10/22/2026
I’m calling it for the week. So sorry but Studio 12 will be closed until Monday. I’m still stuck off island. I’ll post some photos later, of what I’ve been up to, painting plein air from Camden. Fingers crossed for some better options next week.
I have been posting commentary on the bridge situation. Losing just one week of income, this time of year can be devastating for a small business. Fortunately we had a good Summer so we will be open until at least Thanksgiving and then reopen for Christmas.
The results of being cut off means you will see more businesses than ever needing to close extra early. They simply need to conserve resources to stay afloat (no pun intended).
It’s my instinct to encourage people to support the businesses that are trying to stay open right now. True as that may be, the “people” who we are encouraging to go eat out are the same ones who aren’t working. Their jobs have been compromised at a time when assistance is being cut.
There are plenty of answers but nothing happens without funding which comes from the state, with legislation created by politicians who are more concerned with being elected than with helping us.
So here we are.
Side note: I don’t think people realize just how many of our Hatteras Island businesses are woman-owned. I’ve heard estimates upwards of 80%. Whatever the actual number, there is tremendous power in that.
And I’m convinced that if we could harness even a fraction of that collective strength, we could make a difference.
We are resourceful, resilient, and accustomed to finding solutions when the odds are stacked against us. But resilience shouldn’t mean we’re expected to shoulder the burden indefinitely.
We need to stop simply surviving the same crisis over and over again and start demanding a future in which our businesses, our employees, and our communities have a fighting chance.
We know how to keep our businesses running. What we need is a state willing to keep our road open.
