Painless Passion
written by: Kahlil Crawford
@kahl1l0
In the late ‘90’s/early 2000’s, I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where I learned art for art’s sake from a Jewish Buddhist.
Jeff talked frankly about having lived in voluntary poverty until he met his partner, a lovely jewelry-maker who was remarkably chill & quiet – a nice complement to Jeff’s calm intensity.
This couple defined “hipster” in the late-90’s. They lived their art with a bohemian sensibility (and matching zafus) and practiced a social detachment that was not completely isolating but distant enough to give them a peculiar mystique.
Jeff’s hair was dark, thick and curly; and his intense, gray eyes seemed to be held at bay by his thick-framed spectacles. He clearly had “seen some shit” and his tales about living in The Tenderloin were pretty brutal. Thankfully, he found peace and balance through meditation and his relationship – both of which seemed to keep him safe and healthy while harnessing his creative edge.
In subsequent years, I would encounter or hear about more of these types of people.
Often described as “urban pioneers,” these young, white hipsters and artists would move into poor and neglected neighborhoods for the ‘cheap rents’ which would spark an influx of more hipsters, then yuppies. However, this would not always come without them succumbing to the neighborhood’s pre-existing trappings – addiction, prostitution, violence, or even death.
This has always been the prevailing characteristic of the hipster since the 1950’s:
Running TOWARD poverty and minority culture versus dwelling in their white privilege. Other than that, I don’t know what drives these folks besides saving money…or maybe they want to prove they’re not prejudiced or that they can endure suffering.
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