This Famous Couple Is Getting Through Self-Quarantine With Art Tutorials

Last year Tiffani Thiessen cowrote a picture book with her husband and artist/illustrator Brady Smith. You're Missing It is about a kid whose dad almost misses all the fun when he's buried in his phone. Smith is an artist and illustrator that uses a lot of bright colors and energetic line drawings in his work. He and Thiessen aren't just multi-talented, they're also parents. And they're stuck in quarantine just like the rest of us.

But they've decided to make the best of the situation. In Smith's case, this means doing daily "Random Acts of Drawness" on his Instagram as part of Romper's Operation Storytime (or #operationstorytime as it's known around social media.)

He takes a suggested subject, gives himself 30 or so seconds, and pours out a drawing. So far, he's drawn a hammerhead shark being dragged upward by a balloon, a monkey surfing on a unicorn, and a giraffe jumping off a diving board, among others. And he's committed to doing one of these Random Acts of Drawness posts as long as we're all stuck indoors.

The ideas he receives of what to draw, come from viewers. And it's clear these kids who are writing in are a creative bunch. It's obvious that Smith takes a lot of joy in these ideas (as do his young guest stars), and it's kind of hard to watch them and not smile.

You're Missing It is a reminder to stay in the moment with your kids, and Smith's videos do the exact same thing. Give them a marker and a pad of paper. And pick one up for yourself as well. What could be more fun than trying to draw the wackiest things your kids can come up with? Or submit them to Brady Smith. You might just get a professional doodle of your idea.

Find more storytellers by searching the #OperationStorytime hashtag or hopping over to our roundups here and here.