Upon entering my first year of college, the freshmen art students were invited to the senior art student's exhibit.  It is a great way to inspire the well-adjusted freshmen as to what they will soon be capable of.  When I entered the gallery with the other students, I took one look around at all the incredible artwork on display in the gallery and thought, "What's the use?"  The enormity of ever being able to accomplish what they had done was too much.   I left and joined the Military.  I figured this act of patriotism would mask my cowardice.  During my five years of active duty I learned one of the most valuable tools for success and it came in the form of the silly little slogan, "inch by inch, life is a cinch, by the yard it's hard."  At first this gave me the courage to pick up where I had left off and re-apply to an Art School upon my discharge.

After being accepted, this slogan became a regular mantra of mine.  Everyday when I felt like giving up because the goal seemed to enormous for where I was at the time, I would remind myself of this simple truth, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch, by the yard it's hard." It calmed me down and relieving me of my self-imposed pressure I could focus on what I was doing at that moment.  Rather than getting caught up in thoughts of where I should be and the overwhelming tasks I needed to do to get there, I began to just enjoy finishing each assignment, one by one, inch by inch.

Ironically it did not take long for this method to start paying huge dividends.  I began receiving scholarships and awards for my work.  And while still a student, I was invited to become an honorary member of the NJ Art Directors Club.  At the Club's reception, one of the members, who was also a college professor, asked if I would be available to speak to her students on the secret to my success.  I was flattered and without hesitation said, "Of course!"   When she told me where she taught I was blown away, it was the very school I had left defeated by my own outlook years before.  How ironic, I left that school overwhelmed by the burden of my own doubts and I got to return as an inspiration.  I brought hope to a new generation of art students sharing the secret of my success; a silly little slogan that when applied brings so much more than expected.  "Inch by inch, life's a cinch!"

Everybody loves a hero.  Someone to look up to, whose success we admire and aspire to reach.  They inspire us by their ability to have achieved success in areas that we ourselves hope to one day.  They are living proof that our dream is attainable.  “If they can do it, so can we!”

Unfortunately, for most of my life, heroes were a bummer.  You see, I belong to a smaller group who are overwhelmed by the great accomplishments of others.  Standing in awe of their success, we become intimidated.  Surrendering to the belief that they possess a secret something we lack, we give up.  Then we wander the earth condemned to live life alternating between regret for never having tried and resentful toward those who made it.  Of course we tell ourselves it was only because, “they got all the breaks that we really deserved,” but deep down we know better. 

So, how do those of us who tend to fall prey to this way of thinking find any inspiration at all?  I think I may have found the answer and it has become my motto for success -“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”

Credit for this conclusion must go to one of my Art Instructors at the now defunct Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts.  His name was Mr. Bonavito.  Mr. Bonavito was a real old-timer rumored to have exhibited with Picasso.  Ironically, this transformative event occurred the day he caught me looking through a book of Picasso’s masterpieces.  He looked over my shoulder to see what I was looking at and then said,

“Don’t look at that, it’ll screw your head up.”

I looked up at him, “Really?”

“Yes, if you want to be inspired don’t compare yourself to what these guys accomplished at the height of their careers.  Compare your work to what they were doing when they were just starting out.  You’ll see most of their stuff was crap, just like yours.”

That was the most effective compliment I had ever received.  Mr. Bonavito’s simple advice revolutionized my outlook.  It clicked!  The secret to succeeding is, “Its OK to suck as a beginner.”  For the first time in my life I realized that everyone sucked as a beginner, even Picasso.  And everyone was insecure in the beginning too.  Even the most courageous have insecurities about a new challenge.  Maybe this should have been obvious, but I never even considered it.  What an inspiring thought!  If my heroes could suck as beginners, then I could too!

So, if you are starting on a new adventure toward your heart’s desire, be inspired that those you look up to were once just as insecure and inexperienced as you.  Remind yourself that, “anything worth doing is worth doing badly,” and take a liberating step toward your success.  Before you know it, you'll be a hero motivating others with your lousy start, too.

There is a restaurant located at the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles called "Loteria! Grill" that is decorated entirely with colorful images that are all uniform in size and totally unrelated to each other.  Painted with bright colors  and the odd way in which each image is drawn makes them strangely attractive.  Covering the restaurant they are irresistible.

While browsing the used book section at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Beverly Hills, CA, there was a deck of colorful cards on the counter that caught my eye. 

They contained the same images I loved from the Loteria! Grill.  Now I get it!  The images at the restaurant were taken from this Mexican game of chance named, "Loteria!"  The game is similar to Bingo! but instead of the Master of Ceremonies drawing out a ball with a number on it, he/she pulls a card from the deck and announces the image.  Each player has a sheet similar to a Bingo card with 16 random images from the deck, four across and four down.  First player to get four in a row wins! 

When I discovered the price for the entire game was only $5 I grabbed it.  "These Loteria! sheets will make great postcards to send my friends!"  I couldn't wait to start sending them out.

But wait that's not all!  When I got home I was enjoying going through the deck of cards and for some reason they reminded me of a deck of Tarot cards.  So I decided to have some fun and make them so by assigning each card it's unique interpretive meaning.  Here is an example of my favorite; "El Borracho."

Anyone up for a reading?

"The chief enemy of creativity is "good" sense." - Pablo Picasso

A neighborhood church sign sums it up perfectly.  Thanks, I needed that.

"Hey check this out!  I can start my car from my phone with this new app.  Can you believe it?"

For the past several years I have been living vicariously through my iPhone owning friends.  Every day one of them would show off the latest "must have" app they just discovered and downloaded, usually for free.

One app turns your iPhone into a carpenter's level another into a burp and fart piano.

"Man, I wish Verizon would get the iPhone."  I'd murmur.

They'd respond, "I can't believe it Fusaro, you got to be the only guy who created an app and doesn't even have an iPhone.  That's sick!"

They're referring to the app 101 Doses of Recovery that I created with my friend Mark McGuire in 2009.  So it seemed like they meant "sick" in the good way, like in a weird Howard Hughes eccentric way or at least that's what I chose to believe so I'd would laugh along with them.  "You got me!"

Well, Verizon finally got the iPhone and so did I.  Now I am the crazy friend showing off the newest "must have" app I just downloaded.  My favorite is the FREE app SketchBook MobileX for iPhone.  It turns my iPhone into a mini sketch pad and my finger into a pencil, pen, brush or spray paint can.

I use it specifically for identifying everyone in my address book.  Rather than taking a photo of each of my friends I make a simple sketch of them that best represents their personality.  It's how I see them.  Way more fun to see one of these colorful headshots pop-up when they call than a ordinary photo.

Now whenever my friends are together the conversation isn't, "Hey, check out this new app!"  It's "Hey check it out!  Fusaro makes cartoons of all his friends in his address book.  Show'em the one you did of me!" 

"Don't make excuses. Make art." -Baby Tattoo

I love the moving sidewalks at the airport.  As soon as I spot one I head straight for it.  Before I even step onto the flexible rubber track I already begin to anticipate the wonderful sensation of being propelled forward as I walk; gliding along with ease moving faster than I would on my own.  My mood elevates as I feel special passing everyone who chose not to come along for the ride. 

That's when I realized how much choosing to be carried along on these magical sidewalks has in common with how I can decide to live my life - day to day, moment by moment. 

When I am grateful for what I have and trusting God for what I need, I feel optimistic.  With this attitude I move through my day with effortlessness and ease.  Situations that arise are easily met, obligations are kept, and complications seem to work themselves out miraculously.  I feel as if I am gliding along throughout my day.

Problem is that I, like most people, tend to forget to activate this healthy perspective.  That's when I am susceptible.  I’ll see something I must get, fear I'll lose something I already have, or an unexpected problem throws me into panic. That’s when I forget all about trusting in a universe that’s on our side and feel compelled to push and shove to get or protect what's mine.

Once I head down this avenue of thought it’s as if I did an about-face on the moving sidewalk.  And now it feels like I'm relentlessly fighting my way back in the opposite direction with everything moving against me.  In an instant it's as if I went from peacefully cruising along effortlessly to aggressively trying to keep up on a fast moving treadmill.  I may even make it all the way back to the beginning of the line and seem to get what I wanted - but in order to hang on to it I must continue to keep moving my feet.  Trying to succeed by this method is exhausting.  “If you got to fight get it, you got to fight to keep it.”  Ain't that the truth?

The good news is I don’t have the energy I once had to fight against the flow of life for as long as I was once able.  I am happy to admit I give up much easier today.  I've learned that when it comes to life, surrender means coming over to the winning side.  Even though I've learned this lesson over and over it's worth restating it;  I have discovered that everything I thought I needed to happen that didn't, was for the best.  Most of which, now looking back, I am grateful never happened the way I had hoped.

Over the years I have come to rely on some simple truths that help me avoid rejoining the rat race.

One of my favorites is, “Rejection is God’s protection.”  A great reminder I use to reassure myself when I don't seem to get my way.

"This or something better!"  Helps me stay enthusiastic about taking action towards my goals without demanding that they must work out exactly as I had planned.

The old saying, "If it's not a, 'Hell yes!', then it's a, 'No."  Prevents me from getting too far involved with something that my ego justifies as a "great idea." 

As far as panic or rushing to make something happen goes, well that’s when I remind myself that, “God never panics” and “Everything that NEEDS to be done will get done.” 

With the use of these simple mental reminders I can re-ignite my faith in a universe that is on my side.  They calm me down mentally so I can enjoy my ride on the moving sidewalk of life that comfortably carries me on my way.

"The best is yet to come." - Frank Sinatra

I have had my new car now for almost two weeks and decided to get rid of the temporary plates that advertise the dealer I bought the car from and make my own.  Here's how you can too.

Step 1. Get together a marker, pencil, E-Xacto knife, and a pair of scissors.

Step 2.  Head to the hardware store and select the design element to replace the existing temporary tags.  These cheap .99¢ - $2.99 weather proof signs are perfect.  They are easy to cut and easy to crop using the plate frame as a guide.

Step 3.  Remove tacky temporary dealer plates.

Step 4.  Use it as a template to trace and cut out my new plates with X-Acto knife.

Step 5.  Add personal touches with a graffiti marker to create an interesting composition.  Here are what will be both plates; front and back.

Step 6.  Use the old dealer tag to line up the screw holes and with a hole punch, knock'em out.

Step 7.  Screw in place.

Enjoy until DMV sends permanent vehicle tags!

*Photos by Stu Green