San Francisco has long been a bastion of creativity. But as tech giants have grown within the seven-by-seven City by the Bay, it’s not new news that it’s become increasingly harder for artists to find and maintain a footing here.
As someone who’s currently looking into a studio space to share with imaginative mates, I can attest to how the creative landscape has been trimmed, hedged, and composted by corporate juggernauts. Not only are affordable, rentable artistic domiciles going the way of the vaquitas, but the type of art — in all manners of form and media — is also changing.
Creatives, too, have flocked in droves to the East Bay, farther out into the Bay Area, and—yes—even to Los Angeles, where there’s still a creative pulse. But there’s still something special about the energy of San Francisco and the idea of creating here. And there are still creative types here — writers, painters, comedians, and anyone else who wraps their cerebral noodle in inventive fashions. We caught up with some of them, from locally famous muralists to equally laudable drag queens to more low-key, side-hustle painters, to see how they’re managing to continue living a creative life in the Bay Area.
Jun Yang, the Painter Who Pulls From Neons
Originally from Seoul, Korea, Yang has worked full-time as an artist in San Francisco for the past decade, blending bright colors and building layers of textures on canvases to create truly trippy creations.
“I feel lucky to have found a workspace in the Mission District that I’ve been able to work in for five years. Of course, there are many challenges to be able to pay and keep a work studio and a room in this expensive city. But my mom’s death made me realize life’s too short to not pursue what I wanted to do more than anything: paint and create.
Luckily, I found tremendous support from friends, local politicians, and some tech companies. I found work with some local art curators, galleries, interior designers, and art dealers. In the past year, I have been invited to work with a local tech company for events like live painting performances and commissions for large-scale works.
Being a full-time artist, I don’t get a regular paycheck, and I don’t have a set schedule. I work seven days a week and at all different hours. I feel lucky to be able to paint full-time and do what I love. I feel an emotional connection with San Francisco, and I have been inspired by the city’s energy, style, and people. I’m always hoping to be able to refine my technical skills and be able to develop my vision to make the next evolution in my art.”
Juanita MORE!, the Maternal Drag Queen Who Will Never Back Down
Juanita MORE! is not only an icon in the Bay Area queer community, but also she’s a serial philanthropist and fundraising juggernaut. (Oh, and she’s the daughter of drag-legend Glamamore and mother to a gaggle of local queens.)
“The sad thing right now is that so many cities are just becoming places for the extremely rich and the very poor. But people have always flocked to San Francisco, as far back as just looking for gold, and lucky for them, I am pure gold. And I consider myself a glamorous welcome mat of sorts.
“I, like many other mentors, will always give artists and newcomers opportunities to love San Francisco and teach them that loving San Francisco means treating it with respect. The gap between the rich and poor is growing dramatically in our country and is evident right here at home. We can’t ignore those dollars and need to figure out creative ways to take and use them to better our communities. It was Harvey Milk who once said, ‘Take their money and fuck ’em.’”
Anthony Rogers, the Man of Many Lenses
Photographer extraordinaire and left-of-center editorial tour de force of Bob Cut Mag, Anthony Rogers is a vocational, hybridized unicorn of sorts. He’s a widely out-of-the-box photographer and writer who’s also a “fully-fledged businesswoman.”
“One thing’s for certain: there is no earth without art. And so coming to San Francisco to pursue my art degree was bittersweet, and being able to tap into an artist’s community that very much thrives here but also knowing that San Francisco changes rapidly, as fast as a new iPhone is announced.
But I’m not against tech in the slightest because tech is the reason I’m able to get my work out into the world and not just to my few close friends and family. I’m able to reach those in other cities and states and am helping sway their thoughts and opinions about art and San Francisco as a whole. The fine balance between tech and art is tipping, however. You’ve just got to keep the blinders up and aim for the bull’s-eye you’ve set up for yourself.”
His best advice on creative living in the city? “Leverage tech—don’t let it leverage you.”
L.B. Lewis, the Organizer Combatting Solitude in SF
An author of three books and a voracious wordsmith, L.B. Lewis has been hustling in SF for years now — on and off her laptop.
“I believe that loneliness is an epidemic in this very tech-focused San Francisco we’re currently living in. As a creator, I wanted to build a community IRL with those that are interested in what I write about — modern culture from student loans to startups.
I want to add value through my unique content and events. Not all of my community work in tech, but when Airbnb was my host for an event, I felt that I crossed [the Bay Bridge from my home in Oakland] to reach a new audience with new sponsors.”
Dena Rod, the Verbose Advocate
Dena Rod is a writer, editor, and poet who was born and raised in San Francisco and whose work illuminates the experiences of Iranian American heritage and queer identity.
“This is where I grew up, and I feel very strongly about staying here to create the art that I’m not seeing in the world. My work focuses on the intersection of the Iranian diaspora and queerness.
Often, I wonder if my work has much meaning for the tech elite of San Francisco, but I’ve seen the artist community in the area create their own opportunities and spaces, like coffee shops, bars, and galleries, especially since paid opportunities for artists who are emerging are few and far between. Eves at the Beat Museum, Greetings from Queer Mountain at Temescal Brewing, and the Literary Speakeasy at Martuni’s are great examples.
I believe we will see the effects of this “creative brain drain” within the next 20 years. Drag queens, for example, often seen as a San Francisco staple to the nightlife, aren’t guaranteed payouts from clubs that book them and are often beholden to the audience’s whims on how much they feel like tipping that night. This is leading them to pick up more gigs in the East Bay, for example.”
Michael Kasian, the Wordsmith on an All-Inclusive Mission
Michael Kasian has built a reputation for his stellar writing on LGBTQ and mental health issues. He also throws monthly queer dance parties to remind himself (and others) of the energy and excitement that brought creatives to San Francisco in the first place.
“As a writer in San Francisco, the biggest challenge has been finding work that isn’t in advertising or marketing for tech companies. That kind of writing can be really fucking soul-sucking, especially if you have no emotional ties to their mission statement…I tell stories to help others feel less alone, to address issues that impact marginalized communities, or to add a little laughter to someone’s day.
If I wanted to write stories about overcoming health obstacles or self-empowerment, I had to write for companies with ties to Big Pharma. If I wanted to write something personal or discuss local news, it was for little pay and for young publishing startups that have all gone under…which is why I’m currently producing content at a writer’s residency in Oakland to keep the lights on.”
Elliott C. Nathan, the Master of Spray Paint
Odds are that if you’ve trekked along the sidewalks of SOMA, the Castro, or the Tenderloin — or, yes, even inside the expansive halls in City Hall — you’ve likely passed (and gawked at) one of Elliott C. Nathan’s many, multichromatic murals.
“For most of my working art career, I’ve kept a day job in order to ensure my ability to pay rent, afford studio space and pay for art supplies. It’s a challenge to paint and build things every day after a full day of work, but it’s rewarding and exciting, and I think that gives me the energy to keep it going…that and a 20-minute nap.
I’ve kept an art studio for the past six years, and having that dedicated space has allowed me to take on larger-scale projects as well as multiple projects at the same time. It’s a hard business to schedule, though, as every large-scale project I’ve had seems to come out of the blue, and the clients typically want the work done as soon as possible. My studio allows me to take on those spontaneous requests.”
Melissa Eisenberg, the Techie-Creative Unicorn
Balancing her time between being a content marketing manager and line-inclined painter, Melissa Eisenberg is a creative “side hustler.”
“I work in tech, but my side hustle is creating art. I paint modern, geometric, and eclectic pieces that I am lucky enough to show at galleries in San Francisco. I’ve been doing art since I can remember,” Eisenberg writes, noting that it, too, has been a challenge to make new art, due to her studio space recently being torn down for condos just this past April.
“The ‘tech revolution,’ as I like to call it, has driven up the price of everything, including creative spaces in the city. Or, like in my case, completely erased them.”
Nevertheless, amid the changes happening, Eisenberg is putting up a good fight to keep her art alive — by crashing at her friends’ studios and painting in her Hayes Valley apartment. Her greatest hope in the looming future? “I just hope I can find an affordable space not yet affected by the current state of affairs in my city.”
