Vintage Trailers ... the Road Less Traveled

In May we attended a vintage trailer rally at Pismo Beach. We've been doing these rallies for over 15 years now and it seems like I enjoy them more each year. In the beginning it was mostly old car guys, but over time we've been discovered by the hipsters, so now we're an interesting blend of generations and temperaments.  One of my favorite parts is when you wake up in the morning, open your door and gaze out at a sea of small unique "homes" with wisps of campfires and sleepy eyed kids who say "hi" as they head for the showers. It's an echo of times past - when everyone seemed to have a DIY mentality and it would have been odd to copy your neighbor's trailer. It always baffles me to look at the rows of grand modern trailers...all of them white, beige or brown - plus, the occupants never seem to come out to enjoy the view, much less get to know their neighbors. 

I think these vintage trailers are also connected to the "tiny house" movement where people find joy in living "small" and freedom in structures that don't demand 24/7 maintenance (or massive mortgages). For me it's also a nice break from most of my media, reading books and escaping from tv. Here's some exteriors of my series from this year's rally. You can join us by getting your own vintage trailer at Tin Can Tourists, but I should warn you now...the problem with vintage trailers is no one stops with just one!

Palm Springs Vintage & My Anniversary!

It was one year ago (plus 1 day) that I started this blog. The idea was to explore creativity as I took a year's sabbatical finding ways to reinvent myself as an artist. Well...I'm pleased to say that I did accomplish that goal - but it was a hell of a year in many ways. 

In this past year I had my heart broken, felt truly lost and created a new foundation. It was a year where I met some very mean spirited, small-minded people with no understanding of how to motivate or why teachers do what we do - but I also met some real gems - people who know what collaboration and consensus means and who constantly strive for excellence. I both lost and then rebuilt a sense of myself as an individual and an artist. In the midst of feeling so alone, I realized I was actually surrounded by a rich and diverse community of souls who took the time to let me know how I had touched their lives...and let's face it, our connections to others is all we have in the end. 

I reaffirmed my goals for the next 5 years - and while I'm deeply saddened by the changes that have come to my school and frankly, not really sure if it will be able to recover - these are my peeps and, at least for now, where I will stay to fight the good fight. 

A few weeks ago I had a great time visiting Palm Springs - admittedly, I wish it hadn't been over 100 degrees for most of the time. Sheeshhhh...it was only May! That said, it's a really interesting town for design mavens. Between the tons of antique stores stocked full of modernist treasures, the vintage car dealership, the architecture, good food and friendly locals it's a gold mine for the visually oriented. I decided to look for vintage trailer parks and had a blast!

Day Twenty-Three: To The End of Victory

Saturday, February 23rd: Where the road leads you.

This post is done with the assumption that you may have today off...or at least a few free hours. If Saturday is your big work day...accept my apologies!

My husband and I have a ritual we call "to the end of Victory" which is named after a drive we took on Victory Blvd - taking it all the way until it ended. There was some thought that "hey, it goes west, so it must end at the ocean." Needless to say, it didn't, but the ensuing trip was a lot of fun as we watched neighborhoods and cultures change.

My challenge for you today is to select a street and take it from its beginning to its end. You could select a long one or a short one...but see where it takes you and document those changes. One of my favorite trips of this kind was when we started south on Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena, which then turned into Atlantic Blvd, which turned into Eastern Blvd, which turned into Garfield, which turned into Cherry which landed us a block from the ocean - from the mountains to the ocean in one afternoon was really fun.

Have fun...oh, and if you don't have a car...take a bus to the end of the line.

If you've just joined us, February is a 28 day creativity challenge with a new "prompt" each day to get you thinking in new ways. The goal is to just have fun, don't try to control too much, feel free to use a cell phone or any camera that's easy for you. Don't worry about the end results. With each prompt you can take it literally or not, you can wing it, google it, ask for people's opinions...whatever you want to do is perfect. Bottom line - it's supposed to be fun, there are no right or wrongs.

Become Someone Else

Today I decided to become someone different. I left my car at home (big step for L.A.) transferred my purse and camera bag to a day pack, and walked to the nearest Metro. Strange thing is, this is actually going back to my roots. My parents were New Yorkers and didn't drive, so I spent my childhood years on public transit. I grew up watching the world go by while cooling my cheek on a bus window more times than I can count. Fast forward a few (ha!) decades and I'm back to where I started - trying to look cool and secretly watching people's reflections.

As we get older - or even as we get more proficient as artists - we work hard to make our lives more comfortable. With meticulous care we sand all the rough edges off our daily existence until we're cocooned in comfort...or at least in a prison of our own making.  In L.A. it's easy to avoid so much simply by staying in our A/C'd cars - we grumble at traffic - but it's nothing compared to sitting by the side of the road waiting for the bus. So it's important to not allow ourselves to lose touch with life outside our "walls."

Today's trip grew out of the new work I've been doing as a photo illustrator - I knew that a visit downtown was essential and I must say it was a great experience to spend the day in such a different, visually rich environment. My challenge to you is to find your own way to do the same. Get out of your routine, be someone else for a hour, an afternoon...a day and see where it takes you. 

To take your own daytrip in downtown L.A., take a Metro to the 7th Street exit. Get out towards Figeroa street and walk south to Hotel Figeroa. This is a great location full of Moroccan style with a touch of "old California." Afterwards, walk over to Grand Avenue for the public Central Library at 5th, then cross the street to check out the Biltmore Hotel...you'll recognize it from many films. At that point you're at Pershing Square and can take the Metro to Union Square. From there...you've got Olivera Street, City Hall, Little Tokyo...you get the idea.  Have fun.