Why I have continued to be the Chalk Bandit

(All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.)

I have re-posted this today because of the situation that came about yesterday.  I only want to be the GOOD in this world and share positive thoughts and feelings.  If someone asks me to create a chalk piece in front of a home they own, and it is tidy and temporary, isn't that okay?  It hurts my heart when someone else comes with water and their tennis shoe and smears it away in 3 minutes while the people who live in that building beg him to stop. 

In the 3 hours it took me to create that piece, at least 6 people stopped to thank me for Funism and encouraged me to continue. It took him 3 minutes to erase the message, but leave a mess. 

 

I believe this 4 minute movie by super filmmaker Robin Fenlon explains Funism completely. 

If you are worried about Chalk being a gateway to other graffiti, like the chalk destroyer above, read this. 

I was born at South Bay Hospital.  I grew up here.  The South Bay is an interesting place to grow up.  It’s a very small town- Every time I am out, I run into someone I know.  I like that small town feeling.  So many of us have gone to school here and send our kids to the same schools.  When my son is skating about town, there are people keeping an eye on him (It takes a village). The South bay is also a very big place- spread out (like the rest of Los Angeles) for miles.  Sometimes it doesn't seem like a community at all- Los Angeles is the city without a center and the South Bay is a community with many hearts.

I've lived in most of the cities that are included in the term “South Bay” but Hermosa has my heart because of its artist culture. Hermosa was the center for Jazz music, the center for Punk Rock. 35 years ago I saved my money to buy a pair of purple suede roller-skates from Wild Wheels- the skate shop on the strand. I bought my first pair of Doc Martins at Re-Style, I bought my first Bukowski book from Either-or-Bookstore.  I worked graveyard at Denny’s, worked a few days at Uncle Stavros, worked for years at Rocky Cola.

At 3:am when my shift was over at Rocky Cola, after serving drunks on one side of the restaurant, and “friends of Bills” on the other, I was often too wound up to head straight home to bed.  My friend and I started going down to the pier to draw with chalk.  We would bring coffee for the police and they would hang out and drink it while we drew murals with chalk. The next day we would go down to the strand and listen to the comments- “I wonder who did that?”  “I like what it says” “That’s pretty”  “It’s only chalk”.  I felt encouraged. 

My room-mate and I started to draw on the brick wall that blocked our front door from Inglewood Ave.  In the morning, cars would wait for the light to turn green on Artesia as they headed to the freeway. This was back in the day when no one was looking down at cell phones at every stop.  We drew flowers and hearts and stars and smiling faces.  We wrote messages like “Hootenanny is my magic word” or “Smile today” or my trademark saying “Wake Up and Frolic”.  In the years that we communicated with the increasing traffic, our chalk never caused anyone to lash out at us, or wash it off, or find our chalk a “Gateway to graffiti”.  In fact, when the messages faded and were no longer legible or attractive, we would wash it off ourselves, in order to have a new, clean canvas to work with.  My neighbors began to leave chalk on our doorstep, and I interpreted that as encouragement to continue. 

When my son was young, I started doing things like the “WaxLips Brigade” “Google Eyes” and “Toy tagging”.  The toy tagging evolved into leaving tiny plastic mermaids around. Once I started posting photos on Facebook, and others participated, it turned into an international game.  It is much bigger than me, and anyone can play.  It made the world a smaller place.  See: “GlobalMaids”. 

The Wax Lips Brigade, Toy Tagging, Mermaids.. All of these things (concepts? Projects? Movements?) can be filed under the heading “FUNism”. 

FUNism- the ideology of FUN, the Religion of FUN.

Playing with chalk is part of FUNism.  I've been doing it for over 20 years.  My chalk activity increased when my son was young. We left messages on friend’s driveways, on sidewalks, near elementary schools.  The messages were well received.  We made a difference in people’s days, helped to cheer people up and that made us feel good.  I was encouraged.  So I took my chalk back to the places where I spend the most time- primarily Hermosa Beach.

The first time someone passed by me and yelled “That’s graffiti” I was sad and a little shocked. I don’t want to upset anyone.  I never for a moment figured that anyone would be against CHALK.  The reason I was down on the strand with my chalk was because I wanted to give the world a gift.  I wanted to give back to the community that I love so much. 

I sat back and anonymously watched others viewing the chalk.  95% of the people who noticed would smile, or stop and take a photo, or comment about how much they love seeing these little surprises on the strand.  But I don’t even want to upset 5%, because those 5% have a right to peace and happiness as well.  So, I thought a compromise would be to come around regularly and wash off the chalk messages, as soon as they began to fade, or when they were there too long. 

At this point, the chalk thing has become such a big deal.  I have divided a community that I want to unite.  I was never trying to be subversive.  But in a strange way, I feel the chalk part of FUNism is almost “a calling.”   

On Thanksgiving of 2012 I was going for a walk with a dear friend of mine.  While she stopped to get a drink, I wrote on the face of the stairs that lead to the bathroom: “You don’t have to know where you are going, just take the first step.”  A dog came up to investigate and while I was petting him, his owners asked me if I was the person who leaves chalk messages on the strand.  I gave them the reply people more “mature” than I have advised me to give- “I cannot confirm or deny my involvement in that activity.” 

“Well, we just love it and want to say thank you.” She said to me. “You’re welcome! It is me”, I said.  “Happy Thanksgiving!”  My friend next to me told them about how I left chalk messages on her driveway every week while her husband was recovering from a hit and run car accident and unable to walk.  As soon as he was able, he sat at the computer and ordered a big box of chalk from her teacher’s supply catalog. That was Thanksgiving day 2011, exactly a year before.

“If you are not opposed, I would love to get your phone number and donate some chalk to you” the man said. 

“I can always use more chalk, that would be fantastic” I gave them my phone number and a hug.

Two days later I got a call, saying my chalk was ready to be picked up.  I got their address and took my son there after school.  Their home was one I recognized, because they live on the strand and I always liked a particular piece of art they have decorating their yard. I was gifted a big brown grocery bag full of chalk and told when I need more to give them a call. As we walked away my son said to me “Mom, you have a chalk sponsor” and we both thought that was exciting and cool.

I have had other interactions with people that I can only interpret as encouragement.  One time a lady came up to me and said “I have always wanted to catch you in the act, so I can thank you.  Your messages mean so much to me and have helped me in my darkest days.  One day I came down and read “Don’t stumble over something behind you”… she couldn't complete her sentence, tears welled up in her eyes.  I stopped chalking, stood up and hugged her.  “I am so glad you like it.  Thank you for telling me, YOU just made MY day brighter.”  Situations like that are more common than you know.  I hope to write about more of them in the future.

I believe this 4 minute movie by super filmmaker Robin Fenlon explains Funism completely. 

   

Suicide Prevention Month

September, National Suicide Prevention month, is personal to me because I have lost friends and family to suicide.  I ask myself often if there was anything I could have done to save them. 

 

And here is my big step out of the closet- This is personal to me because I have suffered from depression most of my life.  At least as far back as I can remember.

 

Before you start thinking that I am trying to “get attention” or “looking for sympathy”.   Know this: when I am in the deep dark hell of depression; I typically do not want ANY attention, or interaction with anyone.  

 

I lose a lot of friends when I am depressed.  They tire of hearing my tale of woe.  No one likes a Debbie Downer.  So, you know what I do?  I isolate.  I am tired of hearing myself be sad, and certainly don’t want to subject the people I love to…to me.  I feel like the best way to be a friend is to let them off the hook- remove their obligation to talk to me.  But depression thrives in isolation.  I know that too, logically, but depression isn’t logical.  You can’t necessarily critically think your way out of it.  

 

If I do risk interacting with people, they often think they can “cure” me by pointing out all the reasons I have to NOT be depressed.  Please believe me that this only makes things worse.  It’s basically like telling a person who is pregnant to suck in their tummy. 

 

How can a person who spends their time promoting “Funism” and “Random Acts of Kindness” be depressed?  I have said before that my Not-so-random-acts-of-Funism are purely selfish acts of survival.  When I can momentarily escape from the monster that is depression, I try to run to a place to help others- to spread happiness.  More than once I have written in chalk- “The best way to make you feel good is to make someone else feel better.”  I have faith in that.  Funism is my spiritual foundation.

 

I don’t have any easy answers for people who want to help someone who is depressed.  You can try to be there- but you may get pushed away.  You can invite them somewhere, but they may not be capable of leaving their house.  You can call them, but they may be sick of hearing their own voice. 

 

If you love them, try.  If they say no, try again in a while; an hour, a day, a week later.  Send a card, poke them on Facebook, do what you can.  Do it for yourself, in case they don’t survive, you can say “I did everything I could”.  In my heart, etched in scars, are the names of people I wish I had tried harder for. 

 

Again, this is not a “cry for help” I am on my way to chalk up the city- to leave a garden of painted skateboards for other people to find.  I may save someone’s life today.

How I (may or may not) have become the Chalk Bandit.

(All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.)

I was born at South Bay Hospital.  I grew up here.  The South Bay is an interesting place to grow up.  It’s a very small town- Every time I am out I run into someone I know.  I like that small town feeling.  So many of us have gone to school here and send our kids to the same schools.  When my son is skating about town, there are people keeping an eye on him (It takes a village). The South bay is also a very big place- spread out (like the rest of Los Angeles) for miles.  Sometimes it doesn't seem like a community at all- Los Angeles is the city without a center and the South Bay is a community with many hearts.

I've lived in most of the cities that are included in the term “South Bay” but Hermosa has my heart because of its artist culture. Hermosa was the center for Jazz music, the center for Punk Rock. 35 years ago I saved my money to buy a pair of purple suede roller-skates from Wild Wheels- the skate shop on the strand. I bought my first pair of Doc Martins at Re-Style, I bought my first Bukowski book from Either-or-Bookstore.  I worked graveyard at Denny’s, worked a few days at Uncle Stavros, worked for years at Rocky Cola.

At 3:am when my shift was over at Rocky Cola, after serving drunks on one side of the restaurant, and “friends of Bills” on the other, I was often too wound up to head straight home to bed.  My friend and I started going down to the pier to draw with chalk.  We would bring coffee for the police and they would hang out and drink it while we drew murals with chalk. The next day we would go down to the strand and listen to the comments- “I wonder who did that?”  “I liked what it says” “That’s pretty”  “It’s only chalk”.  I felt encouraged. 

My room-mate and I started to draw on the brick wall that blocked our front door from Inglewood Ave.  In the morning, cars would wait for the light to turn green on Artesia as they headed to the freeway. This was back in the day when no one was looking down at cell phones at every stop.  We drew flowers and hearts and stars and smiling faces.  We wrote messages like “Hootenanny is my magic word” or “Smile today” or my trademark saying “Wake Up and Frolic”.  In the years that we communicated with the increasing traffic, our chalk never caused anyone to lash out at us, or wash it off, or find our chalk a “Gateway to graffiti”.  In fact, when the messages faded and were no longer legible or attractive, we would wash it off ourselves, in order to have a new, clean canvas to work with.  My neighbors began to leave chalk on our doorstep, and I interpreted that as encouragement to continue. 

When my son was young, I started doing things like the “WaxLips Brigade” “Google Eyes” and “Toy tagging”.  The toy tagging evolved into leaving tiny plastic mermaids around. Once I started posting photos on Facebook, and others participated, it turned into an international game.  It is much bigger than me, and anyone can play.  It made the world a smaller place.  See: “GlobalMaids”. 

The Wax Lips Brigade, Toy Tagging, Mermaids.. All of these things (concepts? Projects? Movements?) can be filed under the heading “FUNism”. 

FUNism- the ideology of FUN, the Religion of FUN.

Playing with chalk is part of FUNism.  I've been doing it for over 20 years.  My chalk activity increased when my son was young. We left messages on friend’s driveways, on sidewalks, near elementary schools.  The messages were well received.  We made a difference in people’s days, helped to cheer people up and that made us feel good.  I was encouraged.  So I took my chalk back to the places where I spend the most time- primarily Hermosa Beach.

The first time someone passed by me and yelled “That’s graffiti” I was sad and a little shocked. I don’t want to upset anyone.  I never for a moment figured that anyone would be against CHALK.  The reason I was down on the strand with my chalk was because I wanted to give the world a gift.  I wanted to give back to the community that I love so much. 

I sat back and anonymously watched others viewing the chalk.  95% of the people who noticed would smile, or stop and take a photo, or comment about how much they love seeing these little surprises on the strand.  But I don’t even want to upset 5%, because those 5% have a right to peace and happiness as well.  So, I thought a compromise would be to come around regularly and wash off the chalk messages, as soon as they began to fade, or when they were there too long. 

At this point, the chalk thing has become such a big deal.  I have divided a community that I want to unite.  I was never trying to be subversive.  But in a strange way, I feel the chalk part of FUNism is almost “a calling.”   

On Thanksgiving of 2012 I was going for a walk with a dear friend of mine.  While she stopped to get a drink, I wrote on the face of the stairs that lead to the bathroom: “You don’t have to know where you are going, just take the first step.”  A dog came up to investigate and while I was petting him, his owners asked me if I was the person who leaves chalk messages on the strand.  I gave them the reply people more “mature” than I have advised me to give- “I cannot confirm or deny my involvement in that activity.” 

“Well, we just love it and want to say thank you.” She said to me. “You’re welcome. It is me”, I said.  “Happy Thanksgiving!”  My friend next to me told them about how I left chalk messages on her driveway every week while her husband was recovering from a hit and run car accident and unable to walk.  As soon as he was able, he sat at the computer and ordered a big box of chalk from her teacher’s supply catalog. That was Thanksgiving day 2011, exactly a year before.

“If you are not opposed, I would love to get your phone number and donate some chalk to you” the man said. 

“I can always use more chalk, that would be fantastic” I gave them my phone number and a hug.

Two days later I got a call, saying my chalk was ready to be picked up.  I got their address and took my son there after school.  Their home was one I recognized, because they live on the strand and I always liked a particular piece of art they have decorating their yard. I was gifted a big brown grocery bag full of chalk and told when I need more to give them a call. As we walked away my son said to me “Mom, you have a chalk sponsor” and we both thought that was exciting and cool.

I have had other interactions with people that I can only interpret as encouragement.  One time a lady came up to me and said “I have always wanted to catch you in the act, so I can thank you.  Your messages mean so much to me and have helped me in my darkest days.  One day I came down and read “Don’t stumble over something behind you”… she couldn't complete her sentence, tears welled up in her eyes.  I stopped chalking, stood up and hugged her.  “I am so glad you like it.  Thank you for telling me, YOU just made MY day brighter.”  Situations like that are more common than you know.  I hope to write about more of them in the future.

Some people believe artists suffer to bring meaning to their art.  I believe I make art to bring meaning to my suffering.

May 6th

I love to leave art on friend's sidewalks or driveways. I always keep chalk in my car- just in case the need arises.

Today is the anniversary of my Mother's death. I miss her a lot. When I look at my hands, I think of her, I have her hands. I have her rings. I don't have her hand to hold. My hands make chalk art for people I love, like my friend Doreen who was born on this day. So today I will celebrate my mother's life, and I will celebrate Doreen's life, and I will celebrate my own life.

Fun is Good

Chalk Can't Hurt You

I love chalk art. I have worked in this medium for years- sometimes going to the beach after midnight to create covert chalk murals for the people. I also lived for years on a busy street, with a big blank wall between my home and the traffic- this wall was my canvas. The police would occasionally come by, but then leave me alone when they found out I lived there and it was only chalk. (I eventually wrote "It's only chalk" so that people who drove by would not be afraid or offended) My neighbors would leave chalk on my doorstep, so I knew they approved.

I try to never write political or religious statements, only positive, colorful statements to keep with my idea of "FUNism". I often steal slogans, but I think I read a quote by Pablo Picasso that said "immature artists borrow, mature artists steal" so- that's my excuse. The art is mine, the words aren't always, and I hope if I wasn't able to "steal" the words, that I at least made them worthy of being borrowed.

The last day of school

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the last day of school for Chris, so naturally, on Tuesday night we went by the schoolyard and scattered more "crystals" as well as a dozen bouncy balls on the schoolyard.

I must say that I experience sheer joy as I throw all those colorful glass treasures over the fence. Chris and I laugh as we feel like secret fairies scattering pixie dust across the grass. I feel an even deeper sense of satisfaction, when on the afternoon of the last day of school I get an email from one of the teachers that says:

I wanted to let you know a little boy from our class found a crystal on the grass at lunch. It couldn't have happened to a better kid, as he has a tough time at home AND at school. I told him it was his lucky day and it must mean he is going to have a wonderful summer. I wish you could have seen the expression on his face... total excitement!

Hurray for us!

Mermaids

Mermaid tagging is not a competitive sport, but if it was, my friend Kacie would be the winner.
Having just introduced her to the concept of toy tagging last night, she caught on quickly, and managed to place this pink mermaid on our friend's shirt- without our friend even knowing!
I took a photo with my phone before someone told her she had a mermaid hanging from her blouse.
Way to go Kacie!

Mundane errands in my day are just more fun when I am leaving tiny treasures everywhere. The local grocery store is full of mermaids and no one knows- Chris and I look up at the places where we put them days before to see that they are still there! Eventually, when the employees do some dusting or re-organizing, they will find them....in the meantime, Chris and I giggle every time we shop, and leave more mermaids.

Shiney Happy Mermaids everywhere.

We have been having fun leaving secret mermaids wherever we go. They are in the streets of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Hollywood and Los Angeles.
Mermaid on a bumper- This is the car that belongs to my old boss from a restaurant I worked at.

Mermaids swimming about the streets of Hollywood:

See the orange speck in the ivy that is growing on the light pole:

it's a mermaid:

Random acts of Fluffy-ness!

We went down to the school again to leave more "Shiney things" or "Crystals", as I've been told the younger students call them. We decided to add a little fluff to the event by tossing in a few tiny chicks.

I had a feeling that the chicks would be too light and fluffy to toss over the fence, so in true Dennis the Menace fashion, I brought along my son's slingshot. This just sent the chicks high into the air and back down at us, which made us all laugh. Dad eventually had to hop the fence and run around the schoolyard depositing fluffy chicks into blank spots in the grass. I'm glad school is almost out for summer, so I can spend my days with my son, but we will miss leaving treats on the school yard .

The last 3 mermaids (for now)

Mermaid on surfter statue in Hermosa Beach:


Mermaid on a friend's car window:

Mermaid on the coffee bean stairs:

Now, I am out of mermaids. We'll see what comes up next VDub.....

Little Shiney Things

Chris loves little shiney things and has a bunch of them.

Sometimes we need to share them with the world so we put some in a bag

and take them to the schoolyard and throw them on the grass.

When the children go to school the next day, they find them as they play on the grass, and pretty soon it's like a glass easter egg hunt for them during recess. I like to drive by and watch all the kids get excited as they find shiney little things on the lawn.
I love the acts of kindness that are random and shiney!

Magical Mermaids

I have been leaving little mermaids all over town. There is one next to the light in the bathroom of my favorite coffee shop:

Today I was at my favorite coffee shop hang out and one of my "little friends" came with her Mom and Dad. I had plastic mermaids in my purse. Every time my little friend would leave her seat to go inside for something, I would place another toy on her chair. We began to think the chair was magic and my little friend was quite excited at that prospect.

I like that 4 out of 5 of her fingers have Hello Kitty band aids on them. Super cute. That alone must make her magical!

The little Mermaids

More Not So Random Acts of Fun-Ness

So, for a while we were toy tagging, and that was lots of fun, but eventually we ran out of toys.
So I purchased little plastic animals and began using them; hiding them in purses, in bar bathrooms, in cars- everywhere and anywhere. When you listen to the recording of "All the Grown ups" at the Good Hurt, you can hear people in the background saying "I got a chicken, I got a Pig!" I hid them in the ice cream section of the grocery store. The joy of secretly giving; My Not so random acts of kindness. But eventually we ran out of the little plastic animals.
We also had lots of fun with John McCain, and many of you enjoyed checking in to see where he showed up. But people didn't get to keep John, they just got to live vicariously through him so it wasn't like sharing little gifts with the world....we were just sharing bits of our world with others.
So- I got mermaids. Little plastic mermaids. They are to assist in identifying drinks when you have more than 2 people in a room drinking (like those clever little wine charms) but these are clever little mermaids.

So far the mermaids have come with me to see the Meat Puppets:

(That little orange speck on the mike stand is a mermaid.)
And this little green mermaid got left on the toilet seat covers at the L.A. Zoo:

I had 60 mermaids to share with the world, I'm down to less than a dozen. Let us know if you find one.

Acts of kindness that aren't random

As fun as field toy tagging is, we have been having much more fun tagging our friend's houses, and our friends. Recently I was with my friend and her teen daughters and I secretly and discreetly put a toy in the hood of the oldest girl's sweatshirt. When she got in the car and leaned back against the seat, she discovered the toy and didn't know where it came from.. Their Mom tells me that she and her sister are having fun finding and hiding the toy

In spite of my recent sensitivity to incompetence in the world, I am still working every day to perform acts of kindness that aren't random- they are planned:

This guy is the protector of the field....

I am talking about my cat; "Trumin the assassin" he follows us while we toy tag, because he thinks he's a dog. He also protects us from gophers!

May 6 2008- Chalk Tagging

My Mother died on May 6th 1992.

Some years on the anniversary of her death, I spend a lot of time crying or feeling sad or reminiscing.

Today instead I celebrated the lives of two women I admire and adore and I chalk tagged their homes.

The first one because it is her birthday and I've been chalking her driveway every birthday for 4 or 5 years and I thought she might be terribly disappointed if she came home to a blank driveway. Plus I like to let her neighbors know it's her birthday too, and what better way than with a chalk mural?



I also tagged my friend's porch, just because I love her and wanted her to know.




I still miss my Mom, but today was a good day. I'm glad she taught me how to have good clean fun!

Toy Tagging...

Tip-toe-ing up the stairs to a friend's front door....Toy in hand. It's hard to keep from giggling.


Have you found a tiny toy when you got home from work or school? Are you discovering smiling little friends in places you wouldn't expect? Perhaps you've been "toy tagged"- it's the newest fad- the coolest way to recycle.

Toy Tagging day 3

Still having fun with the toy tagging thing. But in addition to leaving toys in the field by our home for people to happen upon, there are other toys mysteriously appearing.... has it happened to you?
Can you see Buzz?

There is a little guy at the bottom of this pole:

SEE?

I like these plants better with surprises inside:

another mutant turtle: