Money, even a little, is power

Posted on by stanleyobando

Right before I started the Daily Boost last year, I stumbled upon the Alma Artesana shop in Curridabat and fell in love with its mission of helping individual artisans make it as a group. I realized how important it was to buy my Christmas presents there instead of ordering things on Amazon to await my arrival in the States, as I sometimes have in the past. The shop, featured in an early post, awakened a new interest in shopping local.

From Alma Artesana via Instagram

Over the subsequent months, I got out to more farmer’s markets, an incredible family pasta shop, independent bookstores and neighborhood shops. I learned about Local Keeps, which connects lots of Costa Rican “makers” to international customers. I wrote about lots of artists: Raudyn Alfaro, Vivian Víquez of Corteza, Francisco Munguía, Priscilla Aguirre, Carolina Rodríguez of Chepeart, the street art platform Costa Rica en la Pared, No Estamos Todas, and many more. However, things really shot into a new gear with the global pandemic. Like so many other consumers around the world, I realized that every dollar I spend supports somebody. Sometimes, it’s a gazillionaire in a castle made of gold bricks, and that’s just the way that is. Whenever possible, though, we can try to support the person who’s on the other side of the counter or bank transfer.

I also realized that incremental changes are ok. They’ve had to be, during a year this overwhelming and with this many economic challenges. But the weekly box of veggies that arrives now on Sundays from a local farm: that helps. The meals we order from a rotating circle of the neighborhood restaurants we’re most worried about: that helps. Somehow, 2020 helped shake loose some of the guilt I used to feel about responsible spending and make me realize that hey, any dollar (or colón) redirected to a better recipient is a win. So just focus on your wins.

My family went back to Alma Artesana a few days ago for the first time in awhile. I went in for cloth face masks, but we ended up lingering much longer than we meant to, thrilled by the store’s gorgeous new location (just south of the McDonald’s across from Plaza del Sol, if you’re in the neighborhood), and the amazing work of the craftspeople it represents. While every product in the store and every woman working there has a story of stress and 2020 trouble, it was inspiring – and a huge relief – to see them surviving and maybe even thriving.

I think the newfound consciousness so many of us have gained about the power of our money, even just a dollar, might help more success stories come true as we emerge.

By Vivian Víquez, of Corteza

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; learn how to join my Overwhelmed Writers’ League, every Saturday at 1 pm EST; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! To learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.

How has the pandemic affected your creativity?

Posted on by stanleyobando

I’d like to end the week with a question for you: has the COVID-19 crisis made you more creative, or drawn you to creative activities you weren’t doing before?

The Eastport Gallery will be sharing a video chat between me and Lora Whelan, an amazing artist and local journalism leader, on their Facebook page on June 25th. We’ll be discussing how this crisis in particular, and solitude in general, can help or hinder creative pursuits. I’ll be sharing som solitude-inspired writing, and we’ll discuss ways people in Eastport and around the world have used art and creativity during these hard times.

The chat will not be live, so I would LOVE to hear your thoughts beforehand. Have you started journaling, making lists, drawing bad sketches (that last one is me)? Connecting or reconnecting with creative pursuits from your past? Finding new artists or writers whose work has resonated with you? Or has the crisis squashed your creative drive? I’d like to hear what to have to say!

I’ll share the chat here once the Gallery has published it. Have a wonderful (maybe even creative?) weekend…

(In the photo: Works in progress from @corteza.cr!)

Happy birthday, Francisco Amighetti

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On this date in 1907, the Costa Rican artist Francisco Amighetti was born in San José.

I learned from the Annex Galleries website that unlike many of his contemporaries, he decided to work as an artist in Costa Rica despite the scarcity of opportunities here at the time. It paid off: his work eventually gained such renown that he was able to tour Europe, and he continued to work as an artist up to his death in 1998.

He produced watercolors and work in other media, but I love his woodcuts best, and found “Discord” this morning on the Galería Valanti site. How fitting for the present moment. As I gazed at it, distracted from the news for moment by my curiosity about what the heck is going on in the image, my resident art enthusiast passed behind me and observed that it was inspired by Botticelli’s “Calumny of Apelles.” Naked Truth and an array of vices and virtues play out their drama in both. In Amighetti’s, there’s a comforting glimpse of rolling Costa Rican countryside in one corner.

As a wise friend just said to me, discord can be a blessing. Here’s to discord that reveals, and to truth revealed. And to art that keeps us wondering long after the artist is gone.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section, updated regularly – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.

Honoring an artist with a giant heart

Posted on by stanleyobando

If you’ve ever strolled through an art fair in Costa Rica – or a San José neighborhood, for that matter – you’ve almost certainly seen the work of Francisco Munguía, the artist Costa Rica is mourning after his untimely death this week from causes not yet made public. He was 43.

His work was playful and instantly recognizable. It almost always brought a smile to the viewer’s face: you might remember his animal parodies of famous works of art, as in the featured image. However, he also put his skills at the service of social and environmental causes that needed visibility. Even during this COVID-19 crisis, he used his art to remind us that the #stayathome reminders ignore the many people for whom the shelter of a home is only a dream:

He was the official illustrator of animal rights, selling paintings and products celebrating dogs and earning money for their protection. One of his most viewed works was surely “Monumento al zagüate (perro callejero),” a series of metal sculptures of street dogs that graced the Avenida Central in the heart of San José to remind us to be kind to abandoned animals.

He also raised awareness of dangers to wildlife. He made us think about why marine life depends on us to think about fishing practices when we choose what to put on our plates, and why forest animals count on us to provide safe crossings across our highways:

According to the many tributes following his death, his favorite thing was to share his art with communities, and paint more than 100 murals around the country, focused particularly on low-income neighborhoods.

He’s left a whimsical, lasting, poignant legacy, but it’s clear he will be deeply missed.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section, updated regularly – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.

Your ultimate source for Costa Rican street art goodness

Posted on by stanleyobando

I’ll admit it: this week has been running me ragged, and today my Daily Boost inspiration didn’t strike until precisely 4 pm. I asked the man ringing me up at a San Pedro café what the organization on his T-shirt was all about, and his answer filled me with instant delight. Costa Rica en al Pared (Costa Rica on the Wall) is the street art compendium I’ve been looking for all my life. Well, for 15 years, at least.

Street art in Puerto Viejo. Author unknown.

The urban art platform supports and celebrates artists, holds art safaris (what the hell have I been doing with my time?), promotes mural contests and more. Most importantly for me, it posts photos of amazing street art and the people who make it. Lots and lots of photos. I’ll be turning to this account for a splash of color on rushed days like today from here on out.

Gabriel Dumani, San José. Via Costa Rica en la Pared, Facebook.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! Each month in 2020 has a monthly theme, and February’s is marriage equality, so scroll back through the month to see several posts highlighting people and organizations working on behalf of this issue in Costa Rica. 

 

Natural beauty and sloth love to brighten cold February days

Posted on by stanleyobando

I think that the gorgeous art of Vivan Víquez is perfect for February, whether you’re in the tropics or you’ve got icicles on your eyebrows.

Here in Costa Rica, the sun is out and kids are rushing back to school; traffic increases and the pace of life, so spare and light in January, starts to intensify. City-dwellers who escaped to the country during the holidays risk losing touch once more with the natural wonders we saw. This makes February the perfect time to find reminders of nature, flora and fauna to keep our mind on the outside world, even if we’re spending more time at our desks.

In the places where I grew up, of course, February is very different, and very cold. Part of me will always think of February as a bit of a slog. Winter is getting a bit old, night comes quickly and summer seems a long way off. At times like that, a bright spot of tropical color and Valentine’s Day red is always welcome.

So wherever you are, you should follow Vivian, a 25-year-old artist from San Carlos in northern Costa Rica. She told me that it was in San Carlos that “my enjoyment over nature started; most of my life has been spent in green spaces. I love animals. If I hadn’t studied art, I would probably be a biologist or veterinarian.”

That passion shows the artwork she showcases through her project Corteza Ilustración CR. The projected started when she challenged herself to paint 100 Costa Rican birds. By now she’s painted more than 200 birds, sometimes more than four watercolors per day, and she hopes to illustrate at least some members of every one of Costa Rica’s wildlife families.

Why? “I want Corteza to help make species more visible and educate the public,” she said.

I plan to acquire some of Víquez’s work in the near future, but until then, her posts nearly always bring  a smile to my face or an “ooh” to my lips. Check her out on Instagram. You’ll be charmed and comforted, guaranteed.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

Day 61: I want to send you a boost in the mail!

Posted on by stanleyobando

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to send someone a Costa Rican care package – and that moment has arrived. I’ll send a little box of CR love to a Daily Boost reader next week! To my delight, three of my favorite local businesses jumped on board to make the package even more amazing: Santo Café, Alma Artesana and Holalola Travel Gifts.

I’ve gotten lots of messages over the years from from Ticos abroad who miss their country during the holidays or non-Ticos who wish they were here. I am excited to reconnect with some of those same people through this contest and meet others who love Costa Rica, so even if you yourself aren’t interested, I’ll hope you’ll share the contest anyway so we can welcome some new readers into the fold before the year is out. (You can also transfer your win to a friend if, say, you live in Costa Rica or are visiting soon and would rather someone else benefit. So come one, come all!)

To enter, simply:

1. Like the Daily Boost on Facebook or Instagram, if you haven’t already.

2. Like the post about this contest (from today, Monday, Dec. 9).

3. In the comments for that post, tag a friend who might like the Boost in general, and/or this contest in particular. (I’ll give you a bonus entry if, in that same comment, you tell me a little about one of your favorite Costa Rican holiday memories or experiences – sights, sounds, smells, treats, people you miss – so I can share them in a later post. But this is a bonus, not required. I have plenty of readers who have not yet set foot in Costa Rica!)

Note: If you follow the blog via email and refuse to be on Facebook or Instagram, I think you are awesome. Simply comment below to enter, and tell a friend another way.

This will close Weds. at midnight EST. On Thursday, Dec. 12, I will draw and announce the winner, and I’ll send a package to any address in the Americas. It includes:

  • Delicious coffee from Santo Café (which sources its beans from the award-winning coffee region of Los Santos)
  • A gorgeous Gallopin in the shape of the Costa Rican flag and a lovely dried-flower resin paperweight from Siempreviva (both Alma Artesana artisans)
  • A package of Holalola postcards featuring all seven provinces, plus her whimsical Christmas card
  • A signed copy of “Love in Translation: Letters to My Costa Rican Daughter,” because of course
  • Some traditional Costa Rican sweets, including a Tapita Navideña, Guayabitas, and a delicious box of rainbow Chocofrutas.
  • Plus Salsa Lizano. You gotta have it.

Help me bring a little Costa Rican fun to someone’s holiday – and thanks for reading this year!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter). 

 

Why despair in the age of Trump means we need to know more, not less

Posted on by stanleyobando

Here’s what surprised me the most during Donald Trump’s first month in office – a period I prefer to think of as my first month with the Shadow Cabinet.

During each of the past four weeks, I’ve interviewed one remarkable woman: an immigration lawyer in New Mexico, a public-education advocate in Alaska, a business owner who promotes activism through art in Pennsylvania, and a Washington, D.C. innovator who made congressional pressure as easy as sending a text.

Before each chat, I was nervous, and not just because these women are powerful and extraordinary. I was nervous because they know so much about the problems facing our country, and are so in tune with populations and institutions at risk. I expected to learn terrible truths and come away the way I generally come away from the news: depressed and feeling helpless.

Instead, every time, I hung up the phone and practically ran up the walls with excitement. Allegra, Alyse, Maryam and Laura replaced my despair with energy.

Continue reading Why despair in the age of Trump means we need to know more, not less

‘Can we bridge this gap?’

Posted on by stanleyobando

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I’ll admit it. When I picture an activist, I tend to envision picket lines and marches and petitions; if I associate it with a profession or field, it’s probably the law or politics. Activism is all of those things, but as I browsed with amazement through the website of Philadelphia Printworks, I realized that a true activist can infuse any of her endeavors with that spirit – art, fashion, business, writing, or, in the case of Printworks founder Maryam Pugh, all of the above.

The local business, which Pugh, 35, created in 2010, sells clothes in thought-provoking collections such as School of Thought, whose collegiate designs bear the names, not of famed universities, but of iconic black thinkers and leaders such as Harriet Tubman or Audre Lord. Other collections include Cats Against Catcalling, Professional Black Girl and Cognitive Dissonance – basically, these are clothes that are guaranteed to start a conversation.

Continue reading ‘Can we bridge this gap?’