Chicago artist Jones turns doodles into viral hit

Phineas X. Jones, a 53-year-old Chicago artist, has transformed a simple phrase into a viral sensation. The concept began in March 2025, when Jones doodled flowers, sunshine, and animals on his iPad while facing financial strain and political frustration. He framed these images with the text "Maybe it will happen today." He posted the first iteration on Bluesky, a social media platform for users who missed the old Twitter interface. Jones described himself as pessimistic, noting that the phrase represented his peak optimism. He said, "It’s possible a good thing could happen. I won’t rule it out."

Jones continued the project by rendering the same phrase in over 200 different styles. These variations include an illuminated manuscript page, a woodcut in the style of the Federal Art Project, and surrealism inspired by René Magritte. He also incorporated pop culture figures, such as Pinhead from the "Hellraiser" series and Tim Curry's character from "Legend." This consistency has helped him amass 12,000 followers. On Oct. 22, Jones launched a Kickstarter to fund a 2027 calendar, offering stickers and prints as additional rewards. The campaign was funded within hours of its launch. By Thursday morning, it had raised more than five times its original goal.

Jones maintains a low-key approach to his work. He does not plan his drawings or solicit specific requests from fans. His standard for a successful piece is that it looks cool and was fun to draw. He aims for a specific balance of hope and exasperation. While the phrase "it" is intentionally vague, fans often respond as if it refers to a specific event. Jones has lived in Chicago for nearly 30 years, despite being a native of Fort Collins, Colorado. He previously illustrated labels for Half Acre Beer Co. and designed posters for local bands. His work includes "hot dog monsters" inspired by the Norwood Park Superdawg statues and pigeons on the Belmont Red-Brown-Purple lines train platform sign.

Jones uses digital tools to create his art. The vast majority of his images are hand-drawn in Procreate, an illustration software for the iPad. Any outliers are usually photomanipulations made by hand. He insists that no pixel in his work comes from artificial intelligence. Jones finds the suggestion of AI involvement offensive. He includes information on his source material in replies and alt texts to his posts. He criticized AI art as stolen, boring, and same-y. Jones said, "Every time you use it, you’re making an evil person more powerful."

The project relies on Jones’ ability to mimic various artistic styles. He spans influences from ancient Egyptian papyrus to remixed "Nancy" comics. He described his approach as copying, allowing him to pick up styles from other artists. Jones said, "I wouldn’t claim to be a master of anything, but I like doing all kinds of different stuff." This human-centric method has driven the project's popularity. He focuses on the process rather than the outcome. Jones stated, "I can’t get in trouble for it. Nobody gets to say I did it wrong." The current Kickstarter campaign runs through Thursday morning.

Jones remains active in producing new variations of the phrase. He continues to post on Bluesky, maintaining the consistency that built his audience. The 2027 calendar remains the central product of the ongoing fundraising effort. Fans continue to engage with the new images, interpreting the vague promise of "it" in their own ways. Jones keeps drawing, adding new contexts to the established theme.