Write On !

My competition....

2010-05-03T14:36:00.003-04:00

I did not realize that I was competing with artists OUTSIDE THE HUMAN RACE !

Check out the video ...

I was especially insulted by the last sentence that indicates what makes a "good artist"... listen to the video carefully and you will see what I mean !

d.Mark "Dave" Wheeler

Happy Earth Day !

2010-04-22T13:29:00.004-04:00

Here is a little bit of art for Earth Day 2010 !

It has not been painted... but I was thinking it might be interesting as a mural on a wall... REALLY BIG. What do you think? Anyone want it on their wall?

Looking for Inspiration without Perspiration?

2010-04-03T13:24:00.001-04:00

I just created an "Inspiration" post on my "Incredible Shrinking Millionaire" blog...

check it out !
http://shrinkingmillionaire.blogspot.com/2010/04/inspiration.html

Wheels

Ever had an insane idea?

2010-03-12T09:05:00.006-05:00

Well, I had an idea today for an interesting "sculpture" idea that was inspired by the background of a Frank Kern (internet marketing guru) video... and I sent an email to one of my favorite artists Hugh MacLeod (of Gapingvoid.com fame) to see what he thinks. (That's his art below.)

More news will be posted here as the story develops (assuming it develops) ....

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-03T13:14:00.009-05:00

Here is my art for Valentine's Day 2010, titled "You Are in My Heart" ....
If you would like to order custom notecards with this image on them, please send an email to theshot92 [at] gmail [dot] com. (address written this way to discourage automatic spammers).

Prints are also available if there is enough interest. Past Valentine's day art is also available (or it could be if you really want it).

Here is the link to the post with Valentine's Day 2009.

Valentine's Day 2007 is shown to the right >>>>

Order before Friday, Feb.5th to ensure delivery by Valentine's day.

As always, your comments are welcome below !

Wheels

After... step 8

2009-11-03T11:41:00.003-05:00

Here is the last blue step. A little bit of purple and it will be done.

After ... step 7

2009-10-25T08:26:00.002-04:00

Here is the blue circle concept applied to "After"...

I don't think I like it. The shading seems to conflict with the solid colors for all other parts.

Not sure if I will convert it to a white circle inside the blue circle or just fill in the blue.

Decisions, Decisions, ....

After... step6 (yellow and light blue)

2009-10-12T09:49:00.002-04:00

Should I add the darker blue? It is a big circle to the left of the "abs" and I am concerned that it will make the painting too dark. (I like the way it is very bright right now.)

Maybe I can just make an outline of a circle.... hmmm.

What do you think?
(Leave your comments / thoughts below)

Art by Wheels

After... step5 (Green)

2009-09-28T23:59:00.002-04:00

Step 5 (for this painting) is "Green" ! The large circle in the bottom left looks lopsided... but it will all make sense when I add the black.

What do you think?

After... step4

2009-09-27T17:36:00.002-04:00

Here is the last of the red...

After ...step 3

2009-09-23T08:58:00.003-04:00

I am nearing the end of the "Red Phase" of the painting. Since this is the most prominent color in the painting, it is easy to get a good impression of what the painting will look like.

The part I'm not looking forward to is the fine detail work which I always seem to leave until the end. On a larger painting like this one (24 x 36 inches), the scale makes it a little easier since the detail is not quite as fine.

What do you think? What is your impression of the painting so far?

Wheels

Rocket Snail ...

2009-09-22T13:28:00.004-04:00

Here is a picture that I created for my other blog, "The Incredible Shrinking Millionaire", called "Rocket Snail". That blog post talks about "Slug Mode" and "Rocket Mode" but a snail was more artistically appealing !

After ... 2

2009-09-21T10:54:00.003-04:00

Here is the second installment of my art called, "After"....

New Painting started...

2009-09-16T12:52:00.003-04:00

Here is the first step towards a new 24 by 36 inch painting titled "After".

Let me know what you think !

The Power of Connection

2009-09-15T15:13:00.005-04:00

Even though these graphics were created for my "Incredible Shrinking Millionaire" blog post about "The Power of Connections", they could just as easily be turned into paintings.

What do you think? Can you see one of them hanging on your wall?

Leave a comment and tell us what you think !

Wheels

This is too cool....

2009-08-21T10:55:00.002-04:00

I've always thought that unicycles were interesting (although I never had the opportunity to learn how to ride one).

Luckily, someone has come up with something even better... and WITH MORE POWER !

Check out the EniCycle >>>>>>

Are you interested in possibly investing in one?

How about investing in a company to manufacture or distribute it?

Send me an email at theshot92 [at] gmail.com and if we can show enough interest to the creator, maybe we can bring it to the US !

What do you think?

Even though it only has a top speed of 10 mph, I would expect that (with some refinements) it could be a neat mode of transportation for urban commuters.

Check out the video below to see it in action !

d.Mark "Dave" Wheeler

Fire Eating !

2009-07-20T20:28:00.001-04:00

An interesting performance !

2009-06-23T16:05:00.002-04:00

Eat Your Salad...

2009-05-14T14:11:00.004-04:00

Here is a concept for one of my next paintings. What do you think?

What size painting should it be? Who would be an ideal customer to purchase it?

Wheels

Thoughts on Mother's Day ...

2009-05-12T10:05:00.002-04:00

There have been a bunch of blogs with great Mother's Day-related posts ....

Carolyn at WhirledEvents gives us "The Art of Gift Giving: A 10 Step Program"
http://whirledevents.blogspot.com/2006/05/art-of-gift-giving-10-step-program.html

And the saddest Mom-related post is by uber-blogger, Robert Scoble, written when his Mom was dying. His post is very touching and it reminds all of us to appreciate our mother while we have the chance!

I know I do!

What did you do for your Mom on Mother's Day?

Wheels

Jeff Dunham's Mother's Day Video Greetings

2009-05-07T07:08:00.003-04:00

Just what your Mom needs on Mother's Day... Something to put a smile on her face !

Title... "Smoke"

2009-03-09T17:15:00.004-04:00

Title: Smoke

Date: March 9, 2009

Multitasking vs. Focus & A Lesson in Cash Flow

2009-02-09T07:24:00.005-05:00

If you are busy (like everyone these days) and trying to improve your life, you have undoubtedly heard about multi-tasking and the need to FOCUS.

You have undoubtedly been told that either multi-tasking is "incredibly evil and will suck the life out of your..." ... well, I should not get too graphic this early in the morning. Or you have heard that multi-tasking "can be the ultimate in efficiency" [if it is done right]. And around every corner, there is always someone offering you ways to "Get R Done" or something like that.

There are also a whole bunch of people who faithly subscribe to the Theory of Constraints (ala "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement'>The Goal" or "It's Not Luck">Its Not Luck") and can tell you why multi-tasking does not work... even though their logic does not stop people from continuing to try to do everything at once.

I'm sure you also have heard that FOCUS is the key to making progress towards your most important goals. And, if you are like most people, you probably feel that it makes sense to focus since it brings all of your mental (and perhaps physical) resources to bear on a problem.

I've never felt 100% comfortable with either camp... although I've leaned toward the Focus side on occasion. Having said all that, I had an experience this morning that helped me put Multitasking and Focus into perspective and maybe it could be of interest for you too.

As I often do when I have a spare minute, I was loading some audio CD's into my iTunes this morning and, like every time I do it, the loading process choked my PC's processing speed to a crawl so I was not able to easily perform internet searchs or write blog posts. The difference this morning was that I did not fight the bottleneck.

I knew that the processing of the CD would take about 5-10 minutes so I did not start it until I was done doing other tasks on my computer. Once I started the download, I got up and went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. By the time I was done, the CD had loaded and I was ready to add another one. Once that was going, I took a shower and got dressed for the day. Again, when I came back it was done.

What I realized is that multi-tasking does not work if the tasks have dependent resources. If they use the same resources, then one task will slow down the other one and you won't realize the benefits of completing either task as soon as you would as if you did each one serially.

Of course, if the tasks do not require the same resources, then multi-tasking is easy... but how often does that happen in real life? There is only one of you, right? Or can you figure out a way to get the task done by someone else? WOW, I didn't even think that this train of thought would bring me to the concept of LEVERAGE ... but it did. Cool!

How does that relate to life?

If you are trying to increase your wealth, for example, the CD loading process is like "Passive Cash Flow" from an investment or royalty (books, songs, intellectual property). It comes in while you are doing other things and you don't have to focus on it 100% of the time.

The other parallel to life is that you DO have to focus on the CD to get it started. Same with "Passive Cash Flow"... you have to research and set up your investment(s) so that they produce while you are doing other things. It also makes sense to come back to them occasionally (and focus on them) to make sure they are progressing.

How has this been applied to my life?

To be perfectly honest... I have not applied it as much as I should. I am working on the purchase and renovation of a couple investment properties... but they are not yet at the "Passive Cash Flow" stage. I guess I'm learning that I should put MORE FOCUS on them now so that I can get the money flowing and move on to other things.

What's your experience ?

Valentines Day Card

2009-01-25T17:11:00.003-05:00

Would you like to see this as part of a Valentines Day card series?

The title of this is "4 stages"...

Leave a comment and let us know what you think ... or if you would like to see some of the other Valentines-related art by Wheels...

NoteWordy Sympathy card?

2009-01-21T06:24:00.001-05:00

Let me know what you think of the following art by Wheels (and whether it should be turned into a notecard) by leaving a comment below ...

******* text for back of card *******

“When all seems dark …”

There are times in everyone’s life when all seems dark…

… someone is taken away and you miss them terribly.

When all seems dark…
… remember them and the memories will warm your heart.

When all seems dark…
… embrace those around you who share your grief and
can ease your pain.

When all seems dark…

… see something that reminds you of them …
… and know that you are not alone.

GOAL Setting Season is OPEN !

2009-01-08T06:52:00.011-05:00

January 1st kicks off "Goal Setting Season".

The beginning of the year is the time that everyone thinks about goals and where their life is heading. I bet that you are probably thinking about your own goals right now, aren't you?

Seth Godin (Marketing Guru) had an interesting post on his blog about goals...
Having goals is a pain in the neck. ... Not having a goal lets you make a ruckus, or have more fun, or spend time doing what matters right now, which is, after all, the moment in which you are living. The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.
It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact... those people have goals.
Are we doomed to fail?
So we set goals... and most peoples "New Year's Resolution" don't last to the end of February. Why? Most people set "NICE" goals...
Not
Intrinsically
Compelling or
Exciting.
In other words, they are really pretty happy with the way things are and they don't feel compelled to make a change.... or at least not enough to overcome the hurdles.

If you read a bunch of books, I'm sure you have run across the next level of goal setting ... the "traditional" SMART goals. Those are goals that are:
Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

That's good but even goals that are SMART don't always last. You can set a goal to lose 10 lbs. by March 31st but if you are comfortable and you have limited motivation, what are the odds that you are going to complete your "SMART" goal?

Over at another blog, I learned about DUMB Goals and I think they are one step closer to goals that will work ....
Dangerously
Unobtainable
Monstrously
Big goals.

These are like the BHAG's (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) explained in the book, "Built To Last". DUMB goals or BHAG's are things that are so outrageous that they inspire you go do things you would not ordinarily do. They also increase the chances that you will fail... which is a good thing!

As A.L.Williams (of insurance fame) said, "If you want to be great, you first have to be good. If you want to be good, you first have to be bad. If you want to be bad, you first have to try. So if you want to succeed, you first have to try." [I love that quote!]

DUMB goals give you a reason to fail ... and to learn and grow and make progress !

So if you combined your SMART goals with DUMB goals ... is that it? Are you guaranteed success?

No, there is one more "magical ingredient" that you need to make your goal a reality...

You have to Feel it !
Here is what I learned from Steve Pavlina ...
The purpose of goal-setting isn’t to control the future. That would be senseless because the future only exists in your imagination. The only value in goal-setting is that it improves the quality of your present moment reality. Setting goals can give you greater clarity and focus right now. Whenever you set a goal, always ask yourself, “How does setting this goal improve my present reality?” If a goal does not improve your present reality, then the goal is pointless, and you may as well dump it. But if the goal brings greater clarity, focus, and motivation to your life whenever you think about it, it’s a keeper.
A goal that is true to your heart and your desires will inspire you to do all the unpleasant things (like make changes to your habits) that are required to be successful.

It probably won't feel natural when you try something new. Marshal Silver taught me that "The right thing will feel wrong... at first." This is because you are not used to it ... but as you make it a habit, it will feel more natural and less "motivation" will be needed to make sure it gets done.

So, what do you have planned for 2009?

"Before"... finished !

2009-01-05T06:31:00.002-05:00

It took a while, but it is finally finished.

The vacation and holidays at the end of December was the perfect time to get this painting wrapped up ... probably due to some very cold weather and some good movies on TV that encouraged me to stay inside !

I used a very translucent acrylic blue ("Prussian blue", I think) which gave the body a "scratchy" or "beaten-up" look which I liked. It also hinted at an unhealthy lifestyle... to go along with the "boxed-in" and "black clouds" that have "haunted" the subject of this painting.

Selling it?
I probably won't sell this painting right away. I am hoping to have "Before" and "After" completed and hung side-by-side so selling the first one is out of the question ... at least for a while.

Next...
I am already working on "After" ... which seems appropriate as we head into the "New Year's Resolution" season.

Tune in here for updates on the next painting.

Before 9 - couple months off for...

2008-12-22T13:02:00.004-05:00

It has been about 2 months since I last posted an update on this painting.

... probably due to lots of exciting things going on at Toastmasters (see my TM blog for more about that) along with an evening class (for business).

It is good to get back to painting and I'm looking forward to having some time over the holidays to make some more progress.

Great Doonesbury Cartoon... for note writers!

2008-11-21T07:09:00.002-05:00

Check out the full Doonesbury comic strip by clicking the link below ....

http://www.arcamax.com/doonesbury/s-444545-988452?source=1930

Businesses with Personality !

2008-11-17T06:33:00.006-05:00

As many of my readers already know, we like to see businesses with personality !

Here is a great example (as featured in Business Pundit blog) .....

Walk into a high dollar hair salon and you might be offered a glass of wine to go with your $60 haircut. IF you have an appointment that is. Walk into a Bishops Barbershop on any given Tuesday (no appointment necessary) and suck down the suds during your $12 buzz cut.

Rivera didn’t invent the idea of a different kind of hair salon. The niche is includes SportsClips, which features TVs blaring ESPN and stylists in NASCAR gear. Then there’s Cartoon Cuts, where kids get hosed down by a nozzle that resembles an elephant trunk. But Rivera’s joint is different. Partly on account of that beer, and partly due to the street art he supports which creates the uber-urban vibe. But mostly it’s because of the personality Rivera has infused into his brand.

The real test will be if Rivera can maintain the personality of his creation as he tries to franchise the concept to other cities.

Keep you eyes out for a Bishops Barbershop in your city !

(and leave a comment below if you know of a business with personality!)

"How and Why to Be Unreasonable" by Tim Ferriss

2008-10-06T13:33:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of "doing the impossible" and really enjoyed the video below by Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4 hour workweek" speaking at the DO Lectures.

What do you think? What REALLY BIG goals do you have?

Before 8 - first "color" added

2008-10-06T07:12:00.001-04:00

It is amazing how a few extra minutes that might have been wasted can be turned into progress.

The small progress this time is the addition of gray to the painting. It did not take long ... as a matter of fact, it was done while I was waiting for my dinner to cook...

... in the microwave !

The end is in sight... hopefully this painting will be posted to the NoteWordy.com gallery soon !

Painting Sold at Silent Auction !

2008-09-30T07:36:00.004-04:00

The painting by Wheels shown here was sold at a silent auction held during the Division A Toastmasters contest hosted by WestConn Toastmasters.

The painting is acrylic on canvas titled, "Fall in VT" and is 11 x 14 inches. It was created in 2004 and was donated to the silent auction.

The winning bidder, Anne Swartout of Ridgefield, CT , was also the Chief Judge for the Division A contest held on September 23rd in the Wooster School Library!

Congratulations Anne and special thanks to Carmine Coco De Young who organized the silent auction along with the refreshments at the contest!

Before 7 - after six weeks off

2008-09-30T06:28:00.002-04:00

I had not realized how long it had been since I last worked on this painting... Aug.10th was the last update.

What happened since then?

Well, I went to Chicago (and did about 3 minutes of standup comedy at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts open mic night).

I went to Montana for a family reunion.

I went to NH for a couple days with my Dad & sister.

And lots of Toastmasters activities!

As Lt.Gov.Marketing for District 53 Toastmasters, I am in charge of many activities (and I can't help getting involved in others too). It is alot of fun and all of it is a "growth experience" so I don't feel too bad that the painting progress is slow.

Besides, there haven't been too many comments on this blog, so it's hard to tell if anyone is paying attention anyways! (If you are reading this... leave a comment and let us know what you think of this blog.)

Sometimes the Art just has to come out...

2008-09-23T06:28:00.005-04:00

Jeff Hanson is an young artist featured in an article by Debra Skodack for the Kansas City Star.

He started painting and selling notecards, some of which "from his own driveway". International rock star, Elton John has even taken an interest in Jeff's art and asked him to paint pictures for his AIDS Foundation “cluster homes” in South Africa where "pregnant HIV-positive women receive medicine so their children will be born HIV-free".

While this could just be a story about an artist being discovered by a rock star and introduced to the world stage, it is much more.

Jeff is only 14 years old, has learning disabilities and is legally blind. He sees spots within his field of vision ... but his art must come through!

What's holding you back from fully engaging in your art? What are you using as an excuse?

What if you could find a few minutes a day? What could you create?

Dream Big... but start small.

2008-09-09T07:01:00.000-04:00

Dream Big.

You don't get passionate about daily chores like taking out the garbage, do you?

You need a bigger vision. A bigger goal.

A destination that promises incredible rewards, experiences and personal fulfillment.

There's nothing wrong with that, is there?

But why isn't everyone achieving their BIG DREAMS immediately?

Bee-HAG it:

By definition, a really Big Hairy Audacious Goal ("BHAG" as author Jim Collins and Jerry Poiras called it in their book, "Built To Last") is like an island or a mountaintop. No easy way to get there.

It isn't until you have identified or outlined the path to your BIG DREAM that the real journey can begin.

Passion & Path:

If you don't have a passionate goal... and a view of the path to your goal... it is very easy to fall into an EASY life.

In America, it is actually TOO easy. You can eat yourself to death with all the excellent and tasty food that is easily available in America.

Discipline = Progress

Success requires discipline. Making the choices that may not be comfortable... but the ones that move you towards your goal.

Tony Robbins defines that Fulfillment as the act of PROGRESS towards a goal. Progress requires discipline to follow the path to your goal.

And progress starts small. VERY small. Insignificantly small.

How long?
Start small and build your discipline until ... well until you die. Once you experience the feeling of progress you won't want to stop at your initial goal... you will reach for bigger and bigger goals!

How Small?
If starting small is so powerful, what is the smallest unit of action?

It is your "rituals" or "habits". Here is a good post on how to improve your rituals. Tony Robbins calls it "NET" time for "No Extra Time" !

For today...

Today is the day to DREAM BIG

... and Start small.

Start here.

Start NOW.

No more complaints...

2008-08-13T06:38:00.002-04:00

When I saw this cartoon, it gave me a good chuckle... and then it reminded me that complaining, or even just negative thoughts, don't help make the situation better.

The sooner I recognize, and accept, the current reality ... the sooner I can begin to figure out a way to change it.

I would also add that the "experimental German treatment" works especially well with an old American Indian remedy...

Kwitcherbichen and Giddyup !

[Any resemblence of the person in the cartoon to this author is purely coincidental.]

Before 6

2008-08-10T17:51:00.003-04:00

The weather was TOO nice this weekend ... but I still managed to paint a little more on the "Before" picture.

I was surprised that I still have a good amount of black to do... and since much of it is in odd places on the canvas, I have found that it is easier to do in sections and let things dry (so that I'm not putting my hand in wet paint and tracking it all over the place).

Oh, I should add that I have started walking with slight bursts of jogging. I will have to work my way up to really running... but at least I won't look as much like the painting !

How is your "Shine"?

2008-08-09T16:45:00.004-04:00

I saw this article from Duct Tape Marketing and even though it is about marketing and business, I really liked the concept of "shine".

...This 3rd strategy element is something I call “Your Shine.”

Essentially this is the illumination of your marketing and life vision in what is ultimately a highly personal and unique way.

You already know that line that separates your business and your life is so thin that without a vision for how one will serve the other, perhaps neither will serve either.

And that’s what I believe holds people back from building truly
remarkable businesses and equally remarkable lives.

So what does this shines thing look like? I don’t know exactly, but I do know it has nothing to do with balance.

First off, balance is impossible to achieve and it’s wrong thing
anyway. Building a business and a life that shines isn’t about balance, it’s more about blending the right notes to create a certain kind of dynamic harmony.

See, the beautiful thing about harmony is that only you can determine the kind of music that excites you.

Your Shine then is your personal understanding of your organization’s ... higher purpose or reason for being that syncs perfectly with your personal goals and values. ... You and only you can decide what “higher purpose” means, the only point I’m making is that without this driving vision or “this is why I do this” it is far too easy to get knocked off track the first time you
suffer some setback or criticism of your dream.

A firm grasp of this thing I call your Shine is what gives you the courage to stay with what you believe.

So the parts of your Shine, your harmony and by their very nature parts of your marketing strategy are:
Your personal, business, strategic and tactical long-term and short-term goals

Your marketing vision - the higher purpose of why you do what you do that helps you throw off the desire for a homeostasis kind of balance in search for a much more dynamic kind of harmony

Your vision story - A detailed description of a day in the life of your business if, in fact, your marketing vision was being fully realized and that your business was indeed allowing you to create a remarkable life - in a word, a
life that Shines.
Once you create Your Shine as part of your marketing strategy you may find that the other elements of your strategy, your ideal customer and your core difference, are much easier to get your arms around.

The most exciting thing I’ve witnessed when people take the time to really get this idea, is that all of a sudden marketing gets really easy, because they have a guiding light that drives every single marketing decision.

It doesn't just apply to Marketing.

Have you got your Shine On?

If it's worth doing, it's worth SINGING !

2008-08-05T07:05:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I posted something from Seth Godin (my favorite marketing author & blogger), but when I saw this post, I just had to pass it along...

Sing it!

I spent some time a few days ago listening to a nascent band
performing classic rock songs.

The first group sang a note-for-note rendition of a song by the Stones. The notes were right, but nothing else was. The singer
didn’t know what the song meant. And the musicians, they just stood there. No energy, no smiles, no connection. It could have been a funeral with a great soundtrack.

A concert isn’t about the music, is it? And a restaurant isn’t about the food.

The funny thing is that learning to Sing It is a lot easier
than learning how to play the guitar. For some reason, we work on the technique before we worry about adding the joy.

If you’re going to go to all the trouble of learning the song and performing it, then SING IT. Sing it loud and with feeling and like you mean it. Deliver it, don’t just make it. When you
answer the phone or greet me at your office or come to a meeting or write something, don’t bother if all you’re going to do is do it. Sing it or stay home.

I had composed this post in my head, when, in a scary example of blog synchronicity, they announced the next song. One by Bluë Oyster Cult, of course. And yes, the announcer demanded that the guest on stage give us more cowbell. More cowbell indeed.

As a speaker or artist, how often do we get trapped by the mechanics of what we are doing and forget that a good part (probably the biggest part) of the value comes from our emotion and connection with the material.

In other words, how we SING IT !

Are you singing today? Why not?

Before - 5 Weekend of Progress

2008-08-04T06:45:00.002-04:00

Again, some rainy weather this past weekend helped speed my progress on the current work.

It was also a good rest between working out and working in the yard... but, unfortunately, the sun came out on Sunday!

As the painting starts to come together, I'm starting to think about the other colors that will be added soon... I have some gray but I'm not sure if I'm happy with the current shades of blue or purple that I have.

In a few days, we will see what I decided.

Any thoughts or questions about the progress so far?

Leave a comment below !

P.S. I also created a self-portrait this weekend and added an electronic thumbnail version of it to the NoteWordy Artist page.
Check it out... http://notewordy.com/Artists.html

Updated NoteWordy.com web pages !

2008-07-28T18:23:00.005-04:00

It is official!

The primary pages are up for the new NoteWordy.com website !

We look forward to hearing what you think and any ideas you might have to make it even better.

Please send us an email or leave a comment below !

Dave Wheeler

Founder, NoteWordy.com

Before - 4 ... Progress due to rain

2008-07-28T06:40:00.000-04:00

I made some good progress on the painting this weekend due to a rainy day on Sunday here in CT.

Since Saturday was so sunny (and taken up with a great full day Toastmasters event), I was ready for a change of pace and the rainy weather on Sunday really helped make sure that I relaxed, took care of a few errands and did not overextend my sore back. (which I probably would have done if it was sunny and I worked in the yard).

Boy that sounds boring!

... but it really wasn't.

I got caught up on a bunch of things and really got into "the groove" with the painting... but I guess you had to be there !

Stay tuned for the next update ! I think I am nearly done with black paint which means color is just around the corner!

Before - 3

2008-07-15T06:44:00.001-04:00

Progress has slowed on the painting.

I hate it when "life" gets in the way of my art!

In particular, I've been doing quite a bit for Toastmasters (see my TM blog here) as well as work.

I've also started cleaning up the yard at my house. Maybe "cleaning up" does not give you a true idea of the full scope of what is needed.

I am hacking down overgrown brush, dealing with poison ivy, avoiding prickly bushes and, in general, trying to make at least a little progress towards a good looking environment.

It's all about progress! One way or another !

Dave

A comment on my art?????

2008-07-10T07:05:00.000-04:00

I found this site called "Artintimity" via Neatorama blog and thought that the concept of art on toilet paper was too crazy to not pass along...

Artintimity is a collaborative, artistic and original photoblog concept where people from all horizons express what they are thinking about…while sitting alone in a toilet.

Of course, it could also be a commentary on the state of what we consider "art" nowadays...

What do you think?

Is it "Art" or something else that's associated with toilet paper?

Should we coin the term and start talking about ... "Art de loo" ?

Will the Louvre hang it and if so, where?

Before-2 plus "dark art"

2008-07-09T06:32:00.001-04:00

I probably should have said this sooner...

This painting is "acrylic on canvas" and it measures 24 x 36 inches.

I expect that it will not include a frame when it is offered for sale ... but you never know.

Some readers have asked that I post a picture that shows the pencil work better... so here it is. The overall picture is pretty dark, but it should give you a better idea for the basic layout of the painting.

Any suggestions?

Any questions?

please leave a comment below !

Before - 1

2008-07-07T17:17:00.002-04:00

Here are the first faltering steps toward completion.

There is going to be quite a bit of black on this painting, so I figured I would jump right in and start there.

The concept behind the painting is to evoke the feeling of hopelessness and despair associated with being overweight.

If you could see the author, you might think that this is intended as a self-portrait ... but the person in this painting has much more hair (on his head).

You can also see what happens when I just want to use up whatever amount of paint is on my pallette before quitting for the day. (That's the amorphous blob toward the middle of the painting.)

New Art started... "Before"

2008-07-06T16:11:00.000-04:00

Wheels has a new painting in process and you will be able to see it as it progresses by tuning in to this blog....

This painting will be titled, "Before" and is part of a series called "Before & After".

The picture to the right is the blank canvas with the pencil lines added. "Before - Zero", so to speak.

It is also one of the first paintings to be auctioned off on eBay by the author.

While this "in-process" painting is being done, there will be other previous works offered for bidding via ebay so be sure to add this blog to your "Blog Reader" !

(Google has a pretty good blog reader in case you don't have on yet.)

In tribute to George Carlin ...

2008-06-23T06:41:00.006-04:00

This picture is a tribute to George Carlin (who passed away on Sunday).

The picture is a variation of the one posted by Jessica Hagy on her blog, "Indexed"...
Special thanks to my sister, Janet, who gave me the idea (after seeing Jessica's blog post).

In Janet's words,"although to be accurate there should be a line on the graph that looks like someone giving you the finger. True George Carlin style!!"

We saw George Carlin in person on May 2nd at his show in Northampton, MA. It was a great evening of fun with my sister, my Dad & I ... all of us great fans of comedy and George!

The world will miss George Carlin's unique perspective and incredible sense of humor !

If you haven't checked out Jessica Hagy's blog, you might want to go to the main page and check out some other entries... http://indexed.blogspot.com/

Other tributes to George Carlin...
Copyblogger.com
Psychology Today.com (last interview)
Comedy Central (video tribute)
If you know of more, please leave a link to them in the comments !
Thanks.

April Fools !!! (read this blog entry)

2008-04-01T06:06:00.007-04:00

You know the great thing about blogs?

Google indexes blogs in about 5 minutes so you are able to use a blog to pull an April Fools or practical joke on someone.

The key is to use a search term or string of words that is unique so that your post will come up first when your "victim" searches to get the "real story".

For example, my niece just passed her driver's test for her driver's license a couple weeks ago so if I put something like "Wisconsin driver test recalled" or "Recall of Wisconsin driver test" or "Wisconsin driver test problem" or "WI driving test" the odds are that my blog post will pop up at the top of a Google search !

I can improve my chances by adding tags such as "Wisconsin Driver Test", Wisconsin Driver Test Recall, recall, driving test and Grafton (where she might have taken the test).

Let's try it .... (I just posted this and will wait a few minutes to see if it works).

It worked ! Now to put my plan into action with a telephone call ....

April Fools Alex ... from your Uncle Dave !!!

Where in the world is.....?

2008-02-18T06:20:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you plotted all the places you have visited in the world? Where have you always wanted to visit?

Tripadvisor.com has a neat tool (under their "Fun & Free section, I believe) that allows you to plot locations across the globe and display them very quickly !

Here is an example for Dave Wheeler...

Grafton, WI, USA

Harrisville, NH, USA

Bozeman, MT, USA

Chicago, IL, USA

San Francisco, CA, USA

View my profile

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Visit TripAdvisor.com

It is interesting to see that although Dave has traveled extensively within the US and parts of Canada & Europe, he has yet to go to Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Guess where his next vacation might be?

Kentucky 4-H note card contest !

2007-12-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

As reported by News-Democrat & Leader Online, the Kentucky 4-H organization is running a notecard contest with the winning cards available for purchase in April 2008. There are a number of different age categories and it will be interesting to see who wins...

... but I'm wondering why they don't have different art categories?

By having different art categories, they would have more entries to choose from and more ways for the kids to experience winning (which, I assume, is a big part of the motivation for the contest). If it is simply a way to raise funds... well, I'm very disappointed.

If anyone in Kentucky is reading this and would like to publicize their notecard, please email a digital photo of your submission to theshot [at] gmail [dot] com. (The email address is in a funny form so that computerized spammers will be less likely to find it.)

Best of luck to all the 4-H artists !

Dave Wheeler
Founder, Notewordy.com

P.S. Press release writing suggestion for Gary Michael Templeman, 4-H/Youth Development Extension Agent for Logan County... a web address or telephone number would be helpful as part of the press release. Saying "contact Logan County Cooperative Extension Service" does not give the general public enough information and you are losing out on a large chunk of your potential audience.

Sympathy during tough times...

2007-12-12T05:44:00.000-05:00

Over the past years, we have blogged about how to handle sympathy cards and helped people come up with the appropriate words to write on them. [How-to Sympathy cards here.]

Recently there was a short (but effective) article on lifehack.org about how to handle the "face-t0-face" part of offering sympathy.

When attending the funeral of someone we know, the thought of going up to express our condolences to the friends and relatives of the deceased can often fill us with apprehension - it’s not exactly the kind of experience we go through every day. However, with the right approach it can actually be a very
inwardly rewarding experience.

In [condensed] summary, this is what they had to say...

Say it with feeling.

Empathise.

Show up.

Talk about fond memories and good qualities .

Write a sympathy notecard.

Act from the heart.

Click here to read the full article !

Do you LOVE notecards?

2007-11-30T06:45:00.000-05:00

We are looking for two or three people who would be willing to review notecards or up-and-coming artists (mostly from pictures online) and write about them on this blog.

If you are interested, please send us an email at theshot92 at gmail.com. (The email address left off the @ symbol so the address doesn't get picked up by automatic "spammers".)

We hope to hear from you soon !

Dave Wheeler
Founder, NoteWordy.com

Church of the Customer tackles Thank You notes

2007-11-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogs is "Church of the Customer" because they often have articles with ideas to improve your business and Jackie Huba just posted a great article titled, "Five must-haves for thank-you notes".

In short, this is what she had to say...

... there are five must-haves for an effective, buzzworthy thank-you note:
1) Spell the recipient's name correctly (doh!).

2) Thank the person for choosing your business. If they shared a specific reason why they choose your business of why they like it, reaffirm it. For heaven's sake, though, don't turn it into a sales pitch.

3) Include a personal detail about the recipient that you picked up on. Prove that you were listening. Humanity is a good thing in the antiseptic world of business.

4) Open the door to feedback. Whether the recipient provides it isn't the point; it's the idea that you're passionate about creating a recommendable experience.

5) Be authentic: Include your full name and contact info -- email and/or phone. Or a business card.

These 5 keys are important... and they begin to give you a feeling for what a Thank You note, especially one from a business to their customer, should include. The last one, "Be authentic" is especially important and is one of the reasons that most businesses fail to use thank you notes... they see business as impersonal or "just a job".

When you care enough to make your business GREAT, the idea of sending handwritten thank you notes is a simple step in that direction. It shows how much you care to do a good job (very unusual nowadays) as well as how much you care about your customers... and people will always do business with people who care about them over the standard [i.e. rude, impersonal, rule-following] businesses.

Click here to read the full article including an example of a thank you card that Jackie received.

Dalmation Note Cards !

2007-10-29T06:41:00.000-04:00

We found these dalmation (doggy) note cards at Texas Sauce Art Life blog.

They are donating 10% of each sale of these cards to Save the Dalmations charity. Sounds like Cruela Deville will be out of business soon !

One more example of how note cards can be both creative and a benefit to society!

Woof ! Woof!

Notewordy October Card-er of the Month !

2007-10-26T06:58:00.000-04:00

First, we liked the name of this site... http://www.justbeingnotesy.com/

Plus, there is (or was?) a sale going on ... "For today only (Thursday, October 25th) all sets of cards are only $4.95!" How cool is that? (Maybe you can still get the discount since the message is still on the homepage?)

And... with design names like "Springtime Splash", "Pastel Fireworks" and "Martini" we just had to make Just Being Notesy our NoteWordy Card-er of the Month!

One suggestion to improve their website ...
Who is the artist? If there was a link on the home page with the artist's story it would give the cards even more "personality" !

Who is missnotesy@justbeingnotesy.com?

The card buying public wants to know !!!

Unconventional Thinking... Write a Note!

2007-10-25T18:10:00.000-04:00

Mark Stevens, author of "Your Marketing Sucks" and other books, writes an interesting article on his blog called "Unconventional Thinking".

Here is how it starts...
No one writes letters any more. Considering the options, they are cumbersome and reach the other party with glacial speed. So why bother. Zip off an email and move on to your iPod. Next.

Well, not so fast. And not so simple. We don’t write letters, in part, because they impart a sense of permanence, of legitimacy, of the genuine article, of here today and here tomorrow. Of the
heart.

Sounds like a great idea! Read the whole article by clicking here.

Understanding Art...opening the door to a new world

2007-10-06T18:40:00.000-04:00

I came across this post called "How to Read a Painting" on lifehack.org and had to pass it along. The author not only gives us a reason to learn how to appreciate art, "even a passing acquaintance with art can enrich and deepen our understanding of the world around us" as well as the tools or ways of looking at art to gain a greater appreciation.

The tools are "subject, symbolism, style, and self-examination" and I highly recommend reading this article, especially if you are going to be taking a trip to a museum any time soon.

In fact, you should read the article and make your plans to visit an art museum right away!

You deserve it !

Beware the Garbage Trucks!!!

2007-10-02T06:56:00.000-04:00

I just came across an article by David J. Pollay that I really enjoyed reading and I hope you do too.

His story reminded me of a saying that my Dad used to tell me when I was playing basketball and would get upset by a bad call by a referee. He would say, "If someone offers you a big, smelly bag of hot, steaming, disgusting [you get the picture] ... it is up to you whether you accept it or not."

David Pollay's article takes that same line of thinking and adds his own New York story. I think you will find that his story will help you get through your day with less stress and allow you to focus more on the important things in life without being distracted by the "Garbage Trucks".

Check it out... http://pos-psych.com/news/david-j-pollay/20071002426

Notecard Envelopes... Job Hunter's weapon!

2007-09-25T06:35:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought that the simple act of "envelope size" could help someone get a job?

Well, the Job Hunters over at Guerilla Marketing certainly did!

Everyone’s face lights up when they see one of those little envelopes that are peculiar to “thank you” note cards – those tiny little 4 x 4 white envelopes with barely enough room to write a name and address on the front and a return address on the back. Fold your resume and cover letter together carefully until they fit inside and then mail.

What they forgot to mention is that you should also be using real notecards for follow-up after an interview.

Can you think of any other imaginative ways to use notecards in the Job Hunting process?

Notecards make you smarter!

2007-09-11T17:45:00.000-04:00

Here is an interesting article about how the practice of handwriting notecards can actually make you smarter !

Today the idea of a handwritten composition is nothing more than a fable told to disbelieving students- "You wrote the words? With a pen?" However, according to a washingtonpost.com article, the loss of handwriting also
may be a cognitive opportunity missed. The article explains, "Studies show that the neurological process that directs thought, through fingers, into written symbols is a highly sophisticated one. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better - a lifelong benefit."

The article goes on to say how we can make it a habit...

How do we encourage our children to write more? And ourselves!
Give them personalized stationery that reflects their interests. Children love to be told they are special and a personalized gift is a sincere way to express that sentiment. It also encourages children of all ages to practice writing. They do not have to write a long letter; just a personal quick note is better
than a note never written.

Write On !

Changing the world ...one thank-you note at a time

2007-08-17T06:44:00.000-04:00

This post on lifehack.org pointed me to a great article by Tom Chiarella called "A Little Gratitude... How to change the way the world sees you, one thank-you note at a time". Here is an excerpt...
Being grateful matters. A good thank-you -- a real thank-you -- means something. It is notable, memorable, important. A meaningful thank-you reveals the evolution of a friendship; it declares what we value, making one party certain that the other party notices and cares about the quality of human
transactions in the world around them. But every verbal thank-you, even a sincere one, risks being forgettable. No, there is only one way to really thank someone: You have to write it down. You gotta write a thank-you note.

Tom goes on to explain a experiment where he wrote at least 3 Thank You notes per day for a month ...

I've never been very good at this whole daily-reflection thing, but if I ever gave it a real shot, it was while I was scratching out these notes. Time passed differently. I began to look at the day as a series of opportunities for thankfulness rather than obligations to a calendar. The discipline of the writing gave me a morning ritual beyond a cup of coffee and the blathering of
SportsCenter. I started, for the first time in years, to work on my handwriting. The morning didn't tear by the way it usually does. I found that I could sit there and reconstruct the prior day by thinking of the faces of the people I met, the tenor of the things they did, and the places in which I met them. With
each day, I could remember more about each day that passed.

Kind of makes you wonder who you should send a thank-you note... it doesn't just make them feel good... it helps you as well.

Think about it !

Happy Punctum Day ... Aug.19th !

2007-08-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

I learned about Punctum Day via istockphoto.com. Here is their explanation...

We're all quite literally looking at pictures all day long. Of
course, some of us are more involved than others with this world of pictures. ... not every image just goes past us. Sometimes, the picture makes us stop, the photograph arrests us, the drawing makes us forget what we were just doing. We've all had this struck-by-lightning moment with an image.

Roland Barthes calls this arresting potential in imagery the Punctum.

It's the sensation that floods over us, stops us in our tracks and, if only for a second, blots out everything else. We feel something new and indescribable, suddenly alone with the image. Punctum is not the sudden understanding of what the image 'means'. It's our sudden availability, for whatever reason, for the image to create a new meaning in us, just for us. A one-time flash of something we hadn't felt or understood before. For that moment of interaction we are free and flying and somewhere altogether new.
As visual people, we crave this experience. As artists, we long to create it.

And today, we have a worldwide movement for our shared love of that struck-by-lightning moment. Join us in creating and celebrating this worldwide day honoring imagery and visual creativity. ... for creative people everywhere,

Punctum is who we are and what we do.

You don't have a Personality ...

2007-08-15T06:16:00.000-04:00

... and neither do I (so don't feel bad).

Huh? Read on.

I read the paragraph below in an article titled "10-simple-ways-to-save-yourself-from-messing-up-your-life" at Lifehack.org ....

Don’t worry about about your personality. You don’t really have one. Personality, like ego, is a concept invented by your mind. It doesn’t exist in the real world. Personality is a word for the general impression that you give through your words and actions. If your personality isn’t likeable today, don’t
worry. You can always change it, so long as you allow yourself to do so. What fixes someone’s personality in one place is a determined effort on their part—usually through continually telling themselves they’re this or that kind of person and acting on what they say. If you don’t like the way you are, make
yourself different. You’re the only person who’s standing in your way.

So, if you don't like the way things are going.... change the way you are acting. Change your "personality".

Learn from people who are getting the results you want and use their techniques. They won't come easily at first... that's why it is called "Learning" and not "Borg Assimilation*"

[* For non-trekkie saavy readers this is a Star Trek reference.]

New Cards from Etsy

2007-05-10T05:10:00.000-04:00

Check out these "Groovy Inclinations" note cards... http://groovyinclinations.blogspot.com/2007/05/new-note-cards-designed.html

(from the "Groovy Inclinations Ultimate Plaid and Tropics Stationery pack", for sale here)

Very colorful!

Very neat !

These cards make me SICK !!!!

2007-04-18T03:53:00.000-04:00

I had to wonder if the inventors of the "Red E bag" were making a comment about the cards that they sell when they came up with it?

The Red E bag is a "barf bag" or, more politically correct... a "nausea bag"... that is cleverly designed to look like a simple, stylish purse or handbag. It looks much better than those paper bags that they give you on airplanes!

It was invented by Jodi and Jim Carr, of As We Grow LLC and it was conceived when Jodi was getting sick from morning sickness (not from the cards they sell). Their patented solution to public nausea is a discreet durable bag with plastic disposable liners, an extra large opening and a zippered pocket for clean up supplies. Jodi comments, "I discovered it effectively reduces anxiety. I was relaxed, confident and mess free."

Here is an article about it and here is the website for the Red E bag.

As We Grow LLC owns the trademark and patent for the Red E Bag. They are certified as a woman-owned business through Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

So, what cards do they sell??? (And do they make you sick??)
As We Grow LLC sells copyrighted Robert Coval Note Cards and use the proceeds to contribute to American Cancer Society. Robert Coval was the photographer for the note cards and Jodi's father who had cancer.

Their nausea bag is available in black and pink and retails for $15.95 at http://www.redebag.com/ and at select e-commerce and retail stores.

For more information, contact Jodi Carr, (239) 822-2956 or jodicarr@redebag.com and be sure to tell her that we were just kidding about the cards making us sick!

More on Journaling...How-to, History and more!

2007-03-25T05:52:00.000-04:00

Here are a few books on the subject of Journaling.... (in case you want to read instead of write).

The Many Faces of Journaling : Topics & Techniques for Personal Journal Writing
by Linda C. Senn
This book starts out with some historical perspective on Journaling and then looks at different types of Journaling with all the reasons for each.

Notes from Myself: A Guide to Creative Journal Writing
by Anne Hazard Aldrich
This book is more about the mechanics of Journaling... what you need to do... and then has some background later.

In praise of Journaling...

2007-03-22T06:35:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Scott Ginsberg, wrote an interesting post about Journaling... click here to check it out.

Scott gives 9 different examples of journals you could start. (Some of which could also be considered types of entries in your all-purpose journal)...

Morning Writings
WOM Journal
Thanks Log
HVA Journal
Victory Log
Learning Log
'No" Journal
Dream Log
Luck Journal

All of these ideas certainly have value... it just depends on you actually sitting down and journaling.

I have found that just sitting down in a quiet place and thinking on a regular basis helps me maintain my "balance" ... especially when circumstances beyond my control are wreaking havoc on my life. (I'm sure we've all been there!)

I also find that the act of writing things down helps me get a better perspective on the subject and, as Scott mentions in his post, it helps me deal with reality more effectively!

What have you written lately?

CostCo FLUSHES AMD and HP !

2007-03-17T06:38:00.001-04:00

I just got a email flyer (see below) from my good friends at CostCo and, while I'm guessing that this was not intentional (?), it appears that they are making a comment on the quality of or, at the very least, the long term viability of HP and AMD.

[The ad shown above (full size) as well as toward the bottom of the flyer excerpt.]

Or maybe this is just CostCo's version of KMart's old "Blue Light Special" where they are just trying to get rid of something really quick !

After clicking on the link that CostCo provided (click here) it appears that this was more likely the work of the geniuses (?) at AMD and DreamWorks Entertainment (makers of the movie, "Flushed Away"). It is not clear how HP got roped into it ... perhaps that is the product that CostCo sells with an AMD processor so they felt they had to "throw it in" so they would have something (besides the movie) to sell.

In any case, my thanks go out to Costco for sending out this entertaining (although un-intended?) joke !

I can hardly wait to see what you come up with for April 1st (April Fool's Day)!

Dave Wheeler

Founder, www.NoteWordy.com

Words of Praise for "Snail Mail" !

2007-03-13T06:57:00.000-04:00

This article by Cathy Free of the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City, UT tells a nice story about Miriam Footer and her affection for the handwritten note.

The best line in the article was ...

If people don't pass the tradition of letter-writing down to their children and grandchildren, she wonders, what will future generations have to show the uniqueness of their loved ones' lives? Photocopies and printouts of e-mails hold about as much appeal as old tax records. "Where is the romance?" Miriam asks.

The tactile sensation of a handwritten note... the anticipation of opening the envelope... all with the added benefit of a physical item that can be a cherished keepsake for the rest of your life!

Miriam Footer's stationery shop, The Write Image, is also online... check it out (click here).

Geek Dinner at Two Boots NYC !

2007-03-11T03:36:00.001-04:00

BL Ochman organized a fabulous evening and, of course, our honored guest, Hugh MacLeod, for including us on his trip back to the city ! It was great to meet such interesting people and I hope there is another Geek Dinner / NYC very soon !

Others at the event (along with links to their websites) included...
Mitch Axelrod, Rick Bruner, Patrice Evans, Senia Maymin, Roger from melatonemusic, Alice Garik, Thomas Maloney, Marshall Sponder of www.webmetricsguru.com, www.artnewyorkcity.com, and www.smartmobs.com, Kelsey Kaufman, Josh Kaufman, and, of course, yours truly... Dave Wheeler.

It was a casual, but great evening (if that makes sense) ! I'm glad I went and, if the opportunity comes around again, I would highly encourage others to join in !

Dave Wheeler
www.NoteWordy.com

"Geek Dinner" at Grand Central !!!!

2007-03-09T06:28:00.000-05:00

One of the top bloggers in the world, Hugh McLeod, is coming to NYC ! And on Saturday, March 10th, there will be a "Geek Dinner" at a restaurant in Grand Central Station in New York City!

Where: Two Boots Pizza, in Grand Central Station (lower level).

When: 7.30pm.

It sounds like it will be an interesting time (and a chance to put some faces to the names we've seen online for many years). Click here to learn more or send an email to BL Ochman if you would like to attend!

Dave Wheeler

http://www.notewordy.com/
blog: http://www.theshot92.blogspot.com/
Toastmasters blog: www.areaA4.blogspot.com

Cards for Cancer ...?

2007-03-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

I came across this blog post and wondered if there should be a NoteWordy card for Cancer? It is an emotionally draining experience and a well chosen card could really boost the spirits of someone with the disease.

What if there was a card that was sort of like Lance Armstrong's book, "Its not about the bike"Lance "Its not about the bike" but in a notecard format? What should the art depict?

Of course, the profits would need to go towards cancer research.

It seems that HallMark is already going down this road (presumably without the charity donation) ... check out this web article.

What do you think? Leave us a comment !

An Interesting Artist / Note Card maker...

2007-03-06T17:29:00.000-05:00

This post about "A bad case of Stripes" caught my eye and I followed it to the web site for AnaHataArt.com.

Check it out... lots of visually interesting cards and other products !

Art Therapy for Kids turns into cards...

2007-02-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

This just in from Texas....

The Galveston County Daily News:
“Our child life director, Janis Matthews, and her team do a great job of providing daily art therapy for the kids,” Huang said. “I and many of my colleagues strongly believe in it as an important part of the healing process. One day, it occurred to me that we should get the word out about our art therapy program by producing cards with the children’s designs on them that the public could buy.”

Art Stars note cards can be purchased at the UTMB gift shop on the first floor of John Sealy Hospital, the UTMB Bookstore on the first floor of the Moody Medical Library and Children’s Hospital. A set of eight cards featuring four designs costs $10. All proceeds benefit the patients and programs of Children’s Hospital.For information, call 409-772-1596.

If you talk to anyone associated with this program, please have them send us a picture of the cards !
We would love to feature the pictures on this blog !
Email: theshot92@gmail.com

The Little Author, Inc. Creates Heirloom Treasures That Will Steal Your Heart

2007-02-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

The Little Author, Inc. Creates Heirloom Treasures That Will Steal Your Heart

This company, based in California, creates books, notecards and more from your child's art. Check out their website at http://www.thelittleauthor.com/index.html.

Hallmark is "reaching" for new card opportunities...

2007-02-16T07:11:00.000-05:00

This post at BrandSizzle blog starts off talking about the challenge of e-cards to traditional (paper) cards and it ends up showing how far Hallmark is willing to go ....

http://www.brandsizzle.com/blog/2007/02/chances_are_you.html

What's next? A card for when you get a blister? Or one for a stubbed toe? I don't think they have taken into account the fact that 1) people do not have time to run out and get a card for every single event in their life and 2) by the time they got a card, the moment has passed.

I can imagine their response might be ... "Well, if people would just buy the cards ahead of time, they would be prepared."

At $2-4 per card (or more), I don't think they are going to be doubling their business with these cards... but hopefully someone will send me one of their "too bad you were wrong in your blog post" cards.

I will hold my breath.

What's the Web up to???

2007-02-08T17:21:00.000-05:00

Would you like a visual rush that shows what is happening (and has already happened) on the web?

Check out this video !

Very cool !

Neat Online Game ....

2007-01-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

The visuals in this game are very soothing ....

http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/black.html

check it out !

(As linked from this K.Sierra post.)

Another Find for Freaky Friday

2006-10-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

I clicked on a random (?) Google Adwords link and came across this ...

http://www.thisintothat.com/

If you flip through the gallery you will see that Jim Rosenau puts an amazing amount of work into his "book shelves" to get the desired "effect"!

Enjoy!

DW

Freaky Friday Business Accessory ...

2006-10-06T13:02:00.000-04:00

I got a link to this as part of a review of a whole series of work environments and thought this one was, by far, the best !

The "Conference bike" ....

One person steers while everyone pedals. A great way to get everyone "on the same page" while also taking them down the same street !

Check it out here.

If you have seen one in person, leave a comment and tell us what you thought of the experience !

Fractal Branding

2006-10-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

I came across the interesting idea of "Fractal Branding" via Diego Rodriguez's blog, metacool.com. In the post talking about the FAA web site, he says:

Brands are fractal entities, and the meaning of the whole is to found in the execution of even the lowliest detail. Especially if your brand is all about rigor, safety, and juggling lots of big, heavy balls without dropping even one in a million.

His link on the term, fractal entities, brings you to his observation of an Apple "iPod store" which is a great example of taking the brand all the way from the smallest thing (physically for Apple... the product) to the biggest thing (physically...the store). It could also be looked at the other way... from the biggest thing (the product) to the smallest detail (the cosmetics of the store). Either way, Apple seems to understand fractal branding!

For those who have not dealt with fractals before, they are, according to wikipedia:

In colloquial usage, a fractal is a shape that is recursively constructed or self-similar, that is, a shape that appears similar at all scales of magnification and is therefore often referred to as "infinitely complex."

Some other marketing examples of "Fractal Branding" are available ...

... in an article by Sean Carton at ClickZ titled, "The Brand Promise".

... a post by Aaron Dignan in his blog, BrandPlay. This also leads back to the post below.

... a post by Kathy Sierra in her Passionate User blog, titled "Remarkable at every scale"

How consistent is your brand? Certainly it should be clearly presented in your advertising and promotions, but how deep does it go in the company?

Does it show up in the product or is marketing and branding an afterthought once the product is created? Does your brand show up in the the delivery of the product? the customer service? the accounting department?

Do you have good examples of fractal branding? Please leave a comment so we can share them with others. Even examples of BAD fractal branding would be helpful since we can also learn from them as well.

Write ON !
Dave Wheeler

Friday's Humor ... "Unabashed Gearhead Gnarlyness"

2006-09-22T04:40:00.000-04:00

I came across this and just had to post it ...

http://www.ronpatrickstuff.com/

As Diego Rodriguez says over at MetaCool blog ... this is some serious "Unabashed Gearhead Gnarlyness" !

Friday Humor (?)

2006-09-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

I found this picture on Seth Godin's blog and thought you might get a kick out of it ....

Catch The Wave ....

2006-08-14T07:16:00.000-04:00

Again I refer to Seth Godin's blog ....

Seth talks about the "timing" for a business. He uses Vegan cooking and Starbucks as examples of businesses that could not have been successful in a different era.

As always, Seth brings up a good point and it brought to mind an analogy....

Surfing.

If you are trying to catch a wave there are a number of steps involved:
1. Get a surfboard and get in the water. If you are on the shore, you aren't going to catch a wave. Same thing in business. Unless you are actively IN BUSINESS and even, perhaps near, or in, an industry it will be difficult to see the approaching waves.

2. Paddle out. This involves avoiding or overcoming other waves (and other surfers) while you try to find "your wave". In business, this is "survival" while keeping your eyes open for the right opportunity.

3. Catch a wave. The first thing you do, once you see a wave you want to ride, is the get your board turned around (toward shore) and start paddling FAST so that you are ON the wave. In business there are few companies or people who can "paddle" fast enough to actually catch the wave.

4. Ride the wave. Use your creativity and skills to ride the wave for all it is worth. Eventually it will die out and hit the shore, so enjoy the ride.

5. Repeat.

Does anyone with more experience with surfing or business have any comments?

Dave Wheeler

The Peaceful Warrior .... Movie experience

2006-07-31T12:07:00.000-04:00

I went to see an interesting movie recently called The Peaceful Warrior. It is probably not at your local cineplex since it is in very limited release. In fact, I had to travel to New York City to find a theatre that was playing it.

I should start by saying that this movie is not for everyone. Let's be very clear about that. If you are looking for standard Hollywood fare, look elsewhere.

Peaceful Warrior has been compared to the Karate Kid and I can see the similarities, but this is not a movie for teenagers. College students might relate to it since the story involves a college athlete but alot of the concepts in the movie won't appeal to kids who are not yet concerned with "the meaning of life" and their place in the cosmos. You will see in some of the reviews below that there are even some adults who "get it" and some that don't.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I would recommend it. It is not for everyone, so if enlightenment is not high on your priorities, don't bother with Peaceful Warrior. Go see a summer blockbuster.

Dave

Here are some other reviews .....

Here is what STING had to say about the movie ...
"A lot of movies promise happiness, but most often it's the 'fleeting' happiness of a thrill ride, and when it's over, it's over; you feel empty, and begin searching for the next thrill. Very few movies actually question what happiness is, or suggest ways that it can be sustained. Peaceful Warrior asks this question and in doing so takes you out of your mind, and those who would consider themselves sane would be 'out of their minds' not to see it. Peaceful warrior is an important film, an inspiring film, and a film that could change lives." -Sting

There are also comments on www.peacefulwarrior.net (which has been called the "community site" for the movie) from other celebrity such as Phil Jackson(Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers), Deepak Chopra(Author, "Peace Is The Way"), Eckhart Tolle(Author of "The Power of Now") and Jim Carrey (actor).

Here are 4 links to critic reviews (originally found on Fandango):
These are 4 generally negative reviews... and it is pretty clear to see that they don't get it.

USAToday... "Peaceful Warrior is The Karate Kid set in the world of gymnastics. The Pat Morita character is less Zen and more homespun, in the silver-haired and smoothly coiffed form of Socrates (Nick Nolte). His alleged wisdom is a blend of platitudes and New Age psychobabble: "Be in the moment. It's all about the journey. There is no start and there is no end. There's just being."

LA Times... "Like a blip in a genre timeline that extends from "Grass-hoppah" through "wax on, wax off" and Morrie-filled Tuesdays, the sage-elder/wayward-charge saga Peaceful Warrior aims for inspirational highs but mostly feels like a self-help book read aloud by actors. "

Variety.... "Long-in-gestation Peaceful Warrior is so under the spell of the be-here-now philosophy of Dan Millman's New Age-y memoir from which it was drawn that it loses sight of the need to credibly dramatize the ideas. Mere recitation of homilies for better living -- which is what Nick Nolte's gas station guru imparts to a struggling young gymnast -- and a half-baked account of the athlete's comeback are no substitutes for a complete movie."

Washington Post... "An arrogant college gymnast gets his comeuppance, followed by a measure of Eastern-style enlightenment in this over-earnest, heavy-handed drama. Yet despite its artistic flaws, certain teens will deem Peaceful Warrior a profound experience because of the way it asks its central character -- and us -- to reorder life's priorities. True, the film smacks more of The Karate Kid (PG, 1984) than Little Buddha (PG, 1993), but for American kids to hear a mentor urge a callow youth to "live in the moment" and treasure the journey more than the destination is unusual. "

Now, here is someone who "gets it" !

Hollywood Reporter... "...There's no question that legions of Millman's fans will embrace this film version of the 25-year-old best-seller. But in adapting the first two-thirds of the book, director Victor Salva and writer Kevin Berhardt clearly aimed to do more than preach to the personal growth/self-realization choir; for the most part they avoid self¬congratulatory New Age philosophizing and focus on character. "

Other blog reviews:
http://jessica.zaadz.com/blog/2006/4/peaceful_warrior_premiere

The Problem of "Too Much Money" ....

2006-07-12T06:41:00.000-04:00

I was reading Steve Pavlina's blog (click here to read the post) and it was interesting to hear about the problems when you have "too much money".

Before I start, let me say that this is not MY PROBLEM. It is purely theoretical for me, but I also found it to be a stimulating mental exercise to try to figure out and solve Steve's problem(s).

My first observation is that Steve is doing well by recognizing his true purpose and what makes him happy. He also is very smart to have a diversified portfolio of income sources with many being passive income generators. Most middle-class people never get to this point and if you are still working for someone else, I would recommend reading "Retire Young, Retire Rich" by Robert Kiyosaki. He is the author of the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" best sellers and the RYRR book has some good ideas on the mental aspects of wealth building including "context".

Back to Steve's problem ... I think he needs to THINK BIGGER ! Additional wealth will give him opportunities that he might not have otherwise. For example, he could probably afford to sponsor conferences related to his area of expertise, personal development. This would be a great use of his financial leverage... even if it he only provided the working capital or seed money.

Overall, I'm sure Steve will solve his problem and I KNOW that he will not get any sympathy from me or most of his other readers !

Write On!

Dave Wheeler

Interesting Ideas and some good talks ...

2006-07-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to attend TED and now we all have the opportunity to see a bit of what goes on there ...

Check out some of the speeches (click here).

I think you will be impressed. I particularly liked the talks by Sir Ken Robinson and Anthony Robbins.

Enjoy !

(P.S. If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, be sure to watch the commercial at the end.)

The importance of Context ....

2006-06-23T06:23:00.000-04:00

The recent blog post at DesignObserver (brought to my attention via Seth Godin's blog) brings up an excellent point that can be applied not just to marketing and logo design, but to nearly all aspects of life.

click here to read the post. It is well worth the time to read through it!

The Context of a logo (or a piece of art) (or an act of kindness or exceptional customer service) is something that is BUILT over time. Certainly each part must support and reinforce the other parts, but it is important to understand where each part stops and the other begins.

What do you think???

Why didn't you tell me it was World Laughter Day???

2006-05-08T12:24:00.000-04:00

I didn't find out about World Laughter Day until the day after (today, Monday May 8th).

Perhaps it was due to the fact that I live in Connecticut (USA) and there are not World Laughter Day festivities scheduled (or at least none listed on the World Laughter Day web site, click here.)

It sounds like a GREAT idea and I'm going to celebrate it (in my own way) today.

I encourage everyone to find something humorous in your life and treat yourself to at least 3 good laughs today.

It shouldn't be too hard.

Just take your boss for instance .... do I need to say more?

Or your kids... they do the darnedest things!

And don't get me started on signs or the way people drive! (Check out the "game" faces that people use when driving sometime. Preferrably when you are stopped at a light so you don't drive into the other lane.)

Laugh it up Fuzzball!

Wheels

National Downshifting Week (in UK)

2006-04-27T07:44:00.000-04:00

The BBC in the UK had an interesting article about "National Downshifting Week"!

Check it out at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4931760.stm

National Downshifting Week celebrates the trend for taking life easier by
encouraging people to take small steps towards living a more relaxed lifestyle.

Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it!

What do you think?

Write On!

The Pitfalls of a Startup business

2006-04-18T06:51:00.000-04:00

I came across an interesting topic brought to my attenion by Seth Godin in his blog that could apply to my NoteWordy Card / Art business ....

"How do you keep someone from stealing your great business idea before you can get your business off the ground?"

Before I give my opinion, here are some other blogger's opinions ...

Paul Graham's blog comments:

As a rule, startups shouldn't worry so much about competitors, especially big
companies. Competitors are a second-order problem. Startups should worry more
about making something worth copying and less about whether someone will.

From The Cardboard blog:
Remember, good ideas without PROVEN success are nothing more than BS.

My opinion:
I must agree with Seth and Paul that most ideas are not as special as the inventor thinks. If a problem is obvious, there will be someone trying to solve it. The real key is to turn it into a business. Clearly that is the difficult part and it often involves many more parts than the inventor originally imagined .... distribution channels, financing, manufacturing, packaging and more.

On the other hand, it just makes good common sense to get as much protection for your idea as possible. If an idea is patentable and you show it to someone you could lose your rights to patent it. I highly recommend reading "Before You Quit Your Job" by Robert Kiyosaki (author of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad books). In this book he tells about how his failure to put legal "barriers" in place caused him to lose out to cheaper competitors.

As in many areas of business, there is not a simple answer. On the other hand, if you have the opportunity to get help turning your idea into reality from someone like Seth Godin, TAKE IT! It is better to take an idea to market than to protect it and never make any money.

Plus, it is more than likely that your initial idea won't be the one that will work. The second or third or 100th iteration is much more likely to work if you are learning along the way!

One last comment that I think applies comes from Hugh Macleod, who makes art on the back of business cards. When he is asked whether or not he is worried about someone copying him, he replies ... " Let them try. No one will have spent all the time I have doing it and it is unlikely that they will understand it as well as I do." (to paraphrase).

So, GO FOR IT ! Do something... even if it is wrong. If it is wrong, do something else. You will still be far ahead of the people who did nothing, but protected their idea!

Write ON!

Dave Wheeler

"How To Be An Early Riser" ... and Self Discipline

2006-03-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

I came across the following blog post and found it interesting !!!

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser-part-ii/

Steve Pavlina talks about "how to be an early riser" and I am definitely going to try out his ideas. I especially like what he says about self-discipline:

If you can’t get yourself out of bed when your alarm goes off, this is likely
due to a lack of self-discipline. If you have enough self-discipline, you’ll get
out of bed no matter what. Motivation can also help, but motivation is short
lived and may only last a few days. Discipline is like a muscle. The more you
build it, the more you can rely on it. Everyone has some discipline (can you
hold your breath?), but not everyone develops it. There are a lot of ways to
build discipline — I’ve written a whole chapter on this topic in my upcoming
book. But basically it comes down to taking on little challenges, conquering
them, and gradually progressing to bigger ones. It’s like progressive weight
training. As your self-discipline gets stronger, a challenge like getting out of
bed at a certain time will eventually become trivially easy. But if your
self-discipline has atrophied, it can seem an almost insurmountable hurdle.

Definitely looking forward to his upcoming book !

Dave Wheeler

Marketing VS. NCAA Tournament .... a great analogy

2006-03-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

Shotgun marketing blog has an interesting post that draws an interesting analogy between the NCAA [basketball] tournament and Marketing.

Click here to read it.

I would add one more analogy....

"March Madness" is what they call the exciting action provided by the NCAA basketball tournament.

"Market Madness" is the [unbridled? unrealistic?] enthusiasm brought on when you start to believe your own marketing hype.

Any other ideas ???

What's Important to your customers?

2006-03-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Seth Godin's post today (click here to read it) got me thinking.... His premise is that there is a "life cycle" of authenticity. Some things are "more authentic" than others, such as Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts. Click the link below to see his graph example.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/images/authentic.jpg

The real question though is ... what is important to your customers?

Some may value authenticity while others value consistency. (Not that the two should be mutually exclusive ... as the best companies often show us.)

Some customers value modern, cutting-edge art while others like the classics. Different things for different people.

No news there.

The key point to remember is that authenticity can make your brand STRONGER and it is usually better to have it than not. Even if "consistency is your thing", you should strive to keep it authentic! If you don't then your brand starts to dissipate and lose its cohesiveness and eventually its meaning.

What do you think? Am I nuts? Leave me a comment !

Dave Wheeler

Very Cool Video

2006-02-20T18:44:00.000-05:00

I found a link to the following video on a blog called "Creating Passionate Users" by Kathy Sierra.

Here is the blog link to see her comments (click here)

Here is the link to the video (very cool stuff... sort of like Spielberg's movie, "Minority Report")
(click here for video)

I especially like the interactive lava lamp !

Write On!
Dave Wheeler

2006-02-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

[ Hypothetical Art created for Dave Wheeler's speech entitled ... "Is it ART?" ]

Is it ART?

2006-02-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

I gave the following speech at the WestConn Toastmasters, Wooster School Library, Danbury, CT on Wednesday, February 1, 2006.

Is it ART?

Is this art? Sure, I think everyone would say that this is “art”

Is this art? Show of hands?

Is this art?

Is this art?

Is this art?

Is this art? [see picture in post above]

How do you know what is art? Especially with non-traditional types of art?

First, let me start out with the "dictionary definition" of Art ....
"The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. "

Doesn't really help much when it comes to non-traditional art, does it?

I’m going to address three common issues with non-traditional art and when I’m done, it is my goal that you will have a different perspective on what you consider “good” art !

The 3 issues are:

1) If it didn’t take long to create, then it isn’t worth much. A variation on this is, “My 3 year old daughter could do that.”

2) “I just plain don’t like it.”

3) “There’s too much garbage out there that’s not art !”

To tackle the issue of how much effort it takes, let me tell you a story about my grandfather.

Back in the early 60’s, he had an old run-down pump to provide water for his vacation cottage in NH. It always seemed to me to be held together with rubber bands and was always dying, usually when I was in the middle of my shower.

One day it died and he called up the local mechanic to fix it. The mechanic came out, looked over the pump.... took out his wrench .... and gave it a solid rap on the side. It roared back to life! My grandfather thanked him and figured since it only took him a few seconds, the bill would be small, if he even sent him a bill.

The next day, a bill from the mechanic for $35 showed up in the mail. My grandfather was furious. How could it be that much ... remember that $35 in the 60’s was like $500 now !

So he called up the mechanic and demanded and ITEMIZED bill, figuring that he would be embarrassed to itemize it or would not be able to justify his charges.

The next day, a new bill showed up with the following itemization:
Rap on the pump: $ .03
Knowing how to do it : $ 34.97

Art is the same way. Anyone can do it, but it can takes years to develop the background and skills to make the creation look effortless.

The second issue is: “I just don’t like it.”

To this I would ask, “Do you like freedom?”

The United States is a great country because we have freedom of expression. You have freedom of choice.

You don’t have to like someone else’s art, but it is in your best interest to defend everyone’s right to choose.

In addition, you also have the freedom to vote with this (show money). What you buy in many ways helps to determine what gets shown in public because if people cannot make money, they will have to do something else.

This leads me to the third issue: “There’s too much garbage art out there”
On this point, I have to agree with you. But I will add that it can actually be a good thing.
First, let me say that the internet has caused an explosion in choices.

A good example that people can relate to is books.
It used to be that there were best selling books in bookstores and if it didn’t make it to the bookstore, the odds were that you would never find it because it cost the publisher too much to get it into the store.

Now with the internet, there is what is called the “Long Tail”. This is where it costs next nothing to publish one more book and sell it on Amazon. Since the cost is so low, authors can publish their works and turn a profit by selling a very small number of books. These books usually appeal to small niches or segments of the market. For example, did you know that you can do a search on “toe nails” on Amazon.com and come up with 2,494 books!

There’s lots of stuff out there. It applies to books, records and even art. The good news is that whatever you like .... it is out there ! You just need to find it !

In summary, Art is subjective but what if you expanded your mind to appreciate the skills and years of practice that went into other forms of art.

I encourage you to defend other people’s rights to choose ... so you maintain your own right to choose.

And finally,

Find art that suits your tastes... there is lots out there and some of it is PERFECT for you !

The Marshmallow Effect ....

2006-02-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

I came across an interesting blog post (referred by Seth Godin) ....

http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/02/marshmallow-musings/

What Marshmallows are you eating today that you should set aside until tomorrow?

Won't they get hard if you let them sit out too long?

What's your Marshmallow philosophy? (Is it getting you what you want?)

Write On!

Dave Wheeler
Founder, www.notewordy.com