#10: The artist
8-4-19
The artist appears extremely clean and poised. He does not look like stereotypical homeless individuals, dressing neatly and confidently. He is of average height and build, and talks with conviction.
Are you from around here?
Yes, I was born and raised. My family’s actually been around here for 100 years now. I’ve been living here off an on my entire life, so for about 37 years. I’ve traveled quite a bit just wanted to see the world and everything, then I lived in paradise for quite a while.
I get that there’s a lot of complications with people coming from all different cities trying to get the help, but they don't understand what Fremont’s about or what it used to be. It was a small town life. My grandparents bought their house for $25,000 in the 1950’s and my mom sold it a couple years ago for $1.4 million. I had my first apartment here in Fremont with my best friend and we were paying $725. The same place is now $3200 so it's just, I can't do anything on my own. Even if I were still a cook, doing catering work with San Francisco for rich couples and shows, but I couldn't do it on my own. I would have to work a tech job in Santa Clara or something, but I can’t. It’s just too much.
What jobs have you worked before?
I’m a chef by trade. I worked at a French restaurant, fusion with Japanese and Chinese, and Thai. I mean, I’ve done a lot of things, like jack of all trades, so I’m also an artist. I actually just started selling my paintings online again. I don’t have any pictures of them right now because my phone got stolen and I can’t build a portfolio because I can’t hold on to anything. I have a couple of people that I’m going to be doing paintings for but other than that I don’t really plan anything. If I paint something and someone likes it then they buy it. I do watercolor and a lot of color pencil and mixed media.
What’s something you wish others knew about you?
I do a lot of volunteer work with terminally ill children and I always had my whole life. And when someone shelters their kid when they see me walking past, it hurts. It makes me cry because I’m the type of guy that would jump in front of a car for that child. So that kind of thing just makes me not want to be out here anymore. I hate that and it really bothers me. I'm a pretty sensitive person and I just think about all the other people out here and it’s just hard. I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody.
It's a hard subject because there's always going to be bad guys but we are open and more seen so the bad in us is seen. It's out there so everyone can see it. So the majority of people that I associate with and know are not bad people at all, they’re just people trying to survive and it's not easy with the prices are skyrocketing. Its like sanity there's no middle class anymore. I used to love this town when I was growing up but its just changed so much and I actually just want to leave. There’s nothing left for me here. I just wish people didn’t automatically assume that because a person’s situation that they’re automatically bad because we get that a lot.
Do you have any family around here?
I used to have family in Fremont. 90% of them moved away to Paradise, so everybody’s homes got burnt and we’re kind of scattered around. I’m the last one in Fremont after 100 years so that’s kind of sad.
Do you have any regrets?
I used to be married, and the reason why I’m kind of in this situation is because I left her for reasons that were not worth it. She had cancer and they got rid of it, but essentially they said no kids, so she was so depressed. For two years straight she just wouldn’t snap out of it. So I thought me leaving for a little while would help her out, but it just became permanent. And that’s when Paradise burnt. I used to be a homeowner, but now it’s all gone. Unfortunately, I won’t have any children, and I’m also the last in my family. A lot of these people have been here a long time but now they just don’t know where to go and it's sad.