#WFH Diaries: Artist Missy Reitner-Cameron and Fire Captain Turned Beekeeper Mark Cameron

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage against the machine, we’re checking in with creative industry folks to see how they’re faring. Here’s an update from Missy Reitner-Cameron, artist and co-founder of creative workspace The Bunker, and Mark Cameron, a former fire captain who now keeps bees.

Give us a one-sentence bio of yourselves.

Missy: I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.

Mark: d) All of the above.

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

Missy: In San Luis Obispo, California, with Marky … and two chickens.

Mark: In San Luis Obispo, California, with Missy … and 20,000 bees.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

Missy: Painting daily, which is nice but lonely.Mark: Fantastic. I’ve been semi-retired for two years now.

Describe your socializing strategy.

Missy: Video chats, long walks six feet away from friends, and any animal that wants love will get it.

Mark: I’ve been trying to avoid humanity for the last 56 years. Things have really been coming together for me in the last few weeks.

How are you dealing with childcare, if applicable?

Missy: My kiddo is 18 and currently in L.A. with her father. She is staying safe and we video chat daily and even play games.

Mark: Sometimes having a child to care for is nice.

What are you reading?

Missy: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.

Mark: Printed technical manuals. They bring a level of calm that few social media outlets can match.

What are you watching?

Missy: Finally got to Game of Thrones … it is a violent mess and I love it.

Mark: My fruit trees grow.

What are you listening to?

Missy: All the podcasts: Throwing Shade, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, SYSK, My Dad Wrote a Porno, and more. And some books on tape.

Mark: THE PIG! Live from Freedom, California!

How are you staying fit?

Missy: Luckily my gym, Bar Method, has an online training feature so there is that, and lots of walking.

Mark: I run. It’s a good aerobic workout, trying to stay in front of the lady with the stick. The amount of turns are tough, but the roof keeps the rain off.

Have you taken up a hobby?

Missy: Not yet. I am in the studio painting a lot.

Mark: Completing unfinished projects.

Any tips for getting necessities?

Missy: I am pretty healthy, so I am acting as a pickup person for my parents, who are in their 70s, and my friend who has a compromised immune system. I am trying to limit all going out and am appreciating any business doing curbside pickup.

Mark: It’s like fishing: With an inordinate amount of patience and cunning, you’ll catch one or two, and dinner will be delicious. And then, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to try again tomorrow.

An awkward moment since all this started.

Missy: Having allergies during this period of time is a bummer. I swear I’m not sick, but allergies always make me cough. Lots of looks.

Mark: When I realized that other people actually LIKE being together…

Best work email you got since all this started.

Missy: No idea. Ignoring it all.

Mark: NONE!

An aha! moment since all this started.

Missy: I really am a tribe person and a touch person, so this is extremely hard for me. I miss hugging and touching people. This is not new knowledge, but I realize how important it is for my overall well-being.

Mark: Years of hoarding just may pay off.

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out? 

Missy: There will be loss and I am preparing for that. I am not a fear-based person, but honestly I have no idea. I am living very day-by-day, and future thinking is more than I can handle right now.

Mark: There will be a pretty large spike in cases in the U.S., then it will slowly subside.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.