Souls Of DivisaderoPhotos: Dijon Bowden
Dijon
Published on November 17, 2014
We continue our photo series with another installment of brief on-the-street interviews and snapshots from our friend Dijon of Souls of San Francisco

Today, we present a few portraits that Dijon took recently on the Divisadero corridor.



 “I’ve lived in the Bay Area my whole life, but I moved to San Francisco about six months ago. I always wanted to live here. Now that I’m here, people seem more disconnected than I expected them to be. There’s not really a sense of community really. Everyone goes out and tries not to talk to anybody ... except for you. I think it’s that people come here with a lot of money because they think it’s the place to be, and then they just stick to themselves and do their own thing.”



“I’m an artist, I do 3D graphics.”

"Where do you get your inspiration from?"

“Well, I’m doing it in a corporate environment so I don’t get to express myself that much at work, but in general the city itself is pretty inspiring. I can just put some headphones on and observe.”

"And how do you want to make the world a better place?"

“I try to give everybody the benefit of the doubt. A lot of people stereotype people but I always give everybody a chance.”



“I’m a hair artist. I’ve been in the Bay for 20 years, originally from Jersey.”

"What brought you out in the first place?"

“It’s the place to be. I heard California had wild girls, you know?”

"What do you like to do here?"

“Usually I’m on Folsom Street, or in the Castro or the Mission.”

"What’d you get into last weekend?"

“Last weekend? It was World Series, Halloween, and Dia De Los Muertos. It was like boom, boom, boom! It’s always a celebration here!”



"When your time is up in the city, how do you want to be remembered?"

“I have clients I’ve been doing for 15 years. I want people to feel I was part of their lives and that I tried my best to make them happy.”



"I love your color, are you an artist?"

"Thanks! I do some poetry."

"Will you recite a poem for me?"

"Ok ... sure. Ready?"

"Yeah."

"The question still lingers / My breath smells of rye and spearmint / Street cars ride alone, a sobering experience / Can't seem to wake up early enough / Regrets are revisited / The humidity smacks me in the face / Sweat greets me like an old friend / My legs seem to know where to go, but the rest of me is lost in the haze / I crave alcohol / I crave normal / I have red wine / The days have been behind me and well ahead / The only time I get lost is when I'm afraid / This so happens to always happen after midnight / A time when those who can see through you see quite clearly / And I still haven't had enough to drink.”



Just then someone walked by and said 'looking good'.

"See, everyone is feeling you today"

"Oh, that's every day."



“I live in the Fillmore Center. I’m a disability advocate for a non-profit called Independent Living Resource Center. It’s about people with disabilities helping people with disabilities. I have a psych disability. I had a breakdown about 10 years ago from doing too much. Just doing too much. I claimed my disability and that’s how I got my job. I feel like I’m one of God’s helpers just doing the work of the Lord.”



“What makes you happy?”

“Just seeing other people smile. Making other peoples’ day. Sometimes people come to me looking for help and I know it’s malarky, what they’re saying to me, but if that’s what’s gonna make them happy in that moment.”

“How did you become so caring for other people?”

“It’s when I found out I wasn't alone because people helped me.”

For more of Dijon's profiles, visit the Souls of San Francisco Facebook page. And stay tuned for future installments here on Hoodline.