Crowd Sourcing

This is what happens when I decide to ask the #NapkinKin on Periscope what I should draw!  I had the quote and had just the word ‘wish’ in the top and bottom quote areas. They had to guess the quote as usual but this time I decided I would let them suggest what I would draw as well.  The result? A funny, crazy, unique and totally original napkin!  See the bottom of the post to read the chronology of the drawing’s creation.

Prints are still available. $25.00

Someone Else’s Help

Sometimes self-help is knowing when you need or want someone else’s help. You don’t have to NEED someone’s help like when you are in a burning building and need to be rescued. You can just need or want someone’s help because it’s more fun than doing something alone.

I do my drawings alone. I come up with the ideas and images and I find the quotes. I choose the elements, the characters, the backgrounds. I then choose the colors and the type and degree of shading and rendering. I do it all. What that means is sometimes you start to get in a rut. You do the expected thing a little too easily.  You fall back on a character or a color or a concept you may have done a few times too often.

Better Together

How many of us have never said, “I wish it were easier.”? Maybe it was losing weight or getting in shape. Maybe raising kids. Perhaps your marriage or job or family or home ownership or….or all of it. People just wish all of life was easier sometimes. right?

What I’ve noticed is that often that desire for things to be easier is actually a desire for a sharing of the burden. You aren’t opposed to the hard work of life, you just sometimes want to have some support in making it through.  I know it’s true in my life as a runner.  I run 5 days a week in a group I coach. I do all my own miles obviously, no one runs them for me. But I am not alone. I have companionship and support as I run the miles. Most of the people I run with think I am there for them, since I am the coach. But that is not completely true. I am a coach in no small part because I want to run with others. They meet my need as much as I meet theirs.

Friend in the Head

This week and next I am off from coaching and so am running on my own. I have been running 12 years now and it’s STILL not easy getting out my front door for a solo run. I can think of a bazillion reasons to not go between my bedroom door and the front door. But if I had a friend waiting in my driveway for me? I would not have those bazillion reasons going through my head. I would have my friend in my head. That is the power of doing things better.

How It Came About

So, as I mentioned, this funny and strange drawing came about via crowd sourcing on Periscope.  Here is how it came about.  All the people mentioned can be followed on Periscope.

The first suggestion was from @orion. He said draw stars (based on the fact that ‘wish’ was the only word showing).

@frogulox (Aaron) said there should be a top hat. I ended up drawing a sort of stove pipe top hat.

I had a suggestion of a rabbit from @futureartist123 (Mario).  My attempt rendered a whale instead who fit snuggly under the top hat.

@feynwoman (Julia) suggested flowers. Since the whale was looking up, I decided flowers growing off the tree would be what he was looking at.

Then @ladyNynah (Antonia) said a tree and @JCahoonArtist (Jennifer) said a cactus about the same time.  So, I drew a cactitree.

A cane with a bauble on top was then suggested by @frogulux, which I gave to the whale, along with a bow tie.  Fred Astairewhale was born.  He also asked for a hole in the tree for a gnome. I made the hole, but later @gintonics2 (Ginny) suggested a little bird instead so I drew a bird we named ‘Gnome’.

Then a turtle was recommended by @sfgianttortuga (Steve, a SF Giants and Turtle fan) and @Frogulox.  I decided to make Turtle have a fascinator on her head and voila, we have Ms. Gingerturtle, the perfect friend for Mr. Astairewhale !

@LadyNynah reminded me Mr. Astairewhale needed water to survive so I gave him a swimming pool. 

Then what to put in the middle. We had suggestions of a waterfall, a ladder, and from @PeteMtz, a stepladder. I decided a stepladder would be the right size.

@hammyton (Natalie) was thinking about danger and suggested a banana peel. I made it a whole banana to make it easier to comprehend quickly.

But what to put on the stool, anything? @VictoriaJamesUK (Victoria) suggested a vase of flowers and it seemed just right.

Then it was just the background left.  @VictoriaJamesUK wanted a mountain and I fit it in behind Mr. AstaireWhale. I added a small hill on the other side, behind Ms. GingerTurtle. Then it was just a simple road going back into the distance and it was done.

The coloring was done to be as fun and bright as possible.

So, there you have what went into making this drawing, one I never could have made by myself!  

You can follow all the people mentioned on Periscope. Tell them I sent you!

Here is the video on katch.me

Drawing and commentary © 2015 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Quote by Jim Rohn, 1930 – 2009, American Entrepreneur