Corner of Tompkins (7th street) and Avenue A - NYC

I ran into this wacky bunch on my way home from running some errands yesterday.  I first heard them marching down the street and singing when I was in a store further up on Avenue A.  I was bummed I missed the photo op – I saw them through the window, but I had all this stuff in my hands that I was buying so I didn’t run out.  Luckily, they had parked themselves on the corner of Tompkins Square Park so I got to photograph them on my walk home.  They didn’t even have a bucket out to collect contributions or anything or I definitely would have donated. I tend to donate to artists (or homeless people) when I take photos… makes me feel like it’s an even exchange – you know?

Anyway, I was in this cool store – Sustainable NYC, which sells everything organic, recycled, fair trade, repurposed, etc.  I go there now to buy cards because they have really cute & original ones.  My favorite, I am saving for a particular friend of mine – because it’s so her.  It reads:

“The sun is always shining somewhere in the world.  (Let’s just hope it’s on you and not some evil bitch.)”

So, I’m checking out at the counter and the girl says to me, “so you’re a photographer?”  I have my camera hanging around my neck (as usual)… but I never exactly know how to answer that question.  I end up saying I’m a photographer in training because I don’t exactly feel like a photographer yet.  Though I did just deposit my first paycheck for the photo shoot I did for 7 for all mankind!  So it made me wonder…at what point will I answer… “yes, I’m a photographer”?

I told her about my 365 project and she ends up telling me that she has been producing one comic a day since 2006!  A teacher she had told her to do it for practice & to build a portfolio of work four years ago and she’s been doing it ever since.  Her business card says “Be Unlazy” with her website… “unlazy.com“.  I love that!!   It’s true… doing a project like this makes you feel incredibly unlazy.  It’s hard work and sometimes quite annoying and tedious, but you’re producing every single day and building a body of work, and putting yourself out there into the world… so it really feels good.