For us life is about following our bliss rather than selling out to corporate America. It's great when people can do grassroots things to survive, and actually make it. The more people do the things they love, the better off society will be. Money is available, and there are ways of accessing and translating it through art and creativity. These are good for overcoming momentary depression.
Life can get scary, but somehow the universe provides.
Rock and roll in the sixties affected my life in a deep way. The whole flavor of the music and art around that time influenced me. The culture of Haight-Ashbury was so vibrant. More recently I was commissioned to do a portrait of Jerry Garcia, and I listened to tapes of his music as I painted. Even though I grew up right around the Grateful Dead, I never really appreciate the beauty of their music until I painted that portrait.