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Eupterus
10-28-2009, 12:00 PM
I'm so sick of "theres' NO room"....it makes cleaning and organizing extremely time consuming. Add on the art studio( or rather the CONTENTS of the art studio lacking the actual studio), hobbies including fish tanks and you end feeling closophobic most of the time. Outside people are amazed what I've got in here. Somehow I manged to fit a bed in the studio supplies.

Of course the most logical thing to do would be to quit the hobbies and just stick with most important which would be the career. Which would easily take the room that the tanks are occupying. I've done the almost hobby -free life minus my boarded fish which I could not find homes for before. I figured, wait until you get a home, THEN have hobbies.

And besides being on unemployment makes one feel guilty for having hobbies. I mean it's one thing to be spending money on living expenses, quite another to spent it on pleasure and de- stressing. Sometimes I think if all I did is stick some rice and beans into my mouth, lived hobby -free and paid bills minus internet, I could go off unemployment and live guilt free. If I lived like this ( in other words go into poverty), I might be able to pay rent without using unemployment funds and using food stamps.

Didn't last very long. I couldn't take living without hobbies so I went back.
And the idea of living in poverty feels so negative. I'm too much of "wuss" to let go of my middle class lifestyle. It started with one tank and well you know the end of the story, I have six squeezed in here. I had eight and took down a rack. There's a displaced female betta on the floor in the bedroom waiting to go ...somewhere.
I have to live in fear of the housing authority because they say I'm allowed on ten gal tank.
I decided I'm going to shrug my shoulders because I'm already living in fear all the time for other reasons. I've been living in fear of poverty for so long that I'm getting de-sensitized to living in fear I guess.

The entire apartment is smaller then some art studios. I went on a pro artist tour before.
Part of me blames me for not working hard enough on my artwork to be able to buy or rent a real working studio and get ahead. IF only I worked harder. Then again I did make myself extremely sick in teh past as a working artist. I just kept pushing myself to meet quality goals and my body couldn't take it. I laugh when people talk about doing artwork for passion and other nonsense. So then again, maybe pacing myself is good even if it takes longer to suceed.

Filling ones bedroom with studio does not really count. The other part blames the outside economy for making things so difficult.
My parents long had their own home by my age. There's wasn't as much of a distance between wages and bills to make buying a home such a hue challenge.

Just wondering anyone live in tight quarters are a result of expenses/ economy issues?.

247Plants
10-28-2009, 12:12 PM
I hear ya Eup. Sounds totally familiar to me.

Me and my girl live in a studio made from a converted single car garage. Been unemployed for a while also (graphic design). You worked and paid into the unemployment, dont feel guilty for using it. It can only benefit you and as far as keeping your hobbies, well, think of it as a way to keep your mental stability. Aquariums have been proven to be very soothing.

chefjamesscott
10-28-2009, 12:15 PM
I have a violin i could play for you, really I do a very nice late 1800's copy of a strat!

Sorry but here is a reality check for you

If you chose the path you are walking on, please don't bemoan the bumps in the road. Otherwise suck it up and make your dream a reality. If that is not possible walk from this path you have chosen and find some balance.

On a different note, when it seems that the weight is all to often to much to bear it is then that someone will come along to share and with the help of shouldering the burden realize you are almost there!!!

A quote for you from Goethe "Whatever you can do or dream you can.... BEGIN IT boldness has Genius and Power Magic in it!"

I can only share from my personal life, where my art has gone into my chefing. It has been a long road with many many trials and many a time thoughts of just give it up and get a real job. Well here it is 15 years later after first stepping out with the dream to own my own. Lost 1/4 million in my first restaurant, stepped back worked as a waiter for 3 years and then went back at it and here we are.

If your dream is indeed a dream make it happen, if it is a pipedream run for it is in fact actually a nightmarish trap that will engulf you. Only you can know which of the two it is. If it be the first pursue it with all that you have for life without dreams is but living death!!!!!

Zaffy
10-28-2009, 4:24 PM
Currently, I rent a small room in Los Angeles. Everything I own, except my bicycle and car fit within a 10x10 room with a 2x4 closet.

It's actually kinda depressing when I typed that out.

Reframer
10-28-2009, 4:46 PM
I think it is healthy to complain every now and then. You can't always put on a smile all day long.
I have plenty of discussions about how much easier it was to make a living a few deades ago. One guy told me about how he bought silverware and made boxes for it and then went door to door to sell it. He made enough to raise a family and buy a nice house and let his wife stay home. We hear no such stories these days.
This month has been really hard for my family, extra bills are due and my hours are cut. We live a very simple life and live in a small house, everyone else seems to have mansions in comparison. It's a shame that well educated people who work hard cannot make enough to live without being in debt, or on government assistance.

chefjamesscott
10-28-2009, 4:59 PM
I must concede one thing, living in canada does indeed put a different focus on life and how one lives it.

What I would say is search out community, find those who are in the same situation and make it a point to be there to lift each other up.

I did not mean in my earlier post to say dealing with the harsh reality that life offers out is a bad thing, but rather keep ones eyes, heart and soul on the goal at hand. The fulfilling of the dream!

When life hands you lemons, for sure make lemonaide but make sure to squeeze the peels so that the essential oils spritz out and give you a breath of fresh air and for sure make sure to squeeze some of the lemon juice on your war wounds the acid will make sure it heals faster, may hurt for the moment but the end result is expedience in healing.

What I mean about this is do not let the beatings of life make you bitter but better.

edit : here is a song that I thought might brighten your day eup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR550eGK0DA&feature=related

I picked this one because the sound was clearest

another good song by them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5evKj1Tc6U&feature=related

further edit:I have come to say this life is not about the medals I receive but the battle scars I have come to wear!

The Zigman
10-28-2009, 5:01 PM
I live in a Maytag refrigerator box right now... Well at least till it rains again.

Zaffy
10-28-2009, 9:05 PM
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Here's a little perspective.