the starving artist

Since finishing college, I have taken the opportunity to follow other interests. Mostly art. I have always envied people who had artistic talent. Whether it was playing an instrument, drawing, painting or singing; I always wanted to be one of those people who had a tangible self-expression that was all theirs. Other than writing, of course.

I never got the chance to really get into it though. I always had creative ideas but never followed through with them. I was always too tired, too busy or too stressed. Not to mention the time and money to invest in such interests.

Now I have the time and despite not having the money, art has become a huge part of my daily life.

Over the last year or so, I have taken up drawing, painting and DIY clothes. My house is overrun with projects. I’ve displayed some in my tiny apartment but most are collecting dust, waiting to be finished as I have several projects going on at once.

One of my first paintings 'My Fair Ladies'

For the last few months, it seems art is all I think about. All I really want to do with my time is paint, draw or make clothes. The funny thing is, whether they are any good or not no longer matters.

This is the longest I have gone without a job. Looking for work is incredibly stressful and, of course, my top priority. However, I must admit that part of me is grateful. If it weren’t for this long period of time, I might never have picked it up.

Common misconception

The other night my boyfriend and I were playing a “get-to-know-you” game from a book of questions. One of those questions asked us to think back to when we were 21 and discuss what our biggest misconception about life was.

Our answers were the same. Funny but also disheartening. Our biggest misconception: college.

I think my generation is on the tail end of the belief that having a degree means your set for life. We both thought “hey, as long as I can hang in there for four years, I’ll be set.”

Here we are:  two intelligent, motivated and talented college graduates living off of his unemployment. He graduated in June 2006 and found work within 6 months. I graduated in December 2008 and have yet to find work. He was laid off last year. 

For some, I’m sure that’s still true but it’s no longer a sure thing. Now we wonder where to go from here. When will we find the next “sure thing?” How long will that last?

If we’ve learned anything from the last few years, it’s this: even if there is a guarantee, it won’t last forever.

What was your biggest misconception at 21?

What did you think college was going to be?

When I was young, I though college would be like this…

 

 

When in reality, it was more like this…

 

 

I thought this…

 

 

 Would lead to this…

 

 

instead of this.

 

 

My mistake. I guess I will never be rid of these…

 

 

Was it just me?

I don’t get skinny jeans

I have never fancied myself as a fashionista so I rarely question trends but I have to address this one.

I recently found myself at a high school award ceremony where a friend of mine was giving a speech. When she finished, administrators began handing out the awards. One by one students lined up onstage. They weren’t friends. They weren’t even in the same class. Everyone followed a different style but there was a recurring item that I couldn’t help noticing: tapered jeans.

Of course I had seen the so-called skinny jeans before but didn’t realize EVERYONE wore them. In high school no one wore pants with tapered-legs except the women who worked in the front office. These were the same women who still wore shoulder pads.

I know 80′s fashion is making a comeback and believe me no one is happier than I (I worshipped Madonna of the 1980′s but that was not an option in elementary school). But why the jeans? Every time I see them, I think of this SNL skit.

I mentioned this to my friend, who I’ve known since high school. Working in the public school system, she knew what I was talking about and completely agreed with me.

Are we just showing our age or is this a fleeting trend?

The fight continues for Roe v Wade

Today marks 37 years of Roe v Wade. It made me think of my grandmother. Actually, I was thinking about all grandmothers and how different things were before the decision. Whenever I’m a part of a demonstration, these women cheer the loudest, wave the most and smile the biggest.  I always wonder about their stories.

That thought led me to this video. I hope you appreciate it as much as  I did. (Note: the woman who posted the video does a short intro in the beginning. There are three parts.)

That is why I volunteer. That’s why my grandmother is my biggest supporter; she remembers how things were before 1973.

If Roe v Wade were to be overturned, this is what we’d be going back to. Abortion will always be here. The only question is whether they are safe and legal or dangerous and unregulated. The landmark decision is constantly under attack. Today, anti-abortion groups are using healthcare reform to further limit access.

The Stupak-Pitts Amendment prohibits use of federal funds to pay for any abortion or related costs except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. For those receiving government-assisted insurance, there is no abortion assistance. Here again, it seems women are being punished for being poor.

Reform is still in a fragile state and with so many Americans in need of healthcare, the amendment poses a true threat to abortion rights. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment is another step in the effort to overturn Roe v Wade.

“An Education” leads to other life lessons

When I was 7 winning a contest was as easy as wishing on a star. In the sixth grade I swore I would be a famous singer and at 14 I was sure I had met my future husband.

I thought about these things when I went to see “An Education.” It is the story of a 16-year-old girl falling in love for the first time, only to have her heart broken. The movie lead to a discussion about life lessons. As children we believe things so easily. Our first big lesson is realizing things are not always what they seem.

Someday my prince will come. As girls we believe that we would one day fall in love, get married and that was the sum of our future. As a young woman “I love you” meant much more than having the affection of someone. If he loved me that meant he would always love me and I was his everything. Being loved meant he would do anything to make me happy. I learned that truly loving someone requires more than saying those three little words.

Macaroni & Cheese is an appropriate dinner: In my household, the blue box of Kraft was a weekly staple. When I was out on my own, I figured an apple everyday was enough to counter my usual fast food dinner.

Today I am a little older and a little wiser. I’m also a vegetarian. It is amazing what the agriculture industry is getting away with. The reality of what we are eating is enough to kill any appetite. Everyone should know exactly what it is they are putting into their bodies.

Drugs are bad and will kill you. As a product of the D.A.R.E generation, I really believed that just being around drugs meant certain death. The fact is not everyone who gets high will become an addict nor are they sure to die. It isn’t just ex-cons doing drugs and many of those who do will never get caught.

I am one of many people who believe the “war on drugs” has been a waste of money and our governmnet should admit defeat. People will always find a way to get high. Most people are going to experiment with drugs at some point in their life. Some of them will develop a problem while others will try it and eventually move on. 

America is the greatest country in the world.  In grade school, I remember believing that America was the only free country in the world and I had incredible luck to be born here. Though I don’t remember anyone specifically saying it,  it is somehow engrained into our minds. As I get older and learn more about the world, I find many things about my country that disappoint and enrage me. What’s more, I think all countries have a lot to learn from each other if they could just get over themselves. 

College is the answer. I loved college and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that a degree is no guarantee. It may have been 100 years ago when very few people went beyond high school. Today almost everyone has some form of higher education and companies are requiring degrees for entry-level positions. It may be necessary but students should be prepared for the reality after graduation. Competition is fierce and employers have several applicants to choose from. 

Don’t talk to strangers. Of course parents want to keep their children safe. Kids are incredibly trusting and easily manipulated, which is why they need to be watched over. What they don’t need is a fear that the world is a horrible, dangerous place. Statistically the world is no more dangerous than it was 30 years ago.

However, when children are abused or kidnapped it is more likely by someone they know. Children should know: Just because someone is a stranger doesn’t mean they are dangerous and just because someone is a friend doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you.

Parents don’t know what they are talking about. As much as I hate to admit it I was wrong with this one too. When my mom told me that other kids teased me to make themselves feel better, I thought she sounded ridiculous. When she told me my ”friends” weren’t really friends, I thought she was being judgemental. And when my mother told me I really was beautiful, I believed she was saying it because she had to.

All these things my mother told me were true and yet I had to figure this out on my own. We all do. One thing that amazes me still is that at some point in everyone’s life we all make the same discoveries. Perhaps it is a right of passage into adulthood.

Interview with a superhero

With his boyish grin and Harry Potter glasses, one would never guess that Daniel Smith was a hero-in-training. He is a skillful swordsman, WWII soldier and an Italian plumber with exceptional jumping skills.

Of course, that is all in the two-dimensional world of video games. In real life Smith is a University of Washington Tacoma graduate, Okinawan karate sensei and an avid gamer. He hopes to become a real hero too: Smith plans to practice law.

One of his first classes at Tacoma Community College, where he received his associate’s degree, was a civics law class. Smith was fascinated by the world of law and its abilities. For him, a testament that knowledge is power.

“A physics major may know all the laws of gravity but that doesn’t mean he can jump higher than a normal person,” Smith said. “Law gives you something to work with. You have a set of artificial rules that you can use to work for you.”

He graduated from UWT  in 2006 with an offer to the Seattle University law degree program. Unfortunately he could not afford the tuition, even with federal assistance.

“Law school is expensive, especially for a private school,” said Smith.

But it didn’t take long to find work. He took a job as a data analyst, located minutes from his home. The job paid well, had great benefits and Smith found he was good at what he did. Still, he never gave up on becoming a lawyer. He hoped to return to school in the next year or two.

Smith did return to school but not the way he thought.

“The company downsized and I was laid off,” Smith said.

But life has a way of working out. Once  Smith applied for his unemployment, he qualified for worker retaining. He returned to community college for the paralegal program.

Smith will never give up on his dream. That’s a superhero to me.

Saturday, August 1

My microwave broke last night. While defrosting chicken for dinner, it just suddenly stopped.

To replace it, I first looked on Craigslist. There were some free ones but not in Tacoma.

Next, I called a friend of mine. She had said she was having a yard sale this weekend. No luck there.

I asked a few other people but then I remembered my neighbor said he was moving into a house with some friends.

Assuming the house was already furnished with such items, I left a note on his door politely asking if he was getting rid of one.

I was in luck. Fifteen minutes later, I had a new (slightly used) microwave in my kitchen.

I love my building:)

Friday, May 29

Spring Cleaning! All right, I’m a tad late. I finally got around to packing up all my winter clothes and breaking out the shorts and tank tops.

This is a great time to filter through your clothes and make some room. I packed up quite a load.

All together I got about $30 credit at the consignment stores and used those to buy a new pair of jeans, a skirt and a knit tank top. I still have about $11 in credit to spend.

What didn’t sell, I donated to the new non-profit thrift shop that opened a couple blocks from my building. Tax credit, don’t you know.

Now I have room in my closet for more!

Thursday, May 21

I’ve been looking for a particular book for a couple months now. I finally found it last week at Half Price Books. It cost less than $10 but I thought it was still a bit overpriced. I decided to mull it over a bit. I stopped by today to look for another book and found HPB was having a sale – 20% off everything. So I got the book I had been looking for.

Patience pays off!