Regional Proverbs
The ‘Beauty Equals Goodness’ Bias
ShrekDo you remember Shrek? The main premise of that movie was that while he was ugly he was also very kind and thoughtful, a genuine good ogre. It was a big hit precisely because it turned the 'beauty equals goodness' paradigm on its head. Ugly equaled goodness, not...
The Shrewd Job Search
Job Search My wife Linda is looking for a job. She is incredibly skilled in her profession, which is in Change Management, Business Readiness and Project Management. Her industry has been Public Utilities for over 25 years but her skills translates into many other...
Hot Water – 2017
I am not sure if this is really good advice or not. But it's better than 'get drunk as you can' and 'go kill someone' so let's say it's good, ok? The truth is, most of the time when we think we are in hot water, we aren't, just like when we take a bath. We get in and...
Three Essential Things – Zen #3
One of the things that annoys me about my religion (Christianity) is that lip service is given to doubt. Doubt is put forth from the pulpit as something we all have, but just like an addiction, the church likes you better if you are already over it. You aren't...
The Good of Not Being Satisfied – Zen #2
Purchase the original drawing | Purchase a print The Yogi and the Passerby The Yogi asks the passerby, "What does it mean for you to be well & whole?" The passerby answers, "It means I am content with my body, mind and spirit." The Yogi asks the passerby, "Are...
How To Be A River – Zen #1
What river are you part of? How do you know? Do you love the other drops of water? Is there a river if there is no flow? Do you know where the river is headed? Do you get to decide the part you will play? Do you love the river you are in? Drawing © Marty Coleman |...
Can You Get Away? – Family #3
Getting Away When I was 18 I went away to college. I never returned home to live even though I had many opportunities. I had to leave two colleges, one closing down unexpectedly, one because I ran out of money. When I finished college I had to choose where to live and...
Words vs Action – Promises #2
Promises It's so prevalent that it's become a cliche many times over: Put your money where your mouth is. Put a ring on it. Show me. Prove it. Watch what they do, not what they say. What it means is obvious. Promises mean nothing if you don't back it up with actions....
Teamwork is an Individual Sport – Teamwork #5
Individual Here is the most ironic thing about teamwork is that each individual has to do their own individual job for it to succeed. Now, it is true that each individual doesn't have to perform perfectly at every moment. And it is also true that on a team...
Not Seeing Good or Bad – Decision Making #4
Purchase the original | Purchase a print | matte and frame available Good and Bad This might sound like a terrible thing. You are going to have trouble no matter what you choose? That sucks. But that isn't really the end of the story, is it? Beyond each danger maybe...
Be Made of Sticks – Teamwork #4
You Are the Bundle This was an interesting one to draw. Once I finished the drawing I didn't really like it much. It just didn't make sense. A woman holding a bundle of sticks is going to stop some jerk? The I realized it wasn't the bundle of sticks doing the...
Running Away – True Heroes #4
Run Away Child Did you ever run away from home as a child? It took some planning and some guts, didn't it. You probably got no further than half way down the block or more than a few hundred yards behind you home in the woods before you turned around or were found by...
The Haste to be Rich – Wealth #3
Not to be hasty, but we are on #3 of Wealth Week! Metaphor The drawing above is a metaphor for how some people will hurt and manipulate others in their pursuit of wealth. They are consumed with it and nothing will stop them. They will metaphorically...
Running in the Rain – Promises, Promises #2
There is a 100% chance of this drawing being #2 in my Promises series. Running in the Rain When I start coaching a new season many of my runners worry about what we do if it rains. I tell them one of my favorite things to do is run in the...
Who Do You Work For? – Launching a Business #3
I got distracted (as entrepreneurs tend to do) and didn't finish my 'Launching a Business' series I started a few weeks ago. Here is #3. Being the Boss My wife works for a big company, she is not an entrepreneur. But when she talks about her legacy it's...
The Sinning Wife – Marriage #8
It would be a sin not to post Marriage #8 today. The Man This Italian Proverb brings up a LOT of issues. First, why is it not the opposite? Why isn't there an Italian Proverb that says 'If the husband sins, the wife is not innocent.'? I think it...
Are You Being Planned? – Plan On It! #3
I planned this last night all by myself. Being Played The saying when you are being taken advantage of without you really knowing it is, 'You're being played.' It means someone is manipulating you to achieve an end of their own. They make it seem...
Tension vs Relaxation – Identity #1
I identify with the fact that today is the first in the 'Identity' series. Prints are still available. $25.00 If you are tense, take a look and see if this might not be the problem. Of course, to know this you have to admit what part of you is the...
What Do You Scatter? – Thorns #1
ALERT: Do you know the person in this drawing? Do You Scatter Thorns? Do you excuse your snark and judgment as being hip? They aren't hip, they're thorns. Thorns meant to hurt and denigrate. You might get followers and fans and people laughing at your words, but...
A Big Nose
I Know Noses In the past few months I have photographed a number of women who have all told me the same thing; they hate their nose because it is too big. This isn't new, I have been hearing it from women (never men) most of my art and photography career, which goes...
The King and the Pawn – Olympics #2
It's day #2 of Olympics week at the NDD. Notice anything different about the drawing today? It's a 'not a napkin' napkin (because I ran out of napkins). Guess what I drew it on. FAME and GLORY So much fame, so many endorsements, so much attention, money, glory,...
Happiness is Enough
Happiness is Enough A coffee cup by The Napkin Dad Your Purpose As an artist, your obligation is not to produce propaganda that everyone listens to, understands and obeys. That is other people's jobs. Your job as an artist is to express yourself, whether there is...
Any Time – Procrastination #2
The journey to blog World in New York continues. Anytime This quote, 'What can be done at any time is never done at all' probably exemplifies my procrastination nemesis more than any other. I like deadlines. I fail at deadlines sometimes but not nearly as much as...
Revenge and Confession – Revenge Series #2
It's day #2 of our Revenge Series at the NDD _____________________ Here's a question for you: How do you kill something that only you are keeping alive? _____________________ Drawing and question by Marty Coleman, who likes cemeteries. Quote is a Latin Proverb...
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