America (where I live) was founded on Puritan and Protestant ideals of redemption. You became good by redeeming your time, work, money, basically everything. Everything had a purpose or it was sloth and wasteful.
That isn’t as predominant as it once was but it still does have a strong thread in many families and, to be honest, I have learned great lessons from one such family about that, and it has made me a much better person.
But, it defeats the purpose of having a ‘purpose driven’ life to only pay attention to what you are SURE is bound up in your purpose, in your effort to achieve something.
Steve Jobs of Apple tells the story of his deciding on a whim to take a Calligraphy course. He had no idea why, just sounded fun. He knew it didn’t have any connection to whatever goals he had in life (he didn’t have many at that time) but he just wanted to do so he did.
He credits that course with being one of the essential elements to him making the Mac the graphic designer’s favorite computer. It brought in fonts and design ability that had not been contemplated by prior computer makers. He was just enjoying wasting his time taking that course. But it was not wasted time.
How do you enjoy wasting time?
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Since I started drawing the napkins again in January, 09 (after a 5 year hiatus) I have been trying to carve out quality time each morning to find the right quotes and draw well. Both take longer than one might think and I throw away a lot of napkins in the process!
Putting advertising on the blog doesn’t work very well, at least so far. I feel it takes away from the blog and distracts people. I like the drawings and ideas to be considered and if there is some crazy rotating ad in the middle of it, then it is bothersome.
I would like to dedicate a fair amount of time to this since I feel it has struck a chord with many people all around the world, (which blows my mind) and I have received many responses from people who have been helped and moved to action by a particular napkin. Many just write to say it made their day, made them laugh or smile. That is enough for me.
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