Jumping Jack Theater, a children's theater company in Pittsburgh, PA, creates original works for audiences that benefit from sensory and autism-friendly strategies.
Jumping Jack Theater strives to connect with Autistic audiences and the autism community in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.
Learn Something New
Monday Motivation Vol.6
Interview, Learn Something NewCommentMonday Motivation Vol.5
Interview, Learn Something NewCommentMonday Morning Motivation Vol.4
Interview, Learn Something New1 CommentVolume 4 of Monday Morning Motivation is a special interview. This week, I have the opportunity to highlight my father-in-law, Ken Wagle. Ken is an artist that is incredibly skilled in numerous media, including painting, sculpture, scrimshaw, air brush, and drawing (both pen/paper and digital), among others. He is always found with a sketchbook or iPad in hand drawing Santas, wildlife, or ships.
Monday Morning Motivation Vol.3
Interview, Learn Something New2 CommentsToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing a father of two, and fellow Disney, Pixar, and Looney Tunes fan, Dave Wilhelm. Dave has been sending his kids to school with character drawings that show off his amazing talent as an illustrator. Each day when I view his work, I have all sorts of childhood memories resurface because of the love I had for some of these characters when I was a kid.
Monday Morning Motivation Vol.2
Interview, Learn Something New1 CommentMonday Morning Motivation Vol.1
Interview, Learn Something NewCommentOver 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.
Autism Patience
Learn Something NewCommentSometimes 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.
Creativity Beyond Pencil and Paper
Learn Something NewComment“To be able to actually come up with an idea and then see it in your hands, and then be able to press a button and have it be in millions of peoples’ hands. I think we’re the first generation in the world that’s really ever had that kind of experience.”
Creator of Dropbox
Today, I came across this video from 2013 about coding and find it quite inspirational. While the Lunch Note Sketch community currently focuses on creativity in the classical sense -- pens, pencils, paper, etc. -- coding is quickly becoming the next generation of creative thinking. While computers and coding have been around for more than a generation now, only fairly recently has the craft taken off. It is a subject in school that requires specialized knowledge from the teachers, many of whom have not been exposed to or expected to become experts in it.
My background is in design and development. I have spent years creating websites using typical coding language like HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and the like. I also taught myself Flash Actionscript in the early 2000s when Flash was being used to create great interactive and animated experiences. The great thing about all of these languages is that they’re similar and/or build off each other, yet they each offer their own rewards. With coding becoming more popular it makes sense for kids to become more knowledgable about it even if they think their future careers won’t need it. I plan to teach my kids about code as they get older, in addition to the classic arts, just so they can be more well-rounded.
I hope you enjoy the video and let’s keep pushing the envelope of creativity.