Creative Life 2/22/2019

The weather has been the big issue for me here in Richmond for weeks now.  It has warmed up some, but it's rainy and in the 40's today.  I want to thank all the people who've helped me out over the last four months, mostly to get a room on the really bad, really cold nights, and stay out of some of the worst weather.  I've slept outside in 14 degrees this winter, and once in 20 degrees with only a tiny, 1/4" thick, U-Haul furniture moving blanket, right after my sleeping bag and two blankets got stolen (confiscated?).  I've struggled through a lot of really rough nights, three of which I was pretty sure I wouldn't survive.

So a huge thanks to (ladies first) Alma Jo Barerra, Kerry Getz, my sister Cheri Durham, my NC friend Rick, Scotty Zabielski, Steve Crandall, Chad Powers, Creson, Tobias Rudt, Bill Bunting and Johanna,and whomever I'm forgetting right now.  All of you have helped me survive this winter in some way, and I really do appreciate it.  Those who have sent me money, no matter what you say, I consider that money as a loan, and in tend to pay it back when possible (and buy Creson a sleeping bag to replace the borrowed one that was stolen).  

I'd also like to thank the guys who ordered "The Spot" 2-zine pack from me, but haven't received it yet.  I over extended myself, betting on some artwork sales and a few more zine sales that didn't come through, in order to be able to ship those orders on time.  I will send those out as soon as I can.  I apologize for the delay.

When I escaped North Carolina last August, I landed here in Richmond, a completely unfamiliar city, with $3 or $4 in my pocket.  I didn't know a single person, not realizing  old BMX friend Steve Crandall lives here most of the time.  I was broke and homeless at about the lowest level possible.  Most people have very little idea of what homelessness is like, for good reason, they've never been there.  There are a whole series of levels of street survival, mostly levels of stability in one aspects or another.  I was near the bottom, and I've spent nearly 7 months slowly moving up to a more stable level of homelessness.  There are about 25 levels of housing and homelessness, and I've moved up the ladder a bit.  From the outside, that doesn't seem like much, but it's actually a kind of a win.  Shit, I spent 17 1/2 hours outside during a snowstorm that dumped 11 inches, just being alive is a win at this point. 

But in Southern culture in particular, poverty is most often seen as failure and a personal defect, and a large number of people actually believe that poor and homeless people are being punished by God and actually deserve the trauma of street life.  Seriously.  I was thinking of this last night while waiting for a bus and watching "respectable" guys who have houses and good jobs, walk into the strip joint across the street from the bus stop.

My fingers and toes have taken a beating this winter, I've had frostnip, the beginning of frostbite, a couple dozen times, in my fingers and toes.  I've managed to avoid going past that point, which is a really good thing.

Throughout the last seven months, including the winter, I've stayed as creative as I could.  I've been drawing, but I'm also doing a lot more writing.  I've started my first novel online, Dead Mall Bounce, (intro and 3 chapters ready to read now) which I'm writing serially.  It starts with Chapter 11 now, the first ten chapters will be a flashback.

I've also got "The Spot" BMX zines done, and need to ship the rest out, as I mentioned.  I'm also writing a smaller zine about how I managed to sell 50 major pieces of art, while homeless, while I was in Winston-Salem.  A lot of artists out there show their art, but not all that many sell their work consistently.  This small zine will share what I've learned by selling somewhere around 100 drawings in the last three years, and I'll give more depth on some of those thoughts here in the blog.

Right before writing this post, I listened to this TED Talk on the subject of poverty.  The speaker brought up one great point, Poverty robs people of the future.  In a recent phone call, my friend Rick in NC asked me what my long term plans were.  I knew it would be 35 degrees and rainy that night, potentially fatal conditions.  I told Rick, "Surviving tonight, that's my long term plan.  Then I have to simply survive tomorrow night." When life is reduced to the level of simple survival day to day, there is no future.  No plans can be made.

Now, winter is not done yet (Fuck you Punxutawney Phil!), but we're getting to the point where I can begin to take a longer view of life.  I don't know if I'm going to stay in Richmond for very long, it depends on whether I can begin to make a living REAL QUICK.  If not, Hello SoCal!  But in the meantime, I need to promote my art and writing, and sell what work I can around here.  There are several art scenes here in Richmond, so we'll see how that goes.

That's where I'm at right now.