Lunch Note Sketch

Monday Morning Motivation Vol.1

Interview, Learn Something NewLunch Note SketchComment

Over the past 650 days, I have had the pleasure of interacting with some amazing artists and parents. In hopes of inspiring others like I have been inspired, Lunch Note Sketch will highlight an individual every other week for some Monday morning motivation. If you know anyone who might have interest in being interviewed, please send me a note with his/her name and contact information and he/she might get feature right here on this blog and on social media.

You Can Change the World

NewsLuke Pieczynski1 Comment

Today marks the 500th consecutive day that I have created at least one lunch note for my children. From the beginning, I simply wanted to bring a little joy to their lives and show that it doesn't take much to make a difference. While I truly believe anyone can change the world, not everyone does. I suppose one of the most important parts of changing the world is to define what that means.

400 and counting!

NewsLuke Pieczynski2 Comments

Today marks the 400th consecutive day of creating a sketch for my children. Who knew that a few packs of sticky notes and some markers could have resulted in so much support from people around the world and so many opportunities?

Interview with DaddiLife

LNS in Action, NewsLunch Note SketchComment

This little project called Lunch Note Sketch has opened up tremendous opportunities over the past year. Sketching a note for 366 days in a row was certainly an accomplishment. Well, earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking with DaddiLife to answer a few questions about Lunch Note Sketch. This interview was for a new section on their website titled "Heroes." DaddiLife is a website that provides a series of articles, media and supportive community built specifically for the modern day dad. It is quite an honor when someone reaches out for an interview, but I feel truly blessed to be considered for an interview about dad heroes.

So, please head over to DaddiLife, check out the interview, and leave a comment on their site!

 

 

Leap: 366 Consecutive Days of Sketches

State of the CommunityLunch Note Sketch5 Comments

Every so often there comes a time when you realize you accomplished something great. Today is one of those days for me—for Lunch Note Sketch. One year ago I set a goal to create at least one sketch a day for an entire leap year. And for 366 consecutive days, I was able to do just that. With the help of my family and friends I was able to dedicate time each and every day to create sketches that my wife and I could add to our kids’ lunches. There has been lots of positive feedback in regards to the sketches and I'm proud to say that the original goal has been accomplished.

 

Oh, The Opportunities

It has been an amazing year. Not just because the sketch-a-day goal has been reached, but because of the opportunities that have been created. The first big opportunity occurred when I was able to attend the Dad 2.0 Summit in Washington, D.C. Back in February, I spent three days surrounded by the most loving, creative group of (mostly) fathers. This summit was about finding inspiration so these gentlemen could continue being great dads, and also continue building their online dad brands/businesses. I went for the sole purpose of learning from people who took their online presence to the next level. I walked away with lots of inspiration and amazing memories. I learned new ways of thinking, but most importantly made some lifelong friendships.

Showing off her artwork.

Showing off her artwork.

Another great opportunity occurred more recently when I was able to volunteer at the local elementary school’s art show. It was the first show of its kind in the area and I was honored to be able to speak to children about Lunch Note Sketch. I spoke about the benefits of practicing your art form despite wanting to sometimes give up. I was also able to hold a couple of how-to sessions so the children could create their own lunch notes to share with their families and friends. The best part of the day was the “thank yous” I received from the children. I also had one 5th grader create 6 notes that she wanted to take home and give to her parents and siblings. It was a truly memorable experience.

Finally, in the past few months, I have also had the honor of working with people who volunteered their time to support Lunch Note Sketch. All four of these contributors came to me and asked to submit either artwork or a blog post. I felt very blessed to have Dominic share his beautiful sketches for 8 weeks, and to have Keary, Michelle, and Sadai write inspiring stories to share on the blog for Autism Awareness Month. Each one of these contributors brought with them amazing talent and their own spin on what it means to be creative. I hope to work with each one of them again in the future.

 

Appreciated Around The World

"Play golf" posted on Masters Sunday was one of the most popular sketches.

"Play golf" posted on Masters Sunday was one of the most popular sketches.

For the last 366 days, I have seen the Lunch Note Sketch audience steadily grow. The LNS sketches have been seen and liked by people in over a dozen countries, and the community sits right around 530 people in the various social media channels. This may be a small audience to some, but I can’t stress enough how grand it really is because it is an audience that was built by you. Not a lot of money has been spent on advertising (roughly $30 for the year), so 99% of the community was built organically. I appreciate every single one of the people who take the time to like, share, or comment on the sketches.

As stated in the mid-year post back in November, the demographic breakdown is still about the same. The Facebook community is completely U.S. based, while the Instagram audience is mostly international. Facebook reaches mostly women, specifically moms and grandmothers, while Instagram reaches mostly parents and is about a 50/50 split when it comes to gender. Another difference between the two audiences is that Instagram is heavily weighted toward the art community.

 

Thank You

What is an accomplishment without recognizing the people who made it all possible? First and foremost, I have to thank my wife who has put up with my late nights and continuous sketching. She has been a constant source of inspiration. I also want to thank each one of my three children. The highest priority for Lunch Note Sketch was to always create sketches for my kids. They have inspired me in so many ways and I hope they know that these sketches come from a place of love. I recently shared a quick conversation I had with my 5-year old about getting to day 366, and I want to share it again here:

5-year old: "A whole year?"
Me: "A leap year. It has almost been 366 days in a row."
5-year old: "That's a lot."
Me: "It sure is."
5-year old: *Big smile* "I like them."
Me: "Oh yeah? Why do you like them?"
5-year old: "Because YOU made them for me."

If there was any question whether adding a little note to someone's lunch is worth it or not, well, I have my answer. Every single sketch, every single day, was TOTALLY worth the effort. As a 5-year old, I imagine this will be one of her earliest memories. Since Lunch Note Sketch was really started in order to keep her interested in the arts during a very difficult time in her life, it gives me goosebumps thinking that she has worked through all the pain and turmoil and still takes the time to appreciate the effort.

I also want to thank my extended family because they have really helped propel Lunch Note Sketch by sharing and commenting on Facebook. Lastly, I want to say thank you to every single person who has supported Lunch Note Sketch either by contributing, asking questions, saying nice things, or interacting in person or on social media. Without you, the sketches—and their messages—wouldn’t be reaching people who need a creative pick-me-up.

 

Where Do We Go From Here

I have had a lot of people ask me what happens when I reach day 366. After a lot of thought, I have decided to continue sketching. I keep going back to my highest priority, and that is to create something for my children so they get to see a little creativity in their lives. You will most likely continue seeing a sketch every weekday, but weekends might be focused on other areas of opportunity for Lunch Note Sketch. I’d like to spend a little more time writing about creativity and parenthood. So please check the blog every so often for more posts.

Presenting at the art show gave me a chance to see how people (kids) react to lunch note tutorials. With that said, I want to introduce the first Lunch Note Sketch video tutorial. Please take a look and send me your feedback and suggestions for what kinds of lunch notes you’d like to see done. I am hoping that both kids and parents will learn how to create their own notes to share so the creativity can be passed on.

Thanks so much for your support. Now, let’s get creative!

Your Potential Is Limitless

LNS in Action, ContributorsSadai K.1 Comment

This year for the first time I participated in the second annual “Little Feet Meet” Special Olympics event.  The event held at Albemarle High School brought together children with and without disabilities to participate in a day of Olympic events, team building and overall fun.  I was lucky enough to attend this year with a group of students that I work with weekly on a variety of things such as language and social skills.  Each of my students was partnered up with a fifth grade buddy that would help guide and support them throughout the event.

Before we even left the school building, I was touched to see how attentive and kind the fifth graders were to my students. The fifth graders of our school and a third grade class even surprised us before we left with posters and cheered us on in the school auditorium. Once we got to Albemarle High School, I continued to be blown away with how inclusive and welcoming the environment of the entire event was.  What was also amazing was that our entire fifth grade came out to this event with banners and noisemakers in the bleachers to support our athletes. I was so proud of our fifth graders and grateful to fifth grade teachers for promoting such a sense of community and support by coming out to watch the events this day.

Things only got better once the races began.  Each of my students and their buddies were lined up at the start line ready to go.  Once they began to run, it was amazing to see that all of my students and their buddies stayed together as they raced.  I have one little guy who is non-verbal and not the most athletic. However, when he was with his buddy, he had the BEST running form of anyone and completed that race with no difficulty. I was happy to see children just being children and having fun with no expectations or limitations being placed on them. That theme continued throughout the event as my students and their buddies worked together to play with the giant parachutes, compete in throwing and jumping events, and soccer.  There was not a moment that passed in which my students were not with their buddies having a great time.  


On our way back to school one of the fifth grade buddies commented, “So that’s it? Will we get to practice or come back?”  That comment let me know that Little Feet Meet was successful in its goal, which is to bring together children regardless of their abilities to promote inclusion.  I knew that my students had a great time but it made me tear up to hear the fifth grade buddies talk about all of the fun that they had and the new friendships they made.  I wish that more opportunities like Little Feet Meet existed throughout the school year because it’s events like that that truly make a difference and teach children that while indeed we are all “different” that’s OKAY. I think Little Feet Meet taught students that it’s okay to accept differences and not to be afraid of the child who flaps his arms as he walks. It’s okay to speak to the child who is non-verbal but lights up when given a smile. Weeks after the event, I can hear those fifth grade buddies in the hallway saying hi, or giving high fives to my students. It’s the simple things like that, which remind me why I love my job and the special little friends that I get to work with everyday. 


Sadai is a Speech-Language Pathologist who has been with Albemarle County Public Schools for almost 4 years.

Shine Your Light

Contributors, LNS in ActionMichelle Weiss3 Comments

Years ago, when my daughter was in fourth grade, she met an amazing boy in her religious education class who helped spark her interest in becoming a special education teacher. To many, this boy seemed a bit odd as he had trouble socializing and interacting with his peers, as well as keeping up with the curriculum. Yet, this boy was sweet and always greeted my daughter with a smile, which made her naturally feel a connection with him despite what others might have thought of their friendship. Without realizing his impact, this youngster made a life-long impression on my daughter and her future.

As we commemorate National Autism Month with the theme, “Light It Up”, I am reminded that while many only see the negatives that go along with a diagnosis such as autism, there are so many more positives that can and should be in the spotlight. People with autism shine their lights more than is recognized.

A masterpiece!

A masterpiece!

Sewing Sonic.

Sewing Sonic.

Completed Sonic stuffy.

Completed Sonic stuffy.

In December, I began working with autistic students at a local elementary school. Through this experience, I have had the pleasure of supporting a bright fourth grade student who, despite daily struggles, also lights up the room when interacting with peers and working toward his daily academic goals. When we went to art class, his creativity really began to shine. I was wowed by this child’s ability to decide that he wants to create something and then make that creation come to fruition. Don’t have the right materials? He comes up with ideas for a good substitute or an even better version of the materials than he thought he needed. Glue gun not working to make the creation complete? No problem . . . ! He asks if we can sew the pieces together. For an entire week, he worked diligently during his down- time to sew various parts of his creation. During these sewing sessions, we talked about the project’s progress, reviewed lessons, read a variety of stories, and answered questions from numerous worksheets. In addition to learning to sew, a skill that will help him in the future, this focused sewing activity allowed him to have a goal and put him in a calm, relaxed state. To date, he has created a diorama of Saturn, a ZapFish, and a Sonic stuffy.

Proud of his work!

There’s also the young student who gets extra assistance with math every day. This girl shines every time she walks in the room with a smile so wide that one cannot help but smile back. When she sits in the “teacher’s chair” and we all pretend that she is in charge, her giggles are contagious. I so look forward to seeing this student at the end of the day as she shines her positive light and shares her joy with us. Another student, who when studying different types of renewable energy, was able to connect the ideas of potential and kinetic energy to the discussion without prompting. His passionate nature extends beyond academics – he is the first one to be concerned for his fellow students when they might be having a bad day. I can’t forget my first grade friends: the boy who, when he’s on a roll, appreciates a brief break either blowing bubbles or playing with toy trains as a reward for his hard work and a second student who amazes me with what he can do when he puts his mind to it during our writing sessions.

These are just a few examples of how these children shine their light each and every day and somehow manage to make my day brighter and more meaningful. Just like the special boy who years ago helped my daughter find her future passion, I hope that everyone encourages their friends and family members to always try to find the light that shines in others. It’s definitely worth it!


Michelle Weiss, a military spouse and mom of two, began her career in journalism and health care public relations, becoming a teacher in 2008.

Autism Patience

Learn Something NewLunch Note SketchComment

Sometimes you have to get creative when dealing with people who might not be as verbal as you'd like them to be. As the mother in this film says, "Not being able to speak isn't the same as not having something to say." Pretty powerful stuff. And well worth the watch.

Autism Acceptance Month acknowledges that every autistic person's path is unique. For Dillan, the dedication of his loved ones, years of hard work and his iPad made a big difference in how he connects with others. Hear Dillan, his mother and his therapist / communication partner share that journey. http://Appstore.com/Autism