Overnight
pajama science.

SIDE STORIES >

A riddle that had me rattled

Yes, I know, I have to explain this photo. And I do plan to do that.

But first, I want to explain why I’m sharing it with you.

It’s the earliest memory I have of being truly creative.

I was seven years old, wrapped in the innocence of youth and curiosity, and on this night, my mind was occupied with a profound question — do I move during sleep?

I wasn’t sure.

I had no recollections of potential midnight wanderings, so naturally, it became my first creative brief.

And that’s when I came up with my creative solution.

It involved my trusty cotton pajamas and to my surprise now, all these years later, not my Thundercats sword.

If I could somehow manipulate my pajamas to remain artfully askew throughout the night, it would be undeniable that I didn’t move. And so, that night, I took my pajama shirt and tugged it into position and went to visit the Sandman.

The next morning, I awoke with a sense of great pride and anticipation. I was about to unveil the truth.

And there it was, in front of my eyes, my bare chest still exposed to the air around me, so I had in fact, NOT MOVED.

My great experiment had yielded the result I was looking for.

I hadn’t anticipated that my parents would check on me during the night, capturing this moment for our family history books and my rehearsal dinner where those in attendance didn’t have the context you have now.

Thanks Mom & Dad.

BL_Sleeping_Shirt

A B O U T   >

Burke Lauderdale is a freelance Creative Director, Art Director who believes that without grit there are no pearls.

He hangs his hat in Austin, Texas and works anywhere planes fly.

C O N T A C T   >

Always available via
burkelauderdale@gmail.com

© 2024