I don't make a living but apparently, I'm still alive. // Selling pottery this weekend

Flyer for this weekend's pop-up.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the following exchange:

New friend: Do you make a living from your ceramics?
Me: No... I don't really make a living. Turns out I'm still alive.

It's a statement I laugh at, but it has real relevance today. Our technological advances have necessitated a reimagining of work and of life and of economy that we haven't really engaged. I live outside of many of those norms, but I still have to negotiate rent and debt.

I agreed to have a pop up at Kostüm this weekend because

1) I was flattered to be asked
2) I have a lot of pottery that I'd like to to be out in the world being enjoyed instead of crowding together on my shelves and in boxes
3) I need to make a lot of pots to be as good at making pots as I would like to be, so more will be coming soon
4) I was raised and still live under capitalism.

What do we really need to stay alive? What's the value of an hour? What would we make and how would we feel if we could focus on the difficulty of feeling?

Okay, I'll pause the abstract thinking.

I'm really happy that I'm beginning to build relationships with POC-owned businesses in Oakland, because ultimately what it's all about is relationships with people, and how intimately intertwined our survival is.

Below is a repost of some questions I answered for Kostüm's blog.

The pop up is Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 1:00-6:00pm.

Address:
4020 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611

Access notes:
Kostum is located on the groundfloor, has a tight layout that may be difficult for a wheelchair to navigate. Store uses Glade plug-in air fresheners.

***I'll have a Square reader to take credit cards, but cash and Venmo are also welcome. If you are a maker and haven't started a Square account yet, use this referral link to give us both free transactions.

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1. What do you do for work?

My usual answer to this question is “this and that.” Since 2014, I’ve worked seasonally as an outdoor educator, teaching young people wilderness skills from day-hiking to backpacking to rock climbing. It’s taken me from Pinnacles National Park in our own backyard to the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico to the Southern Talkeetna Mountains in Alaska. I’m also a freelance video and audio transcriptionist. I’ve been able to work on footage for some incredible projects, the first of which was American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, way back in 2009. I also recently joined the Bridges Rock Gym staff and am excited to deepen my relationship with their community.

 2. How did you get to this point in your career?

Before 2014, I worked primarily in nonprofit administration. My gateway to becoming an outdoor educator was a program called Girlz Climb On, run by San Francisco-based GirlVentures. I was a volunteer mentor in the 10-week program, then worked as their part-time Admissions Associate, and then the Program Director at the time invited me to be an instructor on a 4-day backpacking course in Point Reyes in 2014. I was hooked. (Enrollment in Girlventures’ summer programs is starting now, by the way! They have courses for 5th to 12th graders.) I took my first ceramics class at Laney College in 2014, using the Segal Education Award I received after serving as a Los Angeles Public Ally 2011-2012. While this path is not easy, I must acknowledge the privilege I have as an able-bodied, cisgender, college-educated person whose parents do not depend on me financially, which affords me more mental and emotional space to manage this life.

 3. What are you passionate about?

 The idea of intimacy— with objects, processes, people. Nurturing interdependence. Supporting folks in articulating and actualizing their desires and possibilities.

4. What feeds you creatively? (If different than number 3)

Coffee!!!
Conversation.
Observation.
Quiet contemplation.

5. What is one of your favorite aspects of Oakland (or area of the Bay in which you live)?

I love the smallness of Oakland, which is a contrast to the sprawl of Southern California where I grew up. To be able to move is a privilege I don’t take lightly, and I’m grateful for the people around me with whom I can grapple with questions of displacement and gentrification— familiar questions to me from my 5 years in Downtown Los Angeles.

6. How do you feel most connected to Oakland (whether it’s the people, culture, environment, etc.)?

I love that there is a large community of queer and trans people of color here. I love the energy around political and social engagement that exists here, the sense that many people are in active investigation of what might be possible to make our world more just. And that there are many people who, like me, cobble together lives of “this and that” and art and activism.

7. How is fashion a part of your daily life?

My aesthetic for daily wear is on the scruffier side. I love wool sweaters and comfortable jeans. My hiking boots make foot travel around Oakland’s concrete much more bearable. I’m tempted to attribute my scruffiness to being a climber and outdoor educator, but I was scruffy long before those activities came into my life. When it comes to clay or chapbooks, I have strong feelings about proportions, texture, lighting, angles, curves. I meander through Instagram quite a bit for inspiration (daily… hourly…) and take note of what seem to be aesthetic trends in pottery and also in poetry. Some of it is similar to what I like to make and write, and some of it vastly different. There is so much wonderful work being made in the world.

8. What do you hope Kostümers walk away with after seeing or purchasing your poetry and/or pottery?

Simply put, I hope they feel good after seeing, touching, and/or bringing my work home. I’ve found such magic and healing in making; I hope they’re inspired to make things with their own hands if they don’t already. I hope that they’ll perhaps find new or greater value in what they do make, whether it’s art or craft or food.

Earthbound Cachet from Raw Materials

I get excited when I see new, interesting stores come to Downtown Los Angeles. Granted, I don't live there any more, but I look forward to returning to the neighborhood as a resident some day. For now, I work as a part-time marketing assistant for "the oldest professional theater of color in the nation" (mandatory disclaimer: I have no authority to speak on behalf of East West Players and anything I write is my personal opinion and in no way reflects the beliefs of EWP. Was this necessary? I don't know, but I thought I'd cover my bases) and thus commute from an undisclosed location far south of Downtown to Little Tokyo daily. On one of my meanderings around the "Nickel" (5th and main, after which the dear, delicious Nickel Diner is named), I picked up these:

 

I don't think you have to be a writer to appreciate a well-made notebook that feels good in your hand and under your pen. Above are my notebooks of choice lately for writing out the mad or mundane thoughts that have accumulated through the night. I got the "Earthbound" line of recycled sketchbooks from Cachet from Raw Materials, Downtown LA's art supply store. They opened sometime in 2008 and I'm happy to see that they're still going. Support them! They're good people. Check their website often for sales and drop by-- I happened to walk in on a day when these notebooks were 1/2 off.

The recycled paper in these notebooks has a wonderful weight to them, which is important since I am a bit heavy-handed when I write and I use Pilot "Ultra Fine" G-2 pens. The cardboard color is soothing in the morning, more inviting than threatening the way blank white pages can be.

Since I found these lovely notebooks, I won't be frequenting the Bargain section of Borders or Barnes & Noble any more. I look forward to a time when I have a long row of these in my bookshelf, all filled with a mass of morning scribbles.

and now they will have to face us.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I biked home this morning, but I held them back. I said to myself the things that I said to people last night in phone conversations and via text message: Whatever happens, we will be strong, we will keep fighting, change is happening and it will keep happening. We won't stop. Whatever happens, we will not stop. I held those words fiercely and shared them freely last night.

At this particular moment, however, I am thinking to myself We lost-- how could we lose? How can this be real? And I think of the Mayor of San Diego who gave a speech about how he had planned on veto-ing the city council's resolution against Prop 8, and how when the resolution lay before him, when he had to face the statement he would make if he vetoed it and stood in support of Prop 8, he could not. He could not bring himself to say to a whole group of people in the community that they were less, that they were undeserving. His voice was nakedly emotional as he said to his constituency that he knew not all would agree with him, but that he had to follow his heart.

And I wonder, what was in the hearts of the 52.1% of California who voted in favor of a proposition that contains the words "Eliminates the right"? How can they use a document that is supposed to grant and protect rights in such a twisted, unfair, malicious manner?

And I wonder, how they will face us? How they will face all of us who are hurt beyond measure, those of us whom they have decided are less than they, those of us from whom they have taken away so much.

And I wonder, how dare they. How dare they do this to their friends, relatives, children. How dare they do this to their community. How dare they insert their hate into the law.

And, helplessly, I wonder what else I could have done. What else I should have done. The sense of failure is deep and piercing.

When I sat down in front of my computer, I braced myself for the reactions I knew I would find. I prepared myself to give more words of strength and comfort.

But I broke, tears and sobs welling up from the intense disappointment and pain that so many of us share. I know: We will be strong, we will keep fighting, change is happening and it will keep happening. We won't stop. Whatever happens, we will not stop.

It is an historic day: a man of color stands as our president-elect.
It is an historic day: all of us who stand for equality have been called to action.

Yes, I feel weak and wounded in this particular moment.

No, I do not feel defeated. We are not defeated.

VOTE TODAY

OBAMA for President.

NO on CA Props 4, 6, 8, 9.

The LA Times published a guide with ideas for places to watch election coverage. I am not sure where I am going yet, but I don't plan on being alone with the results come in.

In less than twelve hours, things will be different. For better or worse. And then we will figure out where to go from there.

Main Street Gets Tree'd

Early on a Saturday morning about two weeks ago, I caught a glimpse of folks planting trees along the eastern side of Main Street. There were even more workers out on Monday morning, in hard hats, doing some serious digging and planting.

Hooray, green!

Jean P's 99-cent Soul Food Express

[Update: Jean P's was closed, sadly, sometime in early 2009. Alas.]

After seeing Big City Poz's photo of the blue-plate special he whipped up for himself, I was inspired to share this fabulous meal that has a similar combination of protein, starch, and green:


The meal is from Jean P's Soul Food Express, which is on the corner of Adams and Figueroa, tucked into a plaza that is dominated by 7-Eleven and Popeye's Chicken. I had ridden my bike past it numerous times, and was always intrigued by the rusting barbecue grill that they keep in the parking lot. I was skeptical, though, of a place that advertised 99-cent food, so I assuaged my fears first by reading reviews of the place on Yelp.com (oh Yelp, where would we be without ye?).

I walked in at about one in the afternoon and the place was nearly empty. The place is very small, with room for approximately 10 people in the dining area. The buffet was piled with southern food: collard greens, macaroni and cheese, hot links, and many other things that I can't recall at the moment. There was one other person ahead of me, and when I went to order, the woman behind the counter said "Wait a minute, baby." Something about Southern women allows them to get away with calling anyone "baby," I love it.

The meal came to about $8.00 and was actually enough for both a satisfying lunch and dinner for me. The collard greens were some of the best I've had 'round these parts, and the macaroni and cheese was fantastic, creamy and cheesy but still not overwhelmingly rich. The fried chicken was not the most spectacular I've had (which was at Babe's & Ricky's Inn on a Monday night), but it was good, especially with the Louisiana-style hot sauce.

Next time I go, I'll have to actually try some of that barbecue that comes from their parking lot grill!

Jean P's Soul Food Express
2540 S. Figueroa St.
90007

Announcement: Zero-Point Space

Posted on behalf of friends at Zero-Point Space.

Now accepting submissions:
The Zero-Point Art Collective
Working studio space now available in common room
3000 sq. ft./ high ceilings / east-facing windows / wood floors / second story

You choose your weekly schedule

Month-to-month agreements / workshop / salon environment

Also available for photography & filming, one day art gallery showcases.

Gallery hours forthcoming.

We are open to hosting workshops / classes / social / art-based meetings and groups

We also have a professional sound engineer & can record your work live or in a studio environment, and do vegan treats catering as well

For submissions / inquiries / volunteering / internships:

zeropointspace@gmail.com

Zeropoint.org
1049 E. 32nd St.
90011

Zero-Point on Myspace

I found out about Zero-Point from Mark Ferem, whom I met when I was haunting Lost Souls Cafe on a near-daily basis. In March, Zero-Point an event called the Dream Time which included an exhibit from Mark's book, Bathroom Graffiti.

At the moment Zero-Point will not be able to host any music or extremely loud events due to noise complaints, but I hope that the space can stay open and eventually get soundproofing.

Art is alive in So(uth)Do(owntown).

Wonderful News: One Stop Mini Market Has Dairy!

I walked into the market to say hello to Felipe and as I gave him a hug I noticed that there were milk, eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream where once there had only been fruit and fruit juices. I nearly exploded with joy and hugged Felipe all over again and I'm sure I overwhelmed him a bit with my happiness. I had to take a picture, but in my excitement, I was unable to take a proper photograph.

I haven't had eggs or milk in my refrigerator regularly for months, and this is truly huge for me. It's a quality-of-life issue, really.

One Stop has been open for at least eight months and their license and their suppliers just came through. Gotta love bureaucracy.

Write To The City

I've been doing a lot of gallivanting lately, from LA to Long Beach to San Francisco (Long Beach via the Blue Line, SF via Megabus.com) and that is why I haven't posted in over a week. I will have more substantial posts as I finish recovering from being away. For now, an event announcement:

Write To The City, "LA's First Writers' Slam on Gentrification," which will be held on May 29th.


The lineup of writers is exciting (and includes Nina Revoyr) and the subject matter is compelling. Gentrification is a complicated issue and I look forward to hearing what presenters and attendees have to say.

Things Are Changing: Main & 21st

I pass this building on a near-daily basis, and love it.

Dayshot, one month ago:


I once rode by at midnight from a show at Zero-Point Space and met two street artists with wheat-paste in hand, ready to add their mark to the wall. I love that something someone abandoned and can be turned into a canvas.

The new windows indicate that this building might not be such a willing canvas for much longer.

Nightshot, recently:

A larger piece on the side of the building:


Apologies for the poor use of flash; the light on my bike wasn't very effective. It is sad that guerrilla art is a casualty of gentrification.

Google's "Street View" option shows men at work on the side of the building:


View Larger Map

Coffee & Donuts I

I love taking detours on my morning commute and discovering things on the new path that I would never have come across otherwise.

I came across bright Ollin Cafe on one such detour last week. It was refreshing to see a bright cafe like this so far south of Downtown or Koreatown and north of USC. They serve decent Gavina coffee, and the inside is welcoming. I passed by the place at about 8PM on Friday and it was closed so I am guessing that this will be a day-time destination only until they gain more business and/or the neighborhood becomes more welcoming to it. It looks like with some time and support it could become my South of Downtown-equivalent of my beloved Antigua Cultural Coffeehouse in East LA.



This particular donut shop has become a weekly stop for me since I dropped in and bought a chocolate-glazed twist a couple of weeks ago while waiting for the Dunn-Edwards across the street to finish mixing paint for work.

I had a minor moment of revelation upon biting into that donut: it was ethereal and tender, and I had never before had a twist with anything other than a regular glaze or just sugar. I could have eaten ten of them.

Thursday breakfast indulgence (please ignore the office supplies in the background):


That raisin-custard roll was perfectly cooked. A rarity.

Ollina Cafe
1325 Venice Blvd.
90006

King Donuts
1955 S. Hoover St.
90007

Cost Summary:
Coffee: $1.00
Donut: $1.35
Total: $2.35

Organic in South Central

Community Services Unlimited, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in South Central Los Angeles that I stumbled upon while searching for grocery stores on Yelp.com.

CSU, Inc. runs various programs focused on creating sustainable communities through educating youth about farming and gardening, supporting local farmers, and making locally-grown, fresh produce available to the community.

I met briefly with Neela Sharma, Programs Director of CSU, last week in order to inquire about volunteering. She was at the tail-end of prepping for the weekly Village Marketplace and Farm Fresh Produce Bag program that happen every Thursday at the corner of Menlo & King Blvd. The programs are ambitious and, like most ambitious programs, under-staffed. The Village Marketplace is a produce stand which sells fruit and vegetables that were either grown in CSU's "urban mini-farms" or by local farmers. The Farm Fresh Produce Bag program is similar to CSA: for a small monthly fee, participants can receive seasonal, locally grown produce on a weekly basis ($32/month/1-2 Person Bag, $64/month/3-4 Person Bag).

Finding out about CSU feels like fate, considering all the griping I have been doing lately about "kids these days" being too far removed from their food and how difficult it is to find good produce outside of less-than-convenient-and-likely-expensive farmers' markets. I'm excited to begin volunteering, whether it is on one of the mini-farms or at the produce stand.

It's wonderful to know that there is an alternative to negotiating downtown traffic (of all sorts) to get locally-grown produce, and that it will support such an important organization at the same time.

Village Marketplace by CSU, Inc.
In front of the LA Swim Stadium Pool
Thursdays, 3PM-5PM

3980 Menlo Ave.
90037

From the Rooftop

One of the best things about living just outside of downtown is being able to look at the downtown skyline.

Daylight:

Nightlight:


I got a Quit-or-Cure notice saying that tenants are only allowed on the roof in case of an emergency so I guess I will no longer be venturing up there. Alas and alack.

One Stop Mini Mart: Dangerous Convenience

I am addicted to condensed milk.

It started innocuously enough with the Vietnamese coffee that I would make myself in the morning. Then it made its way into my tea when I didn't have whole milk on hand. Then, about two weeks ago, I treated myself to a favorite childhood snack: condensed milk on toast. I think that was my downfall; next thing I knew, I found myself drizzling the sticky sweetness over bananas, mangoes, oatmeal-- my fingers.

For better or worse, I can easily replenish my supply even though the nearest supermarket is about two miles away, a Ralphs at 9th & Flower (the first to open in Downtown in over fifty years). The One Stop Mini Mart downstairs has not only my beloved condensed milk, but a variety of other pantry staples like canned beans, rice, onions, not to mention the array of random necessities like toilet paper, safety pins, and bleach.

The owner is a friendly man named Felipe who affectionately exclaims "Mirinda!" when I walk in. (He knows my name but is thoroughly amused by its similarity to the name of a soft drink popular in Mexico, which I encountered for the first time, thanks to Coca-Colonization, in Cambodia.)

I still trek over to Ralphs to get ground coffee (One Stop only has Folgers and Nescafe, unfortunately), but I try to give as much business as possible over to Felipe. He's only been in business at this location for about eight or nine months, and he is still waiting on his permit to sell dairy. I can't wait until I can buy eggs and milk from him.

One Stop Mini Mart
1835 S. Main. St.
90015

Route:
Walk downstairs, exit front door, turn right, walk about 12 yards.

Cost Summary:
Condensed Milk: $1.79

The Joint Downstairs: El Sombrero Restaurant

Looking for a Mexican restaurant with $1.25 soft carne asada tacos, an offering of assorted beers, leather booths, soccer on the television, and a jukebox filled with Spanish-language music? This is the place to go.

That is, if you can catch it when it's open. There have been some weekend nights that I've walked by at midnight and seen it closed, some weekday nights that it's been open.

The place is usually fairly empty, but after eating there on Monday night, I know it's certainly not because of the food. Admittedly, it's not that easy to mess up a carne asada taco but there are places that have certainly done it. We even got free chips with an excellent homemade salsa.

I will probably end up funneling my spare change into supporting this place by purchasing tacos there as often as I can. I just hope they stay open and by some miracle start posting their hours.

El Sombrero Restaurant
1825 S. Main St.
90015

Route:
Walk downstairs, exit front door, turn right, walk about 4 yards.

Cost Summary:
2 tacos: $2.50
Can of Sunkist soda: $1
Tip: $1
Total: $4.50