I’ll tell you how. And why you should, too.

My morning has been overtaken by looking at the most recent government sanctioned murder in the streets in broad daylight in Minnesota (having to qualify that with “most recent” is…Jesus Christ, what the fuck…)

If you would like my extremely shouty opinions about it, you can follow me on Mastadon–because you should be moving to the fediverse anyway, to protect your privacy and be on the part of the internet the people own. But suffice it to say: I believe it’s past time the governors come together and figure out how to fight a civil war against the federal government. This cannot be accepted. This must be literally fought–because it is only inevitable the people will defend their lives, but our chances are slim unless we are TRULY organized–unless we are allowed to acknowledge that the federal government has waged a war against us, and have the backing of local authorities. I urge you to call your governor.

My governor, Gavin Newsom, would like to be leader of the free world. He can start right now by defending it. I believe the people would be happy to sign up to support the effort and contribute their efforts to the cause–whether in combat or non-combat roles.

But while it is only natural and fitting that I spend a couple of hours grappling with this and staring horrified at the images of fellow Americans being brutally murdered by a gang of federal officers, while I call every representative out there and yell at them to do something…life is also still happening. I still have regular things to do: work, projects, chores. Just like everyone else.

My work is trying to figure out how to keep artists going, and how to convince people that artists need funding, and working out ways to get people to fund artists, and ways artists can live that doesn’t cost too much to fund.

I started this work without a dime, and I still don’t have it. But this is what I have done:

I started my career working on Pay-What-You-Can theatre in Chicago. I was a full-time street performer for six years, without a net, and advocated for the acceptance of street performers as a crucial part of the culture. I have organized local shows for artists. I have experimented with bus living in cities and tiny living in the country. I am currently trying to create a quarterly performance series with the aim of paying local artists, so we can create something ongoing as a stepping stone to creating real, reliable income for artists who enrich their towns. And that I have never had corporate or non-profit support and am still doing this work–means it is succeeding. I have land and a place to live–which is no small feat when you’ve got my credit score and bank balance.

I am confident that gains can now be made–that I can move beyond experimenting on myself, and focus on the work of organizing artists and spreading this around.

I do this work because it is crucial for democracy. In the early days–and now, too, and forever and always, probably–I know I sounded like a crackpot to people when I tried to convey to them that how we treat street performers is a barometer for how we treat free speech. That how we treat sex workers is a barometer for how we feel about artist autonomy. They thought I was a crackpot when I said, “If we don’t defend this, we will descend into fascism.”

And now we have descended into fascism. And I know, it’s still unclear–the key word here is “barometer.” I’m not saying we all need to be street performers and sex workers. I want us to understand what it means when we are okay with the government having tight control over the expressions of the people.

But that’s not to say that there is not a direct correlation between supporting the livelihoods of artists and fighting fascism: The arts keep up morale; they allow us to examine ourselves; they allow us to see each other; they give us new perspective; and when it’s done for the benefit of the community you’re in, the people care more about each other, and we are invested in each other’s struggles.

And without them, we feel alone, isolated, scared, depressed, confused. And crime rises. Art kills crime. And that peace allows democracy to flourish.

They burn the libraries in these revolutions for a reason. And it’s not just about stifling history. It’s about isolating the people. It’s about cutting off their ability to think.

I get a lot of praise for my work. But praise does not sustain it. I have exactly ONE paid subscriber. They are the only one who will see my concert when I post it today.

And while I’ve attained all of this for my cause–the land, a shack to live in, and soon a performance venue–this all still needs to be maintained. It still needs to be paid for monthly, even if I’ve gotten myself very shockingly low payments.

I need more support. And I know how tight money is, and how many causes need support right now. But I am still asking you to please support this project.

When I did my fundraiser to get the down payment for the land, it was a fundraiser for $1500. And it was absolutely pulling teeth. And the bulk of it came from one person.

The truth is, I need about $1500 a month to live–which is VERY low in 2026. I do remote dominatrix work to help supplement…but I wonder if you know, no matter how much I advocate for the right to do it, how much I defend my work in the past in that field, and how much I may defend it in the future…how much I do not want to do it right now.

I don’t want to tell men that women are laughing at their small penises right now. The clients are mindfucked. They do not view it as a fantasy right now. I do not mind writing the erotica–because I can do that responsibly. I do not want to get on the phone with any random man who is emerging from any corner of the internet. This is not the same scene it was in 2008. And every time I try to log in for calls, I end up logging off almost immediately.

Sex work cannot be the only arts funding. If you enjoy sex workers, I encourage you to pay them well and sustain their art. But we don’t get through this demanding everyone do sex work at all times. Especially when the truth is, it’s not nearly profitable enough in 2026 to justify putting that much work into, when there is more important artistic work to be done that can benefit the entire community.

My community was built entirely on farming weed. And when weed became legal, the corporations took it over, and now all of these farmers are out of work, in a town with no jobs. But it is still a tourist destination, and could benefit from a robust arts scene. I aim to help build that scene. I want to help create a new economy, that is based on doing good work that supports community and democracy.

I don’t really like subscriptions–they encourage churn and burn content to keep subscribers feeling like they got a lot of bang for their buck. But the “Bones” program was too confusing to people to take off (even though I still think it was a good idea). My hope is to eventually have my art sustained by this community–but the scene must be built first. So, for now, subscriptions are what I’m left with. And with AI eating all of the commercial work, live performance and building an artistic middle class in people’s home towns is one industry that needs building–that can give people an alternative to working for corporate fascists.

I am calling on ten people to subscribe to SmutMag.Art today to help keep my work going, and ensure I do not lose my land or storage unit.

I know everyone is stretched thin. But this is why we need to think about how we can use our money to build sustainable systems. And I know that I can make a contribution to that end. I know that I already have. And I know, if I don’t, it won’t get done.

Thank you for the support you’ve already given. I don’t put this stuff in every blog, because I really don’t want it to be about this. I do this fundraising bit when I NEED to do the fundraising bit.

And you can also help by spreading the word.

The concert I’m posting today, I believe, is special–and it’s only the beginning. Now that I have a home base, I can truly start to build.

And already, in 5 months time, I have gone from desperately trying to hold onto a rental that was a hazard to my health, to cutting my monthy expenses to a mere $1500 per month, and have built a HOME. On nothing.

You want me to be the one fighting for the poor artists. I hope you will help. I couldn’t appreciate that help more.

Click the Subscribe button in the upper right corner to help keep the arts sustainable even through the chaos. We’re going to need them. More than ever.