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Jason of Escape Adulthood

I am a professional reminder-er and permission granter who moonlights as an artist, author, and speaker. I enjoy Star Wars, soft t-shirts, and brand new tubes of paint. My wife Kim and I homeschool our three weird kids and live in Wisconsin, where we eat way too many cheese curds.

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The Best Time to Start 🧀

2024 Issue #20 🧀 Happy Sunday, Reader! I received an email from a young man looking for advice. He recently graduated from the “comfort blanket of college and chucked towards the open jaws of real life.” He was hoping to receive some advice for young people in his situation to make the world outside not seem so threatening and overwhelming.The first step is to understand that although the world can be very overwhelming and threatening, it is also amazing and magical and overflowing with...

2 days ago • 2 min read

2024 Issue #19 🦋 Happy Sunday, Reader! Maybe Thomas Jefferson made a mistake. Maybe he never should have incorporated that line from John Locke into the Declaration of Independence, the one about the "pursuit of happiness." Nothing wrong with happiness, of course. Everyone wants it be happy. It's the pursuit that gets us into trouble. In the movie Jesus Revolution, the free-spirited Lonnie Frisbee has a conversation with a conservative pastor who is suspicious of hippies. Lonnie admits, "We...

9 days ago • 3 min read

2024 Issue #17 🏋️♀️ Do The Work by Jason Kotecki. DigitalMug, Pin, and T-Shirt available. Happy Sunday, Reader! The truth will set you free. Unfortunately, it's rarely convenient and often appears unappetizing. I was moderating a panel on work-life balance for a group of engineers. Four experienced veterans were sharing insights to help these future leaders achieve a new level of growth. The following morning, with the panelists gone, I facilitated a discussion about what was shared the...

23 days ago • 3 min read

2024 Issue #16 ⌛️ How Many Licks? by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. Happy Sunday, Reader! The two angels in the back row wearing yellow t-shirts and gold tinsel halos were mine. My two youngest kids were in a musical as part of our homeschool co-op. It was the first time on stage for both of them. We went to both performances and they did great! Naturally, opening night was filled with nervous excitement and hyperactive butterflies. There were no noticeable gaffs or forgotten lines from...

30 days ago • 3 min read

Special Issue 🍋 Happy Wednesday, Reader! Wondernite is coming. Your ticket is calling. This one-of-a-kind event is returning to downtown Sheboygan at the artistic, beautiful urban event space, The Berkshire. Get all gussied up for an extraordinary evening of art, food, and storytelling! Make it a date night to remember, a girls’ night out, or an appreciation event for your team. Reserve your tickets for a spectacular plated dinner, desserts, and drinks while enjoying inspiring presentations...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

2024 Issue #15 👹 Warning: Ogres! Happy Sunday, Reader! There are ogres in Maine. My daughter Lucy and I were there for a speaking engagement in Portland. We spent some free time visiting the lighthouse, and Lucy paused to photograph some plants she saw along our path. (She is her mother's daughter!) Then, a crabby ogre emerged up over the cliff. Her vile breath slapped us in the face as she bellowed through rotten teeth, "That's GARLIC MUSTARD. It's a TERRIBLE weed!" And just like that, she...

about 1 month ago • 4 min read

2024 Issue #14 🐴 “Horse & Hummingbird” by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas.Mini*Print and Canvas Print are available. Happy Sunday, Reader! This week features art and a story that I first shared at Wondernite last fall. (Tickets for this year's event are going on sale SOON!). In this story, I talk about an experience our family had with suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7...

about 1 month ago • 5 min read

2024 Issue #13 🐣 "Spring Break" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. Happy Sunday, Reader! “All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” iPhone screens. Windows. Windshields. Bones. Baseball bats. Helmets. Even Humpty Dumpty. When something is cracked, we often think of it as ruined, useless, irredeemably broken. But when a bird’s egg cracks while in the confines of its nest, it is a sign of new life, a fresh beginning. Only moments before the...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Special Issue 🍋 Good Friday to you, Reader! Just a quick reminder that Monday is the official start of Hearts 101, our new Escape Lab led by Kim. You will embark on a healing quest that will have you finding hidden hearts all around you! Here's what Victoria Labovsky, one of the many who are enrolled, recently shared with Kim: “Randomly found this lost Cheerio in the hallway at work today. Been feeling a bit low but it made me think about all the wonderful heart-seeking AND finding people in...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

2024 Issue #12 🦄 Yes, this is a real thing. Happy Sunday, Reader! "I like to use 'I Can't Believe it's Not Butter' on my toast in the morning, because sometimes when I eat breakfast, I like to be incredulous. How was breakfast? Unbelievable." –Demetri Martin The early explorers who came back with stories from Yellowstone were written off as crazy people. Surely a loose screw, an overindulgence on booze, or insanity caused by being alone for too long was easier to believe than the tall tales...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read
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