound and Released
So many of us are bound to someone else. It can impinge on our freedom and independence at times and we find ways to assert ourselves into the world, saying ‘I can make my own choices, even if they are small ones’. The key is to be aware, finding healthy ways, not destructive ways, to do that. Wanting to wash the dishes without an apron (or even topless) is harmless, Wanting to take the dishes out into the field and do target practice on them while topless, maybe not.
How do you declare your independence in the world?
__________________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who remembers the apron way too late.
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 29, 2012 | Competition - 2012 |
And here is yesterday’s blank napkin with a quote. The quote is from Lou Brock, one of the best base stealers, runners and defensive outfielders in baseball history.
Starting Over
I switched careers when I first moved to Oklahoma. I had been a college art instructor (part time at 3 different colleges) and a restaurant manager. In Oklahoma I became a commercial computer artist helping to create interactive educational software for kids. I started out at the bottom at minimum wage by scanning animation cels that an other artist did. I used Photoshop to clean them up and hand them off to the animator. The artist who drew the original drawings was the top dog in the office. He also used Photoshop exclusively.
Saying Yes to Looking Bad
At one point the producer came to the creative group and said she needed someone to start to learn how to use Macromedia Director, the software that actually animated the individual drawings. The top dog artist, who had first choice, was intimidated by that prospect and said he had no interest in learning it. I, on the other hand, when given the opportunity, jumped at it. I didn’t care if I didn’t know the program. I didn’t care if I was going to probably mess up at times. I didn’t care if the other creative people in the company would laugh at my attempts at animation. What I cared about was learning, growing, getting better, becoming indispensable to the team.
A Cautionary Tale
4 months later we had hired veteran professionals to draw much better animation cels and I was assisting in animating them, using that software. The Top Dog artist had been pretty much shunted off to the side and soon left the company to do roofing in Texas. Within a year and a half I had become both the Producer and the Creative Director of the company. Why did it turn out that way? Because I said yes to a task I KNEW I would look bad in at times.
______________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman
Quote by Lou Brock
______________________
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 28, 2012 | Competition - 2012 |
I thought it would be fun to let you contribute a quote, saying or idea. What do you think this drawing is about? It is competition week so it’s about that, but WHAT is the drawing saying to you about competition (or anything else really)?
__________________
What's the Quote?
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 27, 2012 | Art, Competition - 2012, Patti Smith |
Thank God I made it to day #3 of Competition Week at the NDD!
Knowing the Universe
The quote says God, but it doesn’t really matter if you believe in a deity or not for this to be true. The point is that the universe is awesome. It is one big amazing masterpiece. Your job as an artist is to re-‘VIEW’ the universe. You interpret it, not copy it. You learn from it, not teach it. You stay informed by it, not ignorant of it.
Realistic Competition
It takes courage to compete with someone you know is going to win. Imagine being Michael Phelp’s rival over the past 8 years. But the truth is you aren’t competing directly against universe unless you are either so ignorant of the universe that you think you are at the center of it (You’re not, by the way) or you don’t think about it at all. But the best way to create the most fantastic art is to know your world, your universe. Pay attention to the sounds, tastes, smells, images, textures of the universe. Then filter it all through ‘you’ and out will come unique and individual creative work.
_________________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who has a talking paintbrush that posed for this drawing. Her name is Penelope.
Quote by Patti Smith, who lusts after Penelope but can’t have her.
_________________________
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 26, 2012 | Competition - 2012, Napoleon Bonaparte |
I have been competing all morning to get #2 of Competition Week done. Here it is!
When Naked is Good
Naked is good when you are appropriately showing your true self to those whom you want to show yourself to. Being vulnerable, telling who you really are, your struggles, successes, failures, flaws, highlights – those are all in the ‘naked is good’ category and people respond to it. It makes you MORE popular and endearing to your friends, fans, followers, customers, clients, to see a well-rounded version of you.
When Naked is Bad
Naked is bad when you are inappropriately showing your stupidity, desperation, insensitivities, and disrespect. You aren’t choosing to be intentionally vulnerable, you are making a fool of yourself. You are ruining yourself in the eyes of others. You aren’t seeing yourself clearly, otherwise you would never expose yourself the way you are.
Witnessing Naked
Most of the people I know who could possibly be considered my competitors in one field or another are good friends or at least respectful acquaintances. I would be willing to help them to some degree and I know they would do the same for me. But in business if someone is directly competing with me for specific business I am not going to give them my insights as to why a move they might be making is a bad one.
I am not wishing them ill. I am certainly not designing any activity that would purposely make their business more difficult to run. But I am doing all that I can can to make sure I am the better person for the job and that includes leaving them to their own devices. If they succeed, I am happy for them. If they don’t, I am going to take advantage of the void they create.
What about you, what do you think of this idea?
_______________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who doesn’t have many enemies.
Quote by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had a lot of enemies.
_______________________
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 25, 2012 | Competition - 2012, Self |
You Are.
The Fight Within
It’s not ‘the competition’ who is your strongest competition, it’s you. It’s your decision to settle. It’s your decision to give up. It’s your decision to blame circumstances or others or the weather. Win the battle with your mediocre, excusing self and you’ll win, simple as that.
_____________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who is preaching to himself.
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 20, 2012 | Social Media - 2013 |
It’s no secret that today is day #3 of Social Media Secrets week!
Not For Yourself
If you are writing, photographing, drawing, singing, acting, or just ranting, there is one truth underneath it all. You want an audience. Pretending that you are ONLY doing it for yourself is your way of protecting yourself from the failure of gaining an audience. Perhaps you are or were the high school writer or poet who said, ‘Oh, I don’t create for other people, only for myself.’ That’s a lie.
Admitting Equals Wanting
How do I know it’s a lie? Because if it were true we would NEVER hear you admit you are poet or writer in the first place. The very fact that you are telling the world you are creating it is proof you want an audience. You might want a small audience; maybe mom, dad, and your little sister, but you still want an audience. But if you put it out for the world to see or read, then it is an audience you seek.
Be Worthy
Admit this truth and get it out of the way. Admit you have an ego, you want attention, you want validation, you want recognition. Work toward it and don’t be ashamed of it. But here is the caveat; MAKE SURE what you are creating is WORTHY of attention. If you are just being a copy cat, a plagiarizer, a derivative hack, then you don’t deserve an audience. The person you are stealing from deserves the audience, not you.
________________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman, who really truly did see a coyote standing still in the middle of the street last night while listening to a woman named Grasshopper talk on the radio and watching a giant beautiful thunderhead build in the setting sun sky.
________________________
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