52,901. That’s the number of dots Phil Hansen included in his connect-the-dots piece, which now holds a Guinness World Record for world’s biggest connect-the-dots drawing. It took the artist a little over two years to complete the piece.

After committing to this project, Phil had to make another crucial decision: What was he going to draw? After juggling a few ideas, he ultimately decided on Edward Curtis’ “Big Head,” a portrait of a Native American elder from 1905. This decision was a result of his own personal interests and memories from his childhood.        

At a young age, Phil recognized the cultural impact of different Native American tribes. In the process of creating his connect-the-dots, Phil came to the realization that this piece — along with other native American pieces, such as Curtis’ photographs — has a much deeper meaning related to how Native Americans are perceived by the rest of society.  

However, the creation of this piece wasn’t always smooth sailing. Working on a piece as intricate and detailed as this one (52,901 dots!) came with its own set of challenges, such as fitting all the dots and numbers into a recognizable image. Luckily, Phil solved this by creating a system of symbols corresponding to different numbers.    

Previously, the world record holding connect-the-dots drawing included 9,000 dots.  

To learn more about Phil’s world record and how to print out and solve the connect-the-dots, visit his blog. While you’re there, you can also place your vote on whether Phil keeps or destroys the piece.

Book Phil Hansen Today

Phil undoubtedly overcame these challenges and didn’t let anything get in the way of his Guinness World Record achievement. Overcoming limitations and turning them into opportunities is the essence of Phil’s keynote in which he shares his story and encourages attendees to overcome their own obstacles. He even shares in an engaging collaborative art project with them (at an additional cost). If you’re interested in booking Phil to bring creativity and innovation to your next event, give us a call at 1.800.345.5607.