"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 text). This tattoo acts as a daily reminder that, well, magic… is… something… you...
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 give up. EVERY person who is the best at what they do was once terrible. Michael Jordan: there was once a time that he couldn’t even dribble a basketball. Leonardo Da Vinci: there was once a time he could only draw stick figures. Albert Einstein: there was once a time he didn’t...
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 cheer for everyone who is putting in real WORK to get where they want to be. But if you’re constantly searching for external validation then you’ll never truly be happy. Focus on your goals, aim for daily improvement, and do what makes you happy. Ignore the negativity, and don’t let...
This is my wife, Ioana. She’s pretty amazing. You’ll soon know one of the many reasons why. But first: It’s so easy to make excuses why we don't achieve our goals. We often justify our failures by placing the blame on other people and/or the circumstances. This “victim” mentality will forever hold you back from reaching your potential. However, once you break this mindset, you realize that all things become possible. Ioana was born in a small village in Romania, and came to America by herself when she was 20 years old. She didn’t know anyone, and English was her second language...
I’m still amazed at the power of art, and the impact it can have on others. My seemingly innocent idea of creating a drawing and then signing and numbering 200 prints for charity has turned into something bigger than I could have imagined. In the past year my art has raised nearly $150k for charity, and along the way I’ve gotten to work with some amazing people - folks who are in the public spotlight and many who are not. And, if you’re reading this, it’s likely that you contributed to that donation by purchasing a print. Together, we’ve made a real, positive...
Many details regarding my "journey back to art" have been told over the past year, but there is still so much more to my story. When I speak with students I go deeper into my background, highlight other personal challenges that I overcame, my outlook on life and success, and much more. if I can inspire even one person then it’s all worth it. But you never really know if your message was fully absorbed by the students. Well, now I know. I received a package full of hand-written “thank you” cards from Bonney Lake High School students. It was so amazing to read...
This is Noah. He’s a pretty special kid. You’ll soon know why. Last night I attended my first ever Boston Celtics game. Noah happened to sit next to me. I didn’t know him before this moment. As it turns out, Noah is a SUPER fan. He knows every player, their stats, and much more. His knowledge was impressive. Did I mention he’s only 7-years-old? But that’s not the most amazing part of this story. During a timeout the Celtics players threw t-shirts into the crowd. If you’ve attended a sporting event then you know that people freak out and will push and shove just to get a...
Last year, as my artwork began to gain attention, a friend of mine connected me with a prominent person in the national art community. We discussed my work, the many challenges that artists face to “make it” in the industry, and he outlined the business side of art. Long story short: he told me the only way to be successful as an artist was to contact art galleries, and hope that they would endorse me and promote my work. However, according to him, my artwork is NOT gallery-worthy and, as a result, I have NO chance of succeeding. My reply? If galleries have no...
"What’s your story?” Asked Pete Winemiller, SVP of Guest Relations for the Seattle Sonics, on my first day with the team. I wasn’t sure how to answer. "My story? As in...
I used to be really good spelling. Yes, as is… spelling words. In fact, in 4th grade, I breezed through my elementary school's spelling bee competition and went on to participate in the District competition. I was pretty sure I was going to win. I could spell really difficult words - words I could barely pronounce. So, how’d I do? I was the first person out. In the first round. Did I mention that in the first round they give you the easiest possible word to spell so each competitor can get comfortable on stage? Yeah, I misspelled that one. My word? LIMIT. I completely froze on stage after...
