This little chimp lived quietly on our bed for over a decade. It was the first gift our son bought for us. One day, my wife was making the bed when she was interrupted by a phone call, so she asked me to finish. The quarantine had been such a drag that I decided to try to cheer her up by hiding Socky under some pillows with just his head showing. Not only did it make her chuckle, it made me feel better too.

I kept it up for about a week, but eventually ran out of hiding places. Still wanting to keep her grinning, I realized I had to get creative. And that is how this daily sock monkey melodrama started. There are now well over 100 episodes.

I get ideas by conjuring up random words to see if they lead to anything, usually while doing menial tasks like exercising or showering. And I’ve been at this long enough that Socky is now a constant part of my thoughts, so that when I look at magazines, social media, the physical world around me, I’m always searching for inspiration for the next day. 

I feel that every skill I’ve ever acquired has been leading to this. That includes my advertising career, a watercolor class, skill with power tools (yes, Socky sometimes requires them), and the knots and fishing line I use as a fisherman (to hang things from the ceiling!). It’s all vital for putting on this show, where, for Socky, all the bed’s a stage and whatever’s lying around the house, the players. 

I sincerely hope Socky makes you smile too.

More info: Instagram