Nice day for a 5K!

   This morning was perfect for the annual Kansas City corporate challenge 5K. It was so crowded at Burns and McDonald that I had trouble finding all of our teammates, but I found Robin and Henry, shown here, as well as Lisa T, Paul M, and my dive buddy who works at Cerner, Kyle.

   It's always a huge challenge for me to do a race without music. I really need it to keep me pumped and pushing hard. But this year the men and women ran together in the 5K, and I have to admit I love passing boys. Gonna have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat this chick! ;)

   I finished in 26:28; not a super fast time, but it is the superfastest *I* have run in a long time! WIN!!! 31st out of 167 in my age group.

   Turns out that warrior dash and trolley run last weekend were a great warm-up, and I posted another time faster than my training pace. If feels good to finally be getting back into competitive shape again. Just in time for the heat of the summer, when I have to stop running outside again. LOL

   After the race, I bumped into a woman named Jocelyn who works at Sprint. She and her husband are friends with Amie B. I really enjoyed talking with her and we connected on LinkedIn… Always curious to see where these random relationships will lead. It's one of my favorite parts of corporate challenge: getting to meet athletes from other companies.

   And now to start this weekend's work: trimming the yard, cleaning the house, finishing the Dog n Jog and Art Unleashed logos, and preparing for Taka's visit tomorrow!!!

Random Hallmark Moments: Rainbow Brite

   Here it is... my entry in Hallmark Cards' headquarters art show featuring dozens of artists, each with their own interpretation of RB! Rainbow Brite was created by a Hallmark artist in 1983 and was wildly popular, with animated TV series, live action TV, Macy's Day Parade float, multiple Emmy awards, dolls, toys, games, sheet sets... you name it, this girl was likely on it. It's kind of mind-boggling.

    I will readily admit that although I liked some of the characters back in the day (before I developed a lil' thing called "taste"), I am not a fan of the character design style of RB and her contemporaries. This includes Strawberry Shortcake, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Dolls... the styling looks dated and doesn't hold up well against modern character design. But they were modern for their time. My goal with this piece was to keep enough of the hallmarks of the characters to make them immediately recognizable, but to update their style, with a Japanesey "chibi" or "kawaii" look, and costume updates like shifting the color palette away from those hideous primaries, and making the arm and leg cuffs transparent.
   Here is "the making of" the piece, step by step... including the fancy chocolate and sauvignon blanc which clearly aided the process. Considering how infrequently I get the opportunity to paint (not since Hallmarket 2013, and before that... who knows!), I needed all the help I could get. LOL!

   I completed the piece during the Sochi winter Olympics.That was my background noise. It kept me going longer and gave me a front seat to all the snowboarding action.

Get on the bus, Gus!

   Due to my snowboarding trip, I missed out on the chance to buy my monthly bus pass for February. I was so bummed when I realized it! So I was put in touch with the admin of our fleet department, and she had the bus driver bring a pass for me. Wow. This is what I left on her desk…. Hope it gave her a laugh and adequately expressed my sincere appreciation.

Brite new year

   Hallmark created the character Rainbow Brite 30 years ago. And though my sisters and I watched it a bit, I don't remember it well. So today I've been lazing on the couch, researching the show, and sketching the character in preparation for an anniversary art show coming up this month at work. The tough thing is that the character design is so far away from my personal aesthetic. I'm challenging myself to make her as cute as possible, and to work a fun concept into my piece(s). Time to get painting!

   That is, if these beasts decide to let me off the couch. My legs are pinned!!!

   I'd say we have a right to be a bit lazy today, though... party with the girls last night, and with Brett, Sawako, Christy, Abby, Scott, and August tonight. Two dinner parties at my house in a row? I like the way this year is ending/beginning!

Creative Community

   I'm on a Southwest flight, LA bound, and flipping through the in-flight magazine, found two quotes from entrepreneurs that begin to sum up why this week's layoffs hit me to the core:   

   "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn

   "Surround yourself with people who are doing interesting things, who are thinking interesting thoughts, who challenge you to be better, and who come from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. That, combined with appropriate moments of 'me' time, provides the perfect breeding ground for great ideas." - Alexis Ohanian

   These speak to me because I've had the pleasure and privilege of being surrounded by an incredible variety of types and talent in my sixteen-and-a-half years in Kansas City, and most notably those with whom I work. And because great opportunities have existed for me to move between departments, I've spent quality time with a great number of creative geniuses, and been impacted by all. Rohn said we are the average of the five closest people; I'd argue (perhaps because I'm an extrovert?) that we are the average of ALL whom we meaningfully encounter.

   When I think about my Kansas City tenure, I've been blessed to be a part of many different circles: artists, music lovers, pet rescuers, and an array of athletics and hobbies (scuba, hiking, kayaking, yoga, running, snowboarding, rock climbing, etc.). Everyone in those circles are amazing and important influencers on me, but my artist friends stand out...

   One of my greatest joys is getting to know others well. The caliber of creatives at Hallmark is, quite frankly, what my Alaskan buddy, Greg, would call "an embarrassment of riches." My fellow artists, writers, and directors amaze me every day with their work and their thinking. But beyond that, they amaze me with their unique brilliance and talents outside of their 9 to 5.

   Among them there are elite athletes, animal crusaders, people who care for others on a level I'd have previously thought unattainable; artists who write, writers who draw, and many that seem to do absolutely everything well; they lead ethnic festivals, make handcrafted musical instruments, make films, make the cutest babies imaginable, travel, cook, speak many languages, and are infinite wells of wit and wisdom. I've never encountered one who was reticent to share their gifts--in fact, they all relish it, and we ALL benefit.

   Because of this community, my job hardly feels like work. Okay, there are deadlines. There's plenty of stress. But what a joy to be in this company. I started at Hallmark when I was twenty-two, and might have moved on long ago if not for my friends who are family. I believe this is why we all stay.

   Our Hallmark family became 250 people smaller this week. I've spent the last nine and a half years in leadership; I get it. Results aren't good enough to sustain the expenses of such a large staff, and I don't fault those who had to make heart wrenching decisions (there's no torture like laying off a great, loyal employee--NO ONE wants to do it--and my heart goes out to the leaders who did).

   I can't imagine how difficult it was to hear that you were being dismissed. I really can't. But as someone who is staying, I can tell you that we are grieving the loss of these people from our almost-daily lives: unexpectedly running into them on the stairs; an impromptu lunch; a brainstorm; a project; a tutorial. Sharing our stories or just a hug or a smile; reminiscing about past assignments; and especially hatching new ideas together.

   The thing about working in a creative capacity is that what you bring to your job is who you are. You can't extricate your identity as a creative from the work you create; if you did, it wouldn't have heart. This is what makes us good at what we do. And it will always be tough to lose a member of this community of sharing and caring, regardless of the reason.

   I have complete faith and confidence that everyone will chart a new course and succeed. I mourn the loss of how we might continue to influence one another at work. It may be selfish... But I so love, value, and appreciate the gifts I've been given by my coworkers. I surely wouldn't be the person I am today if not for them.

   Case in point, Mark Cook is a longtime cartoonist and animator for Hallmark, & retired last week. He busted out this incredible painting. My friends and coworkers never cease to amaze me with the depth & variety of their talents! I'd bet he has never explored this side of himself at work, in his 20+ year career. How exciting for him to do so now—can't wait to see what he does next!

   Endings are also new beginnings...

Random Hallmark Moments: Hallmarket

Awesomely talented (and hilarious) Allyson Lassiter

Steph's on the left, Jen's on the right

   Here's a quick Hallmarket report before I crash out early (soooo tired): The weather was crummy until late afternoon, and started with thunder and lightning and rain—the works!—but I found that it hardly mattered; we were able to keep our art dry, and had a steady stream of people throughout the day. There were 92 artists; the event has grown every year. I shared a booth with Steph and Jack two years ago, and marveled today at how it had grown, in numbers of artists, patrons, and in the variety of work created. The world has no idea how much talent resides at Hallmark.

   A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who came today—I know weekends are precious, and it was drizzly, but it means a LOT to me that you came to hang out and support me and my work. (Seriously. Thank you!) The day went so fast—I was having great fun visiting with everyone. (Aki and Taylor agree... And are quite tired themselves, from their adoring fans, most especially the cute kiddos.) I tagged most of you on Facebook, but a special shout-out to my friend, coworker, and creative conspirator, Monte Cushman, who isn't on Facebook. So good to see you. :)

   As I was driving home I was thinking about the crazy Venn diagram of friends who came: Hallmark coworkers—past, present, and... future? (we'll see on that one); Humane Society volunteers; Joni, Kristi and Kaye from our big, happy, dog pack; and an amalgamation of adventure buddies: my fellow rock climbers, hikers, kayakers, yogis, snowboarders, adventure racers... it was like the bizarro universe where all of my friends collided. So awesome! Everyone always comments on how active I am, and lately I've been reflecting on why... only by participating in all these hobbies can I meet such a diverse and incredible group of friends, and they've taught me a ton.

   Big thanks to my mega-talented boothmate Steph Allen for urging me to participate, and Jack Pullan for helping us set up, mind the store all day, and take down. Thanks to Regi for organizing, and to Hallmark for its generosity and support of the creative community: not only did they provide the tents and tables for free, they bought our lunches—and took NO commission on our sales. I know, right? WOW.

   I was more than a little surprised that I sold a little under HALF my pieces. Nice validation to the huge amount of fun I had creating them. The last two weeks have been a blur. Which should teach me NOT TO PROCRASTINATE, but—d@mn!—look how well it all turned out! So I guess I've learned nothing.  ;)

   Off to bed, with a big smile on my face. I am beat.

We had enough patrons that we were standing in the rain all morning, so we weren't blocking the art! Which explains my hair in the next photo...

John Keeling's gorgeous paintings

Letterpress awesomeness by "my KC family",  Diane and Madeline

Random Hallmark Moments: Experiment

   My friends Dan and Kelly were telling me about an experiment held in the humor department, in which each artist was asked to create some works that no one would suspect were theirs. This is tough, because most humor artists have such a recognizable style. But they said it was a success, and it sounded like fun to me, so here's my entry: The Taming of the Wolf, inspired by (and created with) the neon orange nail polish that Madeline loaned to me. Whatcha think?

Sometimes a Horse is Just a Horse...

...and a kayak is just a kayak!

   My HR partner just called to tell me she had a dream last night, in which she was babysitting my chestnut-brown horse and my orange tabby, and she lost the horse. It turned out okay—she got him back. But she was worried for a bit! She said, "Jen, you're not thinking of adding a horse to your menagerie, are you?" I said, "Not right now, but you never know what's on the horizon!"

   Last week while staying at the hotel in Omaha, Allyson and Scott and I all reported having unusual, very-specific dreams such as this one. In one of my dreams, I was at the swim meet for Corporate Challenge, and before the meet we were all taken to a huge room (essentially a giant shower) and told that we all had to shower together prior to the meet. And no one wanted to compete, because we knew we had to look each other in the eyes and work together on Monday!
   I also had a dream that I had a date with a new guy, and we had only emailed each other so far, and when we met at dinner he informed me excitedly that he had just bought a brand-new kayak—the same kind I have from LL Bean. And it was a total turnoff because I felt like he was trying too hard and thought, "This guy doesn't even KNOW me yet—I'm not going to kayak with a guy on the FIRST DATE!" LOL
   The subconscious mind works in strange ways; who knows what all this could mean. I certainly don't want to know what Freud would make of it!!!

Angry Squirrel is Angry!

   Somehow at lunchtime yesterday, we got on the topic of critters, and Ali M mentioned that her boyfriend shoots squirrels... Which, as you might correctly imagine from the delicate ladies of Hallmark, was met with shock and horror (including from Ali herself, a self-proclaimed squirrel fan). It seemed only fitting to present Ali with a pissed-off squirrel drawing. Maybe this will make Evan think twice...

HBD Dan!

   This week's character standees include a bobcat for my Bossman. I saw a bobcat run right across the road in front of me after hiking in Lawrence a couple weekends ago. That's probably where I got the idea. (Although it doesn't explain why I was suddenly compelled to draw wombats the other day...)

Random Hallmark Moments: Hot Dogs!

   We may have gone a lil' overboard for Carrie's 5th anniversary. Given that it was the first day of summer, and Carrie loves summer, and given that she also loves hot dogs—and who doesn't love cooking hot dogs on George Foreman grills at work, risking being caught by the Fire Marshall?—we couldn't resist.

   Alison even made hot dog cookies, and Angela had the Crown Room put my hot dog character on a cake!

   I don't even like hot dogs, but I have to admit that it tasted mighty good today. Have I ever mentioned that I love my team & that they're the best ever?

Hot dog, and a tribute to Carrie's favorite color of OPI nail polish

Happy 5th, Mighty Mac!!!