The fight to be a Monterey Bay artist
Being disabled is absolutely not easy. But there are a few things that have made it a lot more enjoyable for me.
Community is the number one need for humans, but those of us with chronic illness or disability especially. We need help and we need to help others.
A major stressor or source of stability is housing. Many in California are already familiar with the housing crisis, but if you are not, or are of a certain social class and not aware, I would like to inform you.
There is a low inventory of affordable housing because development and priority has been given to the landlord class and the ultra wealthy by city and county planning for a generation. Something like 20% of current housing sales are to people planning to live in that home — the rest is by investors and landlords. Meanwhile, apartments remodel, kick out families, and only accept tenants that make 3-4x the rent. Trying to attract tech corporate workers has contributed to massive homelessness, and the rise of homeless families during the pandemic.
Since 2018 my rent has risen 42.5%. I split a 5 bedroom home with multiple problems, slumlord special.
Of course this contributes to my disability. I was working 6 jobs when the rent was 42% lower. Now I can “only” work 2 as a disabled artist and I still rely on crowdfunding for my survival.
If you are a landlord I really need you to look in the mirror. If you are an employer you need to look at payroll and then in the mirror.
Anyway, if you have a lead on affordable and accessible housing in Monterey County let me know before I too have to leave the area.
I can’t “work harder” and I don’t deserve to be told that, nobody who is low income does. I guarantee that everyone low income works 10,000x harder than those making 7+ figures. Full stop. I grew up here. I have met the gamut of incomes. I KNOW rich people. If it was about merit, we wouldn’t be here.
Why do I bring this up on my art blog? It’s extremely relevant to my art practice that I can’t spend my disabled time on my own body of work and instead am spending all my time on survival funds. Of course making art work is part of that, but I am unable to afford the kind of art making that would add to my Ouvre at what this point in my career is “supposed” to happen.
Let me know in the comments how you feel about our cost of living.
Unexpected avian customer! aka, the story of Pigeon Wrangling.
Typically we go about our day under an assumption that there is a Human world and a Natural world. This fits neatly for society; in an interior space we use climate control, walls, windows, and closed doors to separate our affairs from the long-since-developed wilderness. The soil deep beneath the concrete foundations of our office buildings can’t remember when it last felt the rays of the sun or the wriggle of a seed germinating. Today while I was grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, that dividing line shattered like the false glass it is made of.
*insert dramatic flourishes*
Let me explain.
I dropped into Plume’s, a great little coffee shop & study nook, to grab coffee and a sandwich. There was a bit of a wait, but I didn’t mind. I had left my phone back at the studio, mostly because I have a habit of distracting myself with it and everyone needs a break from screens, even for just the length of a little lunch run.
To occupy the time I was checking out the very full bulletin board, ripping phone numbers for odd job listings and taking some joy from the variety of workshops, massage therapists, photographers, and babysitters making themselves known in the community. I’m corny.
THUD! THUD!
A pigeon smacked right into the large glass windows (more like a wall than a window to be truthful) and flew inside in a rush of feathers and noise. It flew back and forth, alarming all the grad students tapping away on laptops and the lunch-goers at their tables. It circled the entire span of the cafe, settling onto a table where it displaced three women who had been eating. They rushed to their feet, chairs squeaking across the floor, polyester sport jackets swishing.
In some commotion, a rough-looking man with kind eyes and a plethora of face & neck tattoos managed to gently corner it and take hold of it in his hands. Relief began to radiate through the space as everyone realized that the possibility of being shit on while indoors had passed.
Laughing, he held the pigeon up and gestured with it to the cafe, saying “All right! Say goodbye to everyone!” in a tone both comforting and silly.
He proceeded to take the pigeon outside and with a grand flourish, tossed it straight up into the air as if releasing a single dove from a balcony in an old romantic movie. As it ascended, like magic it was joined by a flock of its kin and was lost in the crowd of circling pigeons heading off toward the ocean.
The cafe quickly settled back into business as usual.
Trying to be profound, I turned to the young man sitting near by on his laptop.
“Just a nice reminder that we still live in nature!”
He looked at me like I was a cornball weirdo. I burnt my tongue on my coffee as I attempted to downplay my own awkwardness. Yeesh. Guess not everyone was having as much of a "moment" as I was.
I got my sandwich and went to leave, but stopped to thank the pigeon-wrangler for his excellent pigeon wrangling. He thanked me and told me that he loves animals and has always had a good communication with them. Always interesting to meet someone who at first glance seemed intimidating display an unexpected gentle side and grace under pressure.
I am thankful for these small moments between strangers and nature. I couldn’t help but smile the whole time I walked back to the studio.
a peaceful pastoral day in photos, at Hidden Hills Ranch
I was thrilled to go with my dearest friend Lesley to Hidden Hills Ranch in Prunedale. I am working on a little project proposal for them involving their lovely critters and scenery.
The value of nature and time with animals can be so instrumental to the special needs children who benefit from this program. I am excited to possibly collaborate with them in the future!
I took my Christmas gift with me -- a hand-me-down DSLR camera from my brother Abner! It's fun to re-learn digital photography after using point-and-shoots in the past. Any photographers who have some critique or pointers based on my images please comment! I would love to hear your thoughts.
Enjoy these photos of the scenery & wildlife at beautiful Hidden Hills Ranch in Prunedale, CA! The view of the Salinas Valley from the top of the hill was absolutely breathtaking. I look forward to going back again and again!
