Samurai, Jedi, and Navy Seals
I want to be like a Samurai, a Jedi, and a Navy Seal, when it comes to my art and writing.
the Samurai were famous for improving their skills every day. they believed that if you can practice to improve every day, soon you will become a master. I don't use a sword like they did, but I have my pencil and my pen.
the Jedi are all about inner strength. they learn that it is as easy to lift a giant x wing fighter, as it is to lift a small stone, with the power of the force. they learn to trust their instincts to know the perfect next move. they learn to avoid fear and doubt, because those are the paths to the dark side. those lessons will help anyone to live a powerful life.
the Navy seals are known for pushing themselves to the limits. they say that when you think you cant go on no further, you're really only at 40% of your ability.
thinking about these three types of people helps me figure out what I need to do next, to be a better artist, writer, and entrepreneur.
it also sounds like a lot of work. ha ha
Warning: read this before buying a caricature online
The Gift That Blew Away a Famous Artist!
The power of a Cool-Gift . . .
Quick Story: A few years ago a friend of mine, Michael Chera, was going home to Cape cod with his wife and two sons. He wanted to get a special gift for his Grandfather, who everyone in the family called “Papoo.” Michael knew I drew caricatures as a hobby and a small business and he thought a caricature would be a perfect gift.
You see, his Grandfather was a famous artist. Many years ago “Papoo” painted movie posters for Hollywood. this was back when every movie poster was hand painted. some of these posters are collectables today. Mike thought that an art gift was a good idea. But would a famous immensely talented and skilled artist be interested in a cartoon drawing?
I drew a Caricature of “Papoo” from a photo, and Mike took it with him when he left. I didn’t think too much of it, but I was blessed with a good story when Michael returned from the holidays.
He told me that “Papoo” received a lot of gifts from many family members and he was very honored, but when he opened Michael’s gift, the caricature I drew, tears of joy began to flow from his eyes, and he said that the drawing was the best gift he had ever received!
Now, to be real, I’m not trying to say that everyone who gets one of my caricatures is going to cry tears of joy, but I thought it was a beautiful story, and I was glad to help give a blessing to my friend’s family.
Most of the time people laugh when they get a caricature! But that's just a quick story of the power of a really cool gift.
James
The Little Duckling That almost didn't make it.
Friday I was helping my sister move into her new house. We help loading U-Haul truck with more than one load, And drove it to the new house 2 miles away. Only the heavy stuff! Little did we know, there was a small life and death situation going on under our nose. . .
On the final U-Haul trip, we unloaded the truck and sat down to relax. My sister wanted to check on the ducklings she had recently bought. She was keeping them in a box in the laundry room, under the carport. She found that someone had put a large water bucket in the box with the little ducks, with their food. One of the ducklings had fallen into the water bucket and could not get out. He had been treading water to survive for who knows how long, maybe all day. (ducklings that are incubated can't float until after their feathers grow in) It looked like we could have been to late.
The duckling was beyond exhausted and at the point of death. Another minute and he could have drowned. He was so weak that when I tried to pet his head with my finger, he fell over and could not stand back up without help. And he would not eat. We needed a plan.
My sister dried him off with a towel and a hair dryer. I thought he might die anyway, but before I left, He was walking around in a shoebox and making little duck sounds. aparently, there was more to this little duck than meets the eye.
A few days later I texted my sister and she said that the duckling was fine now. He will probably end up being the strongest duck in the world.
He never quit, and we didn't give up on him either. But we were very sorry that we had made a mistake that put him in danger.
Don't ever quit!
Do you have anyone in your life who never give up on you? Is there a friend or family member in your life who you would never give up on?
Why don't you send them a gift to let them know that you won't make the mistake of not honoring your relationship?
I can draw a caricature of your friend or family member which I think is an awesome gift.
P.S. If you would like to see a photo of the little ducklings, send me an email at jamesthomasart@yahoo.com with the words little duckling in the subject line.
Thanks and have a great day!
