Shake It Up 🫨


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2025 Issue #47 🫨

Happy Sunday, Reader!

Greetings from Sheboygan, where I have finally completed uploading all my artwork to the new portfolio section, which allows you to dynamically view my art by topic, series, and keyword, and read the story behind each piece. Now I can wait to add some new work! In the process of redesigning our website, I came across a great reminder I thought was worth sharing with you today.

Andre Cassagnes, the dude who invented the Etch-a-Sketch, was an electrical technician. Cassagnes came up with the idea in his garage when he peeled a translucent decal from a light switch plate and found pencil mark images transferred to the opposite face. Initially dubbed the Telecran, the toy was renamed L’Ecran Magique, or ‘The Magic Screen,’ and made its debut at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1959.

Funny thing about Etch-a-Sketches.

Using one is ridiculously easy. (Especially if you want to draw, you know, stairs.)

But making anything worthwhile with it is really, really hard.

Even though some people make it look easy:

video preview

The cool thing about the Etch-a-Sketch is how easy it makes it to start over. You shake it up a few times, and you’re rewarded with a blank slate.

Which makes the Etch-a-Sketch a lot like life.

Living is pretty easy, thanks to the fact that your brain, heart, and lungs put much of it on autopilot. Making your life into anything worthwhile, however, is hard. Harder than spending an hour on Facebook or watching a Golden Girls marathon.

But God, the dude who invented life, also made it pretty easy to start over.

Each new day is an opportunity to start again. With a clean slate and a new optimism.

Of course, there are exceptions, but few things in life are unfixable. Sure, you may have messed up yesterday in grand, spectacular fashion.

Your project, meeting, or soufflé may not have turned out the way you would have liked. Maybe you got lazy, lashed out, fell down, or said something you regret.

That’s ok. Today is a new day, a chance to try again.

Shake it up.


🤔 I wonder...where in your life could you benefit from a blank slate? Reply to share your thoughts with me, or join the conversation in the Escape Adulthood League!

Stay young and stay fun,

P.S.

A special hello to all the TRIO peeps that I had the pleasure of presenting to in Lake Geneva this past week. 👋 It was so heartwarming to hear how many of you remembered me from the conference in Milwaukee way back in 2018 (which, when accounting for pandemic years, feels like 20 years ago!) and how many of you have been subscribed to this email ever since.

And shout out to EVERYONE who's been here for the long haul. I'm curious,
how did you first hear about Escape Adulthood, and how long have you been on board?

🚨 Last Chance!
2026 Celebrate Everything Calendar

A very limited number remain! Filled with Jason's whimsical art, the stories behind them, and 365 real holidays to celebrate in 2026!


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Jason | 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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