I’m pretty inspired by the ingenuity and dedication of the people that live in my neighborhood and the neighborhoods surrounding ours: Noe Valley, the Mission and the Castro. I especially enjoy watching and interacting with the self-employed and the practitioners of off-the-beaten-path professions that I come across here. I go for long walks with my sketchbook and camera and try to record the characters that I fixate on. I like to let them know without actually saying it to their faces (I’m shy!) that I appreciate what they do. Sometimes I also like to provide unsolicited advice. It’s probably best if I only provide this advice in my sketchbook. These illustrations represent my attempts to be an outgoing, good and observant neighbor.