Moving forward…
A lot has happened in my life since 2015.
In 2015, I managed to turn my spine into a jigsaw puzzle with four missing pieces (now back together sort of just 1.5 inches shorter). Since then, life has been like trying to run a marathon in a three-legged race… against myself. No more sprinting for me; my running days are now replaced with a fast-ish-motion walk that’s about as effective at burning calories as watching paint dry.
The chronic pain? It’s like an unwanted houseguest who overstayed their welcome and brought all their friends. Emotionally, it’s been a rollercoaster, but one where you can’t get off because the safety bar is stuck. And forget about those days of crawling around; I now treat the floor like it’s made of lava, except there’s no fun in this game in adulthood.
But hey, on the bright side, I’ve mastered the art of sitting still, and my bed and I have become the best of friends. It’s been a wild ride, but if anything, it’s taught me that life’s a bit like a comedy show – you’ve just got to laugh at the punchlines, even when they’re at your own expense or you’ll just go crazy. The dogs also keep me laughing with some of their crazy antics. But seriously, I’m lucky and blessed. I can still walk most days as long as I don’t do any heavy lifting or too much bending.
My options are limited for work. Disability — well, America is so expensive that it still wouldn’t allow me to live in a home again and you have to not work for a good period of time according to attorneys.
Alright, so here’s the deal: my job prospects are about as narrow as a politician’s moral compass. Disability benefits in the land of the free? Ha! They’re like a free sample at Costco – just enough to tease you but not nearly enough to live on, unless your dream home is a cardboard box. Not too mention, when I used to go to Costco, they seemed to always be hiding the free treats. Also, the legal eagles — the attorneys — tell me you gotta play dead longer than a possum at a picnic before you see any of that sweet, sweet cash. So, there’s the humor, but seriously, it’s a bit of a mess.
Enter Elon Musk buying Twitter. We all remember his blusterings:
“Absolutely essential. Creators need to make a living!” — Elon Musk
“It is a major priority to enable monetization by content creators! People need to make a living and prosper from their work. We need to make it possible to upload the content in the first place. That’s getting there.” — Elon Musk
Many of us who are artists, photographers, and videographers have found out that this is not the content Elon wants. We use our time and our money to produce works offline, and we are supposed to then come to the app and spend at least 8-10 hours a day to make a few pennies.
Elon also grandstanded everyone saying that he was a free-speech abolitionist.
But he also recently said, “Free speech doesn’t mean paid speech” and “Exactly. The first amendment is protection for “free speech”, not “paid speech” ffs.“
Prior he said about moving out of California, “Hard to be a free speech platform in a state that wants to ban free speech.”
Elon also stated, “We have recently received many requests to suspend or otherwise impact accounts on the left. However, 𝕏 is a free speech platform that aspires to give equal voice to all, within the bounds of the law. That is what we will do.” However, how is this free and equal when you are limited on this platform whether behind the scenes or openly (such as basically telling people to turn off comments for non-verified users)? How does that encourage free and open dialog? Are you only free if you pay?
Alright, so I’ve been playing hide and seek with my own work on 𝕏 – you could say I’m winning because I’ve hidden it so well, it’s practically gone (I’ve deleted most and not posted a lot)! But here’s the deal: I’ve got to make a living, and my body seems to think it’s in a game of ‘Simon Says’ where Simon is a very mean, very lazy version of myself. No hard floors? Check. No sitting for long periods? Double check. No bending or crawling? You got it.
So, I’m out here, trying to turn my artistic talents into something that doesn’t involve turning myself into a human pretzel or a floor-bound pancake. The struggle is real, folks. But hey, if anyone knows how to make money from lying down and occasionally waving a paintbrush, I’m all ears!
I started a “Buy Me A Coffee” last year, which allows one-time gifts and monthly subscriptions. It is here that I will first post major works a week prior to posting them anywhere else. I currently am not eligible for subs on 𝕏 after Elon again changed the rules, but should those become available, I will post there as well. I am also in the process of starting a Patreon (but they deactivated it almost immediately because I’m on a VPN but ironically connected to multiple social media accounts).
Also, remember, we can lose any account on 𝕏 or otherwise for any reason at all and there will be little if no transparency on that. Don’t put all your eggs in the 𝕏 basket.
Please note I also have Cashapp, Bitcoin (36hZmpTLfXBk96dS7xE5ZSf3FRw7fQ7tkb), and Doge.
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