Robert Harris

Before joining the Creatives Rebuild New York’s guaranteed income program, my income was enough to cover basic expenses and occasionally visit New York City. During the pandemic, I was fortunate to actually see an increase in my art sales — people weren’t going out as much, so they had more money to spend on art.

My major monthly expenses include cloud storage for my artwork and photos, phone bill, rent, and studio space. In the past, I’ve received some benefits like food stamps, but I found the process invasive and stopped applying. Since joining CRNY, my diet has improved significantly as I was able to afford better food. The process to get assistance through CRNY versus other benefit programs was so much easier to navigate.

I heard about the CRNY program through artist friends who encouraged me to apply. At the time, my struggles were less financial and more personal — my mom had recently died, and another wave of Covid was hitting. It was just a lot. I ended up waiting until the last day to apply and submitted my application from a cafe just minutes before the deadline. When I found out I was selected, I was ecstatic – jumping and screaming with joy at my bookstore job like a scene from a movie.

The impact of this guaranteed income on my life has been substantial. I’ve been able to travel more, especially to New York City, which is great for art networking. I’ve also been able to purchase more art supplies, which was crucial given the significant price increases for oil paints recently — some have more than doubled. The program allowed me to buy an iPad and iPhone, helping me stay connected and maintain my social media presence, which is how I make a lot of my art sales.

This program has definitely improved my life and helped me build my network. During this time, I created a series of paintings featuring Black icons like James Baldwin and Audre Lorde, all of which sold successfully.

When I joined the program, my goal was to find more comfort in my life, which the guaranteed income has certainly helped me achieve. As for the argument that programs like this discourage work, I believe that’s complete rubbish. Similar programs exist for artists in European countries like Denmark and Sweden, and artists there continue to work. It’s far better for society to provide financial support directly to individuals rather than corporations.

If we had a program like this for everyone in need, I believe it would make art more inclusive — and generally improve everyone’s quality of life.

Essay by: Robert Harris