Nationally-known performance artist and environmental advocate, Treeman is a well-known celebrity in Venice, California. But even local residents may not have been aware that the towering and friendly, animated tree was also someone who was experiencing homelessness. We recently sat down for a Q&A with Treeman so we could learn more about Lionel (Lonell), a Chrysalis client working a transitional job as part of one of our street maintenance teams based in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Chrysalis: What is the origin of Treeman?
Lionel: I always wanted to be outside in nature, loving animals and insects… [My sister and I] were both born in Puerto Rico, and that really gave me a good perspective on beauty and nature because it’s a very tropical place. Then, I grew up in Brooklyn where my father performed music. My mother, because of her mother, was very good at sewing. So, I had entertainment and art in my heart and soul.
My first official work with entertainment was at Disney’s Port Orleans in Orlando. I was a bellman. Then, when they were building Disney’s Animal Kingdom and everybody was saying, “You should go there! You like performing!” I auditioned for the Festival of the Lion King, and I was in the show for three years. And at that time, I was creating my own characters. Treeman was about the fifth or sixth character.
When I created Treeman, I wanted people to look at what he stands for. He’s a reflection of nature, ‘just like you.’ So, a reflection of nature is what we all are. I have the mirror reflectors so when people look in Treeman’s eyes, the windows of his soul, they see themselves.
Chrysalis: How did you find out about Chrysalis, and why did you decide to give our program a try?
Lionel: I was experiencing homelessness and this particular time, I decided to stay on the [Venice Beach] Boardwalk. Someone from LAHSA came by one day and I said, “I’m ready. I’m ready to do something.” It was very interesting because that was something different than I’d been doing for a long time. It was always very shaky ground and I always wound up back out again. All the signs were saying, “This is it and this is the time.”
[LAHSA and St. Joseph’s Center] encouraged me to go to Chrysalis. I knew that it was going to help me. I understood immediately what the program’s function was: to get us back to work and into a situation where we can get into housing, and even to build up our self-confidence.
There are people who really care. There’s a lot of flexibility with mistakes or things that are maybe expected to happen from people who come from unbalanced circumstances. What I admire is, I’ve seen people that came through Chrysalis and something happened where they weren’t there…but I’ve seen them come back. It shows that we really understand the nature of this beast at Chrysalis.
Chrysalis: How has this transitional job helped you learn more about your employment goals?
Lionel: I’m over 60 years old and the requirements and how the job search goes now, compared to 20 years ago, is totally different. [My transitional job] helped me out in so many ways. It gave me the resources, time, and encouragement so that I could reach realistic career goals.
Chrysalis: What makes you a great employee? What would your coworkers say is your best quality?
Lionel: I love people and I love working. For me, work is exercise. If you see me working I’m usually whistling. I think that being happy enough at what you’re doing that you’re going to do it well should be an integral part of anyone’s employment.
Chrysalis: What kind of outside job are you looking for? What’s next for Lionel?
Lionel: I’m looking for something service-oriented, in hospitality or maintenance, or to be a care-worker. Right now, I’m doing work for Project Ropa and the reason that makes me happy is it’s something that’s helping people get a new start. It’s a service job, where I’m working with people and I’m moving around, which I like.
Chrysalis: What is Treeman currently working on?
Lionel: We’re completing our documentary, A DocumenTree, in July, and that’s eight years in the making. I told Michael Angelo, the director, in the beginning, that I didn’t really want the documentary to be about me because me is the planet and me is all the people… And so that’s what we did; made it about me and all of the groups of people and organizations that are doing like things. I’m also making it a major goal to get Treeman back out and encouraging people, talking to them about the clean up on the streets in Venice, and giving Beleaflets out and letting people know how to get to certain [service providers].
Chrysalis: Do you have an inspirational quote or something you say to yourself that keeps you motivated?
Lionel: I know I have a feeling that’s inside of me and keeps me going: in the midst of all of the pain and sorrow, there are diamonds all around and beautiful things that can make us happy. I know the stress is there, but at the same time, I see the light at the end of the tunnel — and it’s not a train, so that’s good!
Chrysalis: What advice would you give to someone new to Works?
Lionel: I’d say, no matter what happens, don’t give up. You should be really proud of yourself that you’ve made it to this point. It took a lot. So don’t give up, because there’s a lot of things being offered that are different from what you’ve experienced before. If you fall down, get back up again. Treeman would say, “Get bark up again.”