Generosity and Gratefulness

I think the phrase “unprecedented times” feels more like an understatement. However even in the most complex times, wonderful acts emerge.

At the beginning of the year we were already 3 major events in the bag by March 1st with 2 more coming up by summer time. Andigo Credit Union had sponsored several events in 2019 for us and was looking to do more for 2020. We were thrilled with the partnership in 2019 and overjoyed by their offer to do more in 2020. As we were gearing up for their first two events the pandemic hit and the world shifted in a matter of days. We moved fast to pivot and see what we could do with what we had as the opportunity for in person events was looking far less likely. So we shifted to donating our Acme Creativity Kits from elements of our Big Draws and teaching online Chuck Jones Center art classes for free.

Andigo Credit Union could withdrawn or reduced their sponsorship but instead doubled down on what we were switching up operations to do. They very generously gave us a check for $40,000!!!!! They also donated 2500 custom co-branded tote bags for us to pack our creativity kits in!!! WHAT! YES!

But wait, there’s more.

Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Rotary Club, one of the most active and philanthropic clubs in the country and has provided us several grants for programs in the past two years comes to pick up 100 kits for the Higgins Education Center in Hoffman Estates. We had just began a partnership with them to teach high school students our creative teaching process so that they can impact their community when then pandemic hit. How can we help? More kits and classes. Don Minor suggested we apply for a grant from the club to continue these efforts as we were continuing to purchase more supplies and teach more classes. We get the wonderful email in late May saying congratulations, we are awarding you $1,500!!! WHAT! YES!

Because of Andigo Credit Union, the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Rotary Club and friends making individual donations we have been able to do the following:

• 30 - Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Chicagoland classes I have taught for free to kids in our community, all over the nation plus Chile and the Czech Republic

• 13 - Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Chicagoland classes I have taught for the Schaumburg Township District Library

• 1 - Kids Corner Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Chicagoland class for Andigo

• 500 Acme Creativity Kits (another 1000 being assembled) donated to By The Hand Club in the Austin neighborhood in Chicago

• 200 Acme Creativity Kits donated to the Boys and Girls Club Dundee Township

• 175 Acme Creativity Kits donated to the Higgins Education Center in Hoffman Estates

• 150 Acme Creativity Kits donated to the Kenneth Young Center in Schaumburg

• 38 Acme Creativity Kits donated to Sunrise Senior Living Community

• 25 Acme Creativity Kits donated to The Moorings Senior Living Community

• 25 Acme Creativity Kits donated to Harbour Chase Senior Living Community

• 25 Acme Creativity Kits donated to The Garlands Senior Living Community

• 25 Acme Creativity Kits donated to Clare Oaks Senior Living Community

• Over 150 picked up outside the studio for free to our community

Acme Creativity Kit

As we get into the second half of 2020 we have more to do. We want to inspire imagination and creativity in everyone, especially now. The ability to express what we have going on inside us creatively is part of what helps us process through life.

If we can help your organization please reach out to me, Ben Olson, ben@3mastudios.com or 630.546.9117.

Sure, I used to draw...when I was a kid.

Yes, we used to draw when we were kids, and we typically drew quite a bit. In fact, for most of us, it was one of the first things we figured out how to do. It's fairly common to encourage that youthful free expression by putting crayon to paper, coloring books, or walls. And maybe fingers in paint, then to paper, table tops, or faces. There's some simple joy in the creation of something from nothing, that is amazingly, totally unique to you! 

The key words here are simple and unique. Simple, because there is really no initial training or study required to scribble some color on something, and unique because it's new every time. And that experience is more often than not, delightful on a personal level. Even if the scribble isn't great, or special, the process is always a good time. We feel free to let our minds wonder in an imaginary place, designing as we go, and sometimes we're completely surprised by where we went. That's delightful.

Drawing is also our first method of communication, not only with pictures, but as we learn our language and alphabet. We don't actually start by writing our letters. Remember? You drew them, one portion of the character at a time, learning to stop, and turn, and reverse. It was often a tracing process so we could develop a sense of control and structure with drawing. It was common for us to include letters and numbers into our drawings, and making them elements in our imaginary place. This too was delightful, because it was fun and creative!

It's difficult to put any real metric on what creativity feels like, especially when we're very young. It isn't a foreign feeling, but it does make us feel different, or changed, with each creative moment. It could be seen as our earliest efforts at problem solving, in a very basic sense. We ask ourselves, "what if..." and then we try something. And with the luxury of time in our youth, we keep trying and learning from each moment of imagination and creativity. Again, a delightful process. 

Excerpt from Runaway Species; "Our ability to remake our world is unique among all living things. But where does our creativity come from, how does it work, and how can we harness it to improve our lives, schools, businesses, and institutions?" ~ David Eagleman & Anthony Brandt 

I've included this prior thought as a reference to a wide-ranging exploration of human creativity, and why we draw. In our youth, many of us imagined wild and strange things, which we were free to explore, write stories and draw the resulting creation. Most of my generation imagined a voyage to the moon, long before we had any means of making that trip. This creativity comes from our desire to innovate and improve our lives. We imagine ourselves capable of doing whatever it takes, to achieve anything!

We drew every imaginable type of craft that would take us to the moon. We designed engines, helmets, wardrobes, weapons, and technology for the amazing journey into outer space. A place that was totally in our imagination - not unlike the early explorers that sailed the oceans. Many of us dreamed of being astronauts and exploring the universe. Our ability to draw and create this imaginary future, resulted in, not only taking the extraordinary risks of launching rockets into space, walking in space, landing on the moon, walking on the moon, but ultimately driving a car on the moon! Someone had to draw that - now that is delightful.

We should all inspire imagination and creativity in children of all ages to push beyond their barriers. If you want more information about our nonprofit and how we help inspire, engage, and promote these initiatives, please read more about the REASON WE DO THIS!  

Written by George Vroustouris

Compare You to You...

…and not the person next to you.

This is something I teach my students related to their progress as artists.

There is a tendency we have as we create to compare our progress to others we see as better. “I wish I could draw like (insert name here) “. Finding inspiration in others work is one thing, but lamenting on how not good you are does quite the opposite. Recently I had one of my students who is now in Art School for a graduate degree text me with that very issue. She was getting down on herself because a couple other students in one of her drawing classes were more advanced. The question she asked me was “How do I deal with that?”.

My response was compare you to you. The progress you have made from 6 months ago and one year ago. Look at how far you have come. You’re attending a top 10 art school in the nation and that took talent.

Growth for everyone is different. Its one thing to use someones work you admire as inspiration, but don’t let it turn negative and diminish the progress you have made. Some times its easier said then done.

Me on the left (Thor) and who inspires me as an artist on the right, Kenneth (Star Wars).

Compare You…to You. Make sure you date your work so you can see your progress. You’ve got this!