Profile
C.J. Smith
Favorite self-care act?
Watching King of the Hill with Madeline, eating dairy-free pizza, and playing Bioware RPGs over and over.
Favorite movie?
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Favorite outdoor activity?
Eating chocolate while reclining by a waterfall.
How did you discover the WRC?
WRC Alumni Shelly invited me to an "Intoxication & Consent" workshop and I fell in love with the space and the people.
Favorite Quotes and/or affirmations you live by
"You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you" - Stuart Smalley
Why did you decide to become involved with the WRC?
After having my mind blown within an hour of first entering, I knew it was one of the best places for me to learn & grow as a student and a human being.
What does community mean to you?
A group of people who band together to further a common goal while supporting each other in love and companionship.
Preferred/favorite art activity/expression?
Singing! Acting!
What would your favorite/ideal day look like?
I would sleep in till 1pm, have a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs, fake sausage, & hashbrowns, then I'd browse the internet in my underwear for a while, then I'd take like a 45-minute shower, then I would hop in the back of some old veggie-diesel VW van with a little bed and I'd lay on that while reading some post-apocalyptic fantasy novel until we arrived at some nice untouched timberland. Then I would take a long solitary walk through the forest with no other people in sight until I reached a big grassy hill. Hey look! All my closest friends and loved ones are on the top setting up a picnic in the warm Portland sunshine! We all hang out up there and swap stories and eat sandwiches and fruit bowls and muffins and all kinds of snackaroos. Then we all pack into a hippie schoolbus (driven by the same anonymous driver of the VW van) and we're transported to my house where we bust out the board games and play Settlers of Catan and RISK and eat pizza and dessert pizza and ice cream pizza and when it gets dark, we play Betrayal at House on the Hill with spooky halloween music playing in the background! Then we all change into our pajamas and have a sleepover where we watch nostalgic 90's movies and cuddle and laugh and oh what a perfect day!
What are your goals? (Near and long term)
Near term: Get my Bachelors in Social Work degree, redefine myself and my identity into one that vibes more fully with my values, and start thinking about employment.
Long term: Get my Masters in Social Work degree, become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and help people through the lives in whatever capacity I can. I also wanna have a kid named "Morrigan" with Madeline.
What adventures/journey are you on right now?
Right now I am on the journey to discovering an alternative to mainstream masculinity that is more in line with my personal values around feminism, egalitarianism, and love in general. I have a lot of unpacking and unlearning to do and there are still a lot of pieces to "manhood" that I have yet to discover and interrogate. Working at the Women's Resource Center has been a great asset in understanding my own development and how it has been informed by White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy.
Major?
Social Work.
