Every year around Christmastime, one of the newspapers I edit runs a nonprofit wish list as a cover story. We invite local charities and similar organizations to submit their wants and needs, and we present those requests to the community. We tend to give each annual issue a unique theme: One year we featured photos of kids in elf costumes around the city; one year we illustrated it all with snowflake art; etc.

This year, our managing editor suggested focusing more on the “wish” idea and going with genies. I quickly doodled one, and the rest of the crew liked it and suggested I provide the art for the story.

Our lead designer digitally colored my black-and-white drawings, which turned out well, I think, in an outsider art sort of way.

As you can see from this final genie in the quartet, I still can’t draw hands. This guy’s making a really awkward pose, but at least he’s trying to look helpful.