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Shoppers and vendors at Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park. Leonardo Perez / J-Camp Live
By Yuning Zhang, J Camp Live! staff
Kamen A. Chalakov has learned the art of living cheaply.
You’ll find him on the warm, sun-basked boardwalk of the Santa Monica Pier painting portraits for tourists. But the competition is tough, especially among all the other artists clamoring for those tourist dollars.
“I depend on tourists,” said Chalakov. “I don’t have anything (else) to do.”
Chalakov is originally from Bulgaria and moved to the United States seven years ago. He said he received his green card from a national lottery, and now embraces the possibility of new opportunities. Back in Bulgaria, Chalakov was a labor worker and didn’t have a chance to pursue his true passion: art.
A little money wouldn’t hurt, either. He had been laid off from his past job and is searching for a new one as he tirelessly paints the faces of strangers. During his breaks on the pier, as he waits for the next customer, Chalakov notices that tourists are simply spending less money.
But the artist also paints a picture of hope. He describes 2010 so far as “unexpectedly good” for business, which he credits to offering group discounts and other new sales pitches.
He’s meanwhile looking for a day job – and continues painting on the pier. And even with rocky business at times, just having a paintbrush in hand makes him happy.
“I want to do what i like to do: to make a career as an artist (and have) a better material life,” said Chalakov.
—
Just like Kamen Chalakov, the Santa Monica Pier was filled with folks who’ve been humbled by the recession. From business owners to college graduates, more often than not, everyone is struggling.
Here are a few of their stories:
- Sheila, a college student from San Francisco: “I’m a third year law student (and) trying to find a job is hard. There’s not as many job opportunities.”
- Mike, a student from San Francisco: “I took a huge paycut to find another job.”
-Taylor, a local mother: “We moved from Virginia to California. We moved here for better opportunities.”
- Albert, a Pacific Park souvenir vendor, has seen a definite decrease in customers but still sees hope: “Last year and the year before, it went down, it was really bad. This year it went up. We’re catching up.”
– by Erayna Wright, J Camp Live! staff
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