Capturing Priceless Moments in Time - The 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for me, like many, is a tradition that ushers in not only Thanksgiving day, but the Christmas season. I’ve been watching the iconic parade for as long as I remember. It’s both nostalgic and new, every year.
The parade means “family.” And in recent years with the holidays looking a lot different (due to Covid and personal circumstances) having the normalcy and dependability of the Macy’s parade has been all the more important and special.
I was even fortunate enough one year (in the 90’s) to join some friends to participate as balloon handlers in the parade. We were in charge of Harold the Firefighter. It’s much more difficult than it looks, especially on a windy day when walking through the cross streets. That year we got to be behind the scenes with the likes of Debbie Gibson, John Tesh, and Al Roker as they got into their positions. I was so thankful to have had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being in the parade!
So this year, I decided to employ my illustration skills (and live event sketching) to sketch my way through the 2022 parade. All while sitting on my couch (Thanks NBC & Peacock!)
It was a fast and furious 3-hour (ish) sprint of sketching select participants. The programming is kept tight, so I didn’t have much time to spend on each sketch (maybe 10-15 minutes tops, and the app I was using on my iPad crashed a few times, leaving me to start over on about 5 of them!)
As I worked my way through, sketching helped me to freeze each moment in my mind. Capturing a drawing is a lot different than snapping a photo. Drawing forces you to not just look, but to really see. And when you see, the memories and images are stored deeper.
So please enjoy the following sketches that I created in real-time as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade aired on Peacock and NBC. Special thanks to all who were involved in a variety of ways (including Ram Trucks & Remo)! You made my 2022 Thanksgiving like a much-needed, warm hug from an old friend.
Hoda Kotb & Savannah Guthrie hosting this year’s parade.
Hoda Kotb & Jeff Gennette (Chief Executive Officer, Macy’s) cutting the ribbon at this year’s parade.
The Lion King is always a crowd-pleaser!
No NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade is complete without the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes! I’ve seen them many times over the years and appreciate their hard work, dedication, and creativity!
My personal favorite, Grogu, from Star Wars / Disney Plus show, the Mandalorian.
There were so many talented marching bands in the parade. Captured here is University of Central Missouri marching band.
Ho, ho, ho.. Green Giant! A brand I have grown up with.
It’s always great to see the Sesame Street crew!
What’s not to like about BLUEY!
Mickey, Minnie, Goofy - all about the Disney Wish - a dream come true!
Only you can prevent forest fires! Smokey the Bear.
Geoffrey, I’m still a Toys“R”Us kid!
Ronald McDonald! I’m lovin’ it!
Jimmy Fallon & the Roots rocking the float!
There’s nothing Despicable about Minion Kevin!
Snoopy first debuted in 1968!
Besides Santa himself, nothing ushers in Christmas like Mariah Carey singing “All I want for Christmas is You!”
And to close out the parade every year - the big man himself - Santa Claus! ( I know him!)
Shout out to Carpenter Collective on their stellar design & branding job for this year.
Enjoy this wrap-up video too. See you next year Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Interested in hiring me to live sketch your event or conference? Check out more work here.
When You Need Thanksgiving to Keep Giving
Thanksgiving was last week. Most of us have moved on to thinking about Christmas / Hanukkah / the New Year. But I have a confession to make. I need Thanksgiving to hang around.
I'm not talking about the holiday traditions - the incredible food, extended time with family, watching the NBC Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show (along with sneaking in some March of the Wooden Soldiers). Those are all wonderful, and I love them. But what I need to hang around is actually the THANKS in Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was last week. Most of us have moved on to thinking about Christmas / Hanukkah / the New Year. But I have a confession to make. I need Thanksgiving to hang around.
I'm not talking about the holiday traditions - the incredible food, extended time with family, watching the NBC Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show (along with sneaking in some March of the Wooden Soldiers). Those are all wonderful, and I love them. But what I need to hang around is actually the THANKS in Thanksgiving.
Another confession: it's easy to go through the motions of Thanksgiving and not really be thankful. That happens with things you get too familiar with. After all, Thanksgiving is every year.
I found myself struggling with thinking about all the lack in my life lately. (And yes, I know that I am incredibly blessed compared to most of the world.) But it's difficult to shake a perspective that locks you in on what you don't have, the needs that are pressing in all around you despite your best efforts. The more you focus on the lack, the bigger it becomes.
I was reading a book the other day with daily readings called "Jesus Calling". That days reading had to do with giving thanks, most challenging to let "thankfulness rule in your heart..."
“Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened, you can help yourself to whatever you need from My treasure house. Each time you receive one of My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out praises to My Name. “Hallelujahs” are the language of heaven, and they can become the language of your heart. A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. . . . And be thankful.”
The truth is, trying to create your own business is extremely hard when it comes to striving. There's always more to do. More to create. Lack stares you in the face. And the whisper that if you hit things that much harder, get more ambitious and HUSTLE more, then you'll be on track. But it's a vicious cycle void of any thanksgiving, or celebration.
So prompted by my reading, I decided to write in my daily journal all the things I was thankful for. At first it felt forced and clumsy, but that soon broke way to actual thanks. I poured out as much as I could, thanking God for who He is in my life, all He has and is doing, and all He has blessed me with - even the LACK. The lack actually is more opportunity to trust Him, His provision and leading in my life. I thanked him for my wonderful wife and children, the opportunity to pursue my art, a home, my dogs, clean water, food... four pages later, I had to stop because I had to move on to an appointment. But it fixed my attention and perspective. At least for a little while. That's why I want to keep Thanksgiving close by.