Category Archives: balance

Feb 01 2 comments
balance, beauty, French Proverbs, self-awareness

A Big Nose

big noses

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 back over 35 years.  In not one of those situations did I look at their nose and think that.  Instead I thought their nose was just right for their face in balance, shape and size.  In other words, I loved their nose and thought it added to, not detracted from, their beauty.  

The French Knows Noses

If there is any place on earth that has refined taste, it’s France. This quote is a French proverb. It’s from the country of high sophistication and beautiful art, architecture, women, men, fashion, food and more.   If France can make a national statement about the beauty of the nose, then who are we to disagree, right?

That’s it. That is all I wanted to say. All you women out there who think your nose is too big, I think your nose is beautiful.

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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman, who knows.

Quote is a French Proverb

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If you ever do get put down for your nose, memorize this monologue from Roxanne.

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Trivia question of the day

What animal has the most olfactory (smell) receptors?

Come back tomorrow for the answer.

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Oct 03 6 comments
balance, becoming, health, Marty Coleman, thinking

Becoming – The 4H Idea

becoming

The 4H Idea

I am going to be giving the Keynote address at the Southern Region 4H Volunteer Forum in Little Rock, Arkansas tomorrow.  I wanted to have a napkin specifically for 4H but was having a hard time visualizing it.  Luckily, as I was writing the commentary for a napkin I was drawing earlier this week I came up with this quote.  It started me thinking about what I know of the 4H Organization and how it all seems to be about helping young people become who they want to become.  

It’s a tricky thing, this becoming.  We are constantly becoming something new in mind and in body, even us old people. But it is especially true of young people.  They are going through a tsunami of becoming as they grow.  Our job as parents, as volunteers, as teachers, as mentors, is to figure out the best ways to help these young people navigate through this tsunami of change.

I love the simplicity of the 4H idea: Becoming takes place in four arenas of life; Head, Hand, Heart and Health. That is what it’s all about.

The Balancing Act

It acknowledges that our thinking, working, caring, and fitness all need to develop in balance with one another. It’s not enough just to be a model of bodybuilder perfection or look great in a bikini if you aren’t able to think critically about the world. It’s not enough to be a theoretical genius in neuroscience if you fail to love your neighbor.  It’s not enough to be always working, earning all the money in the world, if you ignore your health.  

Leading the Way

They all work must in concert with one another if we want to be the person we really want to be. And as any kid will tell you, they are watching our example much more than our words. So if we want our youth to be balanced, guess what? We have to lead the way.

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Drawing, commentary and quote by Marty Coleman

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Feb 20 2 comments
balance, Japanese, Japanese Proverbs

>They Who Smile

>A vintage napkin from 2003, given to my daughters’ in their lunches. Two daughters (at the time) were in high school and I drew a napkin for each of them.


Of course, it’s a balancing act. It isn’t realistic to just smile at all things. If you do you aren’t able to protest injustice, you aren’t able to let your anger be known, among other things. But in the end, the angry raging person is unhappy, becomes shrill and unattractive and as a result is weaker and less able to be a positive influence in the world.

If you have trouble finding the smile inside, try to think about what you get out of being angry. What does it feed in you, what does it validate, or hold at bay? Do you really need that anger and rage to be successful or happy in life? Take a chance, let go of it, just a bit. I bet you will smile at the results.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote is a Japanese proverb

Dec 27 0 comments
balance, Jerry Garcia, originality, uniqueness

>You Do Not Merely

>The dilemma of the artist and their desire for attention, admiration, dissemination, success is in how to be unique but still have people be able to relate to you and your work.

When I was applying for teaching jobs back in the 80s and 90s I once had a Professor from UCLA, the Chairman of the Art Department, tell me that the job search committee loved my unique imagery. They admired my style and combination of disparate elements into a one-of-a-kind artistic statement.

He then wanted to know who my influences were and where my influences came from. He said that the committee had a hard to placing me in a continuum of styles and artists because I didn’t really fit any directly.

I explained the best I could but also mentioned that the influences were indirect in most cases and not a case of me directly developing my style from an immediate predecessor. He liked that answer but I didn’t get the job. There were a lot of reasons going into me not getting it I am sure. But I do think they weren’t comfortable with that element that made it hard to place me.

That is the essence of the dilemma for the artist.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily.

Quote by Jerry Garcia, 1942-1995, musician


Jun 13 0 comments
Arthur Schopenhauer, balance, friends

>Everyone's Friend is Nobody's

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napkin_09-26-03_friend

We have heard it again and again, but there will always be a part of most people that
wants everyone to like them, or at least not dislike them.

When raising my daughters I tried to strike a balance between teaching them not to
worry about having everyone like them and having them try to be kind and fair and
open to everyone they met. The result I hoped would be that indeed most people would
like them, but their behavior would be a result of wanting to do what is right and
kind not out of some desperation to be liked.

Of course children learn more from what you do that from what you say so they watched
their mother and I and saw two people who struggled with finding this same balance.
All I could hope is they saw us making progress in our efforts, not that they saw us
being able to achieve the balance perfectly at all times.


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