2020 started out with all the optimism in the world and then COVID-19 would not back down. Events were canceled, we took some time off from digital broadcasting and decided to focus on larger scale content. Snailien was our first short film that was half meditation and half story of the unlearning and relearning that humanity is facing. April 16th, I remember editing the footage to be able to post the film by 4/20 as a remote event to celebrate our cannabis holiday. I got the call. The owner of our building wanted to start remodeling to sell.
At the time I was also teaching 40 freshmen at Portland State University a methodology called Design Thinking and definitely not expecting to move. There were no listings in the region because nobody wanted to showcase vacant properties during a time when homelessness was on the rise. We looked at the few properties that were available and settled on a duplex about 5 miles NW of the original spot. It’s actually kind of nice.
Moving was interesting. The streets were empty, but businesses were open. We were able to rent a truck and managed to move everything in one day on May 1st. We moved surprisingly fast and now we are in a very residential area. The space is a little bit bigger and my studio is three times larger, and it is sooo quiet. Most of the initial days have been spent meditating and feeling introspective. Despite a lot of turmoil in my personal life and the world, I’m really looking forward to bringing you some of the newly inspired works later this year!
One of the trickier aspects of moving was disrupting my grow in the middle of some cycles. I’m not sure if I had males in the mix or if all the stress caused them to herm. I wasn’t planning on getting any seed banks started, so I ate them. Did you know that fan leaves make for a tasty pesto base AND have really nice nutrients and immunity support?
If you are growing, it is important that you have a community to support the unexpected. I have really appreciated Arkitect22, Cannabizien, Caledoniangrown, and Funnytastevince as they have helped me with everything from troubleshooting pests, sourcing infrastructure, and replacing my plants when they herm’d. Believe it or not, I started this year with 13 plants and 6 of them were male. It was frustrating given all the other pieces I was navigating. So you can see why I was grateful for the grow community!
Now it has been 3 full months and I finally feel settled! I have just harvested some Purple Punch, Hindu Kush, and Raspberry HP. On deck are Strawberry Cough, Bunny Slope, and a couple of hemp cultivars from East Fork that I’m very excited about.
While moving during a pandemic isn’t ideal, it did provide a reset that I didn’t realize I needed. Life feels raw, fresh, and ALIVE! Needless to say, we will not be hosting events at the new location, but look forward to new products and hosting events off site and online in the near future that focus on mental health and developing higher consciousness. What ways have you been able to start fresh this year?