The Pen Monster Blog

I think the term is 'economically depressed area'?

During COVID we had flood of speculators and retirees from wealthier parts of Canada pour over our already terrible housing options and wash out a lot of the people living here. This flood was encouraged by local landlords and their pet politicians. Something they had been pushing for decades.

This was followed by landlords raising the rents and developing new housing beyond the means of most of the locals. Followed by tent towns in the local parks. Followed by the "concerned citizens" AKA "local business owners" pushing the government to kick them out of sight before the tourists came in the summer. Followed by thousands of people living in nearby forests and abandoned buildings because the cops can't be bothered to harass them there. Followed by the government on all levels promising affordable housing just as soon as the committee agrees on how they'll pay for it while maintaining their corporate welfare programs.

Perhaps in 2027? Sign up for the waiting list. Try not to die before then.

It's a familiar song and dance in your neighbourhood as well, I'm sure.

The past few months have been rough for me. Lots of housing insecurity. The beginning of this week saw me realize that a lot of that... mood... had been baked into the scripts I had been writing for the sci-fi comic I was working on.

When I set to work on a second draft, "This comic is shit!"

So I had a pity party. I think I earned it. I ate strawberries.

Today I got up and decided to draw these characters again and test out some new designs for them I was working on. And, MAYBE, claw back some self confidence in my ideas and abilities.

There's also a possible light at the end of the tunnel as far as housing goes. But I'm not hatching those eggs until the bridges are crossed.

"We don't actually want you living here. We just want your rent money."

Dead Kennedys

Almost done the comic's introduction. Drawing conditions aren't ideal at the moment and I'm still waiting to find out if the road to my new home has been repaired so I can get there, get set up, and start my six month art & exercise plan.

Getting a new home has been delayed for over a month now and compared to the amount of work I was doing in June in that AirB&B in Seoul I feel sluggish right now. Though I am happy I have a new home to go to. There are tent cities throughout Halifax right now because a lot of people don't have one anymore.