Upthinking

Over the weekend, I finished the first collaborative mini-zine project. Space Toaster Betsy and I put our drawings together for our firstest Toast mini zine called “Think UP”… a sort of mini guide to staying UP in a down world.

I live in Portland, Oregon… and for the last year and a half, our fair city has been pummeled with protests, graffiti, an uptick in litter, violence, and homelessness. For Portland, civic pride is at deep ebb. It’s not just Portland; many large cities are experiencing a rash of civil difficulties that mar the quality of life for its inhabitants.

But part of finding a way back to feeling good about one’s community (“flow”) is not giving in to hopeless thinking; this leads to giving up. Many just throw in the towel and leave for some other “Better City”. Instead of staying and meeting the challenges and contributing to change, they move on.

As an artist, I look for ways to make change through art. Even small changes by one person contribute on some level. I want to help make my home a happy place for not only me and my fellow Portlanders, but for those who come and visit. Portland is a beautiful city full of artists, crafters, musicians, and comedians. If WE, the artists, cannot make things better, prettier, and funnier… then who can? If you don’t think it’s possible for one person to help to make a difference… consider the honeybee. One bee belongs to a hive, and in that hive, each bee belongs to each other and contributes to their home. And like the bees, we all need to work together. We all need to contribute to change.