I shouldn’t be here. And I’m not referring to the success of my art. Both of my parents were great athletes, and I have many fond childhood memories of attending their countless sporting events. But those memories were literally seconds away from never happening. When I was 9-months old, my dad was holding […]
I used to hate running. A lot. Then a friend talked me into training for a marathon, which made me hate running even more. Well, at least in the beginning. However, as each training run went by, running got a little easier and a bit more enjoyable. Since then I’ve run 13 full marathons […]
Never be ashamed! There’s some who will hold it against you, but they are not worth bothering with.” — J. K. Rowling I’d estimate that 95% of my art has never been seen… and never will be. For most of my life I struggled with sharing my art with others for fear of […]
Compassion is the fabric that connects us all. But when compassion for our fellow man ceases to exist, where are we heading as people? Not long ago, my wife was driving home and called me. “I’ll be home soon, and I’m bringing Frank with me,” she said. “Who?! Who is Frank?” I confusingly replied. […]
Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail and, eventually, you find yourself at the top. I often set goals that others would deem ridiculous and outlandish. But the thought of failing never enters my mind. It just doesn’t. Once I set a goal, I wholeheartedly believe the goal will be achieved […]
What is “good” art? To me, good art It pulls you in, and dares you to looks away. And while you’re viewing, it makes you feel: happy, sad, hopeful, angry or a plethora of other emotions – sometimes simultaneously – but it makes you feel *something*. Good art can illustrate a thought or feeling […]
The true character of a person is often revealed in the face of adversity. When the odds are against you, how do you respond? Do you make excuses to justify the seemingly inevitable outcome? Or do you fight against all odds? My wife, Ioana, just finished her 1st quarter of grad school. She was […]
“Magic is something you make.” A statement that has had a profound effect on me. In fact, I believe in this statement so much that I had it tattooed on my chest (it’s written in Leonardo da Vinci’s handwriting, who was also left-handed and would often write backwards so you’d need mirror to read the […]
When I first started drawing, I was terrible. I practiced every day, and drew terrible drawing after terrible drawing. I mean, these drawings were embarrassingly terrible. However, each day my drawings got a little less terrible. So many people dream of being great at something, but they’re afraid of being terrible. So, they quickly […]
Don’t let the desire to be accepted by other people drive your happiness. Not everyone will be happy for your success. Many feel as though we’re all in a constant competition with each other and, if you’re doing well then that means they’re losing. That’s the biggest fallacy. We can ALL win, and I […]
