Stick Figure Style
3 Secrets of the Double Breasted Suit : [30 DAYS OF WRITING: EPISODE 23/30]
The Unbearable Lightness of Getting Rid of Stuff
The Style For Dorks Guide to getting rid of stuff. Clockwise from upper left. 1. Anything you haven’t worn in a year. 2. Anything that no longer fits. 3. Anything made redundant because you have a “better version” of it. 4. Anything with a stain.
I feel sorry for sweaters.
Allow me to explain.
I’m a sentimental person. I’d hope my friends would say that this is what makes me a decent listener when they’re in crisis. I empathize, I feel others’ pain. It’s worth it to be wired this way, because being a human being is about human feeling.
It has a few odd side effects.
1. Crying uncontrollably when Battlestar Galactica ended. I take comfort knowing I am not the only one.
Cylons don’t wear ties. But when they do, they prefer to wear Cylon-Ties.
2. I feel sorry for sweaters whose time has come to complete the Circle of Life, and continue their journeys to the Sweater-Nightlands.
As a result of this somewhat misplaced sentimentality, I own the following:
- A Ted Baker blazer. Moleskin. Forest green, awesome lapel pin, gorgeous pattern. Too long. Don’t wear it.
- Diesel Blazer. Military khaki. Cowl neck collar. Sleeves are weird. Don’t wear it.
- Striped shirt from Target. Got two compliments on it, five years ago. Don’t like the collar. Don’t wear it.
I won’t bore you further.
What I remind myself: Styling-Up is not just about amassing stuff. Though I am good at that. It’s also about streamlining, refining. Curating. Editing.
In that sense, Styling-Up is exactly the same ongoing process as all learning, all growth. Continuously, we add new elements to who we are, and say goodbye to elements that have outlived their usefulness. Or rather, we try to. If it was easy, therapists would be out of a job.
It seems to be that the thing that makes growing difficult, as a human being, is that not only may we fear the unknown, we may feel sorry for the old-selves who we banish off to the Old Self Nightlands.
Forever may they ride.
Thoughts on turning 40: The Comic Conclusion
Wherein our hero turns 40 and attempts to find resolution on the complex feelings about this new decade.
For those of you who’d like a refresher…
And now, the main event.
All comics drawn with Micron O1 pen in a Paperblank Journal. No corrections or erasures. Boldly, onward, I draw.
Line “crawl like a turtle through time” comes from poet Jay Driskell, who shared it with me in a poem around 1996.
Thankyou, dear readers, for joining me on this journey. I’d love to hear from you – your thoughts on important birthdays you’ve reached…or one coming down the road.
Turning 40: A Send-Off – Part 2.
All cartoons drawn with Micron O1s in a Paperblank Journal. No corrections or erasures allowed. Boldly, onward, I draw.
Yesterday, the last day of my 30’s, I drew part one in a cartoon series about turning 40 – “Who I was, who I am, and who I’m becoming.” If you missed it, check it out.
Today, the conclusion. And if it raised any thoughts about your own birthday (if you are having a birthday any time this year), please – COMMENT below, share your thoughts, ideas, musings, and maybe a blessing for my new decade.
Happy-Birthday, Self!
Will Evan reach resolution?
Will Evan find his new self?
Tune in tomorrow – for the existentially exuberant conclusion to “Thoughts on Turning 40!”
Okay…
I hope you enjoyed my reflections on turning 40.
Below, share your thoughts on your own upcoming (or recent birthday – if you had one this year) – wherever you may be in this journey!
My 30’s – A Send-Off
In honor of this being the last day of my 30’s, I put together a series of comics – about who I am, who I was, and who I’m becoming.
Enjoy it, and at the end, share your voice.
Have you gone through this particular gateway? What are your thoughts and experiences about that?
If you’re in younger decades, what themes below speak to you?
Let the conversation begin.
All cartoons are drawn in a Paperblank Journal with Micron 01 pens. No erasures or fixes. Boldly, onward I draw.
Please share your thoughts below, and…
Stay tuned for part 2.
A good watch is not just a timepiece…it’s a conversation piece.
Drawn on iPad ap, Sketches.
- Maybe you got a watch for your bar-mitzvah and have been wearing it ever since.
- Maybe you don’t wear a watch because, well, cell-phones have clocks on them. It would be redundant. You don’t do redundant things.
- Maybe you think that wearing a watch makes you a slave to time, and you prefer to be free — in a …Burning Man mindset… 365 days a year.
That’s great. I still think you should have an awesome watch.
- A watch is an exclamation point on the end of your arm.
- A watch, like a good pair of shoes, aligns your whole look around a small focal point.
- And most important, a watch is a conversation piece.
The way good conversations begin is not by asking someone “do you come here, often.”
Rather, you notice something – could be something around you, something about the experience you’re both in, you share a bit of vulnerability by commenting on it, and if the other person is worth your time, he or she will respond in kind.
For example: I own a few of the watches above. And at various times, I’ve had conversations like this:
Sample One: Shinola “Runwell” (In cartoon, upper left)
- Other person: cool watch.
- Me: Thanks! I love this watch. It’s made in Detroit by this company that used to make shoe polish!
- Other person: seriously?
- Me: Yeah. If you jiggle the watch, it plays Motown.
- Other person: Seriously?
- Me: No. But that’d be cool.
Sample Two: Nixon “Rotolog”
- Other person: cool watch.
- Me: Thanks! I love this watch. I have no idea how to tell what time it is on it, though.
- Other person: seriously?
- Me: Yeah, I’ve had this for about three years. Wear it all the time. No clue what time it is.
Sample Three: Timex “Weekender.”
- Other person: cool watch.
- Me: Thanks! I love this watch. Actually, I think it’s the Band that I love.
- Other person: Yes, the colors really pop.
- Me: The colors?
- Other person: Yeah, the colors on the band. Red and blue.
- Me: Oh, sorry, not the watch band. “The Band.” You know, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down?”
Okay, that was a stretch, but you get the point. Something to remember: good people want to connect to other good people. People want to talk to you. And when you’re at a party or a cafe and you’re a little fatigued from a long day of writing code, maybe you’re not going to be looking for opportunities to comment on other people’s watches.
That’s okay! Drink your Matcha Frappuchino.
But when someone else comments on your timepiece, make your watch work for you – turn it into conversation.
(P.S. If you don’t know “The Band,” below is required-listening. Use that as a conversation piece. It’s even better than 10 watches!)
How and When to Roll Up Jacket Sleeves
No, you won’t look like Don Johnson.
Yes, you can roll up your blazer sleeves.
Just follow these three simple rules.
1. Shoulders
NO: Big shoulder pads.
YES: “Unstructured,” casual jacket.
2. Material
NO: Wool, tweed, “suit material” – essentially, a suit jacket.
YES: Casual materials like cotton, jersey (sweatshirt material), or “sweatery” material.
3. Fit
NO: Boxy, drapey fits.
YES: Slim fit.
Got that? Put it on with a casual, knit tie, and roll ’em up!
Wanna know more about unstructured blazers? Check out my other posts on how, when and why to wear unstructured blazers.
Style For Dorks 
