According to Christie's announcement, the drawing is expected to sell in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Which begs the question:
Why won't my simple black-and-white drawings fetch similar rewards?
The simple answer is, of course, I'm not Andy Warhol. Hey, I could draw the same thing, but its worth in the market would be less than the paper I used...because I am not Andy Warhol.
"Playing in the Sand" by Lisa McDonald (www.freedigitalphotos.net)
Do you remember being a little kid?
I do.
Other than my chores, I had not a care in the world.
I followed the space program closely and have fond memories of waking early on the West Coast to watch the televised--In "Living Color!"--launches of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions with my mother. These were exciting days as the nation responded to President Kennedy's urgent call to land a man on the moon within the decade, but the threats that prompted his call to action escaped my attention. Duck and Cover! was just a game.
Maybe I should have put more effort into my studies, but I generally didn't let school work interfere with my fun time at home.
Instead of worrying about the past, present, or future, I simply played. I played all the time, even when I was supposed to be engaged in serious work!
Are you amazed by the power of imagination, creativity, entrepreneurship, and basic human kindness?
Then you will love this story!
What a wonderful story, right?
If you would like to chip in to help Caine prepare for and go to college, click HERE.
Additionally, the Goldhirsh Foundation is providing a dollar-for-dollar match for all donations up to $250,000 in order to seed the Caine's Arcade Foundation, which will help other kids develop their creativity and entrepreneurship.
I am not what you would call a "dog person," but somehow it has fallen to me to walk our Tuffy every morning while she...well, you know what she does.
She loves those walks and usually sports a big, goofy, ear-to-ear doggie smile as she struts around looking at birds and sniffing things.
Me? Not so much.
Oh, I enjoy being outside and the birds do make me smile. Just not the other stuff that goes with taking Tuffy for her first-of-the-day stroll.
Sometimes I put the walks off until later, but you know what? Waiting doesn't make them any less onerous, or if you prefer, odorous.
Other than being later in the day, the whole endeavor is the same.
In fact, I could make a strong argument that it is actually worse, because I've extended the period of dread before the deed. That reluctance distracts me from my work and diverts my thoughts from the places they need to wander.
Tuffy suffers.
I suffer.
My work suffers.
What's the lesson?
Well, just as bad news doesn't get any better with age,* the jobs we like least don't magically become more palatable because we put them off.
There's a better way.
Tuffy is going to get a surprise tomorrow morning!
Listen, if you have an unpleasant job to do, don't delay. Just do it and move on.
What is your cure for procrastination? Click here to share your thoughts.
Here are four simple lessons from 7-year-old Audri Clemmons for your Friday fun and inspiration:
Honestly, I cannot think of a better way to catch monsters.
I also can't think of a better way to illustrate four lessons that will help us all succeed.
Be Creative. Don't trap your monsters the way you always have. Monsters have a way of adapting, so don't just look at one way to get them.
Embrace Failure. Audri happily anticipated his failures and even predicted many more than he experienced. He was ready to fail because he knew that failure would be a part of his creative process. Audri had confidence that he would ultimately prevail over the monster, despite his plan's initial shortcomings.
Don't Quit. Audri refused to quit and I suspect he still wouldn't have quit even after dozens of attempts. Rather than crying over his failures, or worse yet, quitting, he adjusted his plan and bagged that monster.
Celebrate Your Victories. Did you notice? Not only did Audri dance around and cheer his victory, but he also acknowledged the fact that his failures paved his road to success. Audri had reason to celebrate because he stuck with it and got his monster!
Audri is the bomb and we can all learn from his wonderful example.
Dear Students (and all others with whom I communicate),
Please take these three "ifs" to heart:
1. If your written or spoken communications involve any of the errors exposed in this infographic, you are diminishing your credibility.
2. If you simply avoid these all-too-common mistakes, you will almost instantly be viewed as more believable and authoritative. [Corrected based on feedback from Dale. Boy, am I red-faced!]
3. If, on the other hand, you continue to commit these blunders, those who receive your messages may view you as an unreliable rube.
Sincerely,
Your Teacher and Friend
P.S. While this infographic is addressed specifically to those who write online, this lesson applies to all.
P.S.S. Please don't feel like you must share this with everybody. Instead, just send it to people with whom you communicate, either in writing or verbally. See below for sharing options.
Who knew that you could mix these elements--four ordinary looking guys, cars, jars, hubcaps, broken pianos, paint guns, umbrellas, mannequins, old guitars, and a bunch of other random objects--into videos filled with such images and sounds?
Not me.
What about you? Did you know?
You see, that's the rub here. These guys took objects that you rarely even find in the same location and combined them for a completely new purpose.
They took things that you and I might just walk past at some kind of crazy flea market or dusty antique mall and they created something new...and wonderful...and shareable, as evidenced by well over 50 million views so far.
Somehow, they saw the hidden value of hubcaps as cymbals, jars as xylophones, and car doors as drums.
Hey, that blinker makes a great metronome, don't you think?
Oh, and they looked at those old scrap pianos and thought it would be a good idea to topple them for the complex sounds and extraordinary visual impact they would make.
Where you and I might see old chairs, they saw tumbling dominoes.
The fan and umbrella? Why that's a great way to transmit the motion to the swinging teapot, of course.
And, you can't overlook the creative leap it took to recognize the finale value found in four paint cannons aimed at four nondescript musicians. Icing on cake!
Let me ask, what are you creating?
When you take inventory of the things around you, and most importantly, the things inside of you, do you recognize the potential for creating something that is new...and wonderful...and shareable?
Make it your habit to look at the things in you and around you differently.
Look for the hidden purpose.
You know, the purpose you've ignored or missed because you've been too busy.
Did you know you can help support this free site -- and it won't cost you even an extra penny? Simply use the search link below whenever you buy from Amazon. Thank you for supporting My Help Source!
