📦 TREE 349: Use this one weird trick
One.
If I had a pound for every time someone said something to me about the weird way my brain works, I might have as much as £50.
I don’t think I’m especially weird. I just ask a question: What would make this weird?
I do this with my drawing all the time. I start to draw something normal, like a man, then I ask, What would make this weird?
And then I…
give him a bird body
throw on a few more fingers
add extra legs
enable a cat with wi-fi
ply a monkey with vodka
power a bike with poo
disguise a child as a chicken.
See, I’m not weird. I’m merely thinking of things that are. This does not only apply to drawing. You can do it with anything. Here’s an interior dialogue I wrote for you about dinner tonight:
YOU: What would make dinner weird?
ALSO YOU: We could serve the gravy and mash in glasses.
YOU: That would be weird, but it creates a practical problem—
ALSO YOU: Which we can solve by putting
BOTH: four straws in the bottle of wine!
Super easy. You can do this.
Here’s why: there are benefits. I just now googled “why it’s important to be weird” and I got “About 4,690,000,000 results”. There’s your science. Now go ask that question.
Two.
“I didn’t plan on becoming an urban sparrow courier, but a dog has to earn a living.”
Three.
I heard this song and liked it a lot and thought, I must listen to the album. Don’t bother with the album. But do enjoy the cover art.
Tomorrow, Feynmansplaining gets political, and it’s not what you think.
Grow slowly
Jeff
I’m older so I would have at least £75 for every time my brother said I am weird. I am able to make “something out of nothing “ my mom would tell me. My brother and she were both right. Because it is the same thing they saw but said it differently. I knew what they meant. It began with clothes. We had $12 for 2 weeks for 4 people when I was a child. I dug up a farmer’s corners for potatoes to eat. I had 5 outfits for the entire school year, 1 pair of shoes. I started mixing and matching those 5 outfits so you math wizards can count how many options I had. I have continued this game with clothes to the thrill of my soul. I’m going to borrow Phil’s wordage thanking you for a place to use my free range creativity. How do you play The Weird Game?
Jeff - you have a very unique and lovely way of using weird. It encourages us to always ask “What if??” And even if it’s silly and fantastical it still allows for free range creativity. My own creativity over the years has been so nurtured by you encouraging weirdness….