“I CAN’T SLEEP. I SMOKE [CANNABIS] EVERY NIGHT; IT’S LIKE MY GLASS OF WINE.” During the horrors of the pandemic, most people shrank inward, focusing on self-care, self-reflection and individual creation. While Corie Mattie, also known as LA Hope Dealer, stayed isolated, COVID-19-compliant and focused on creation, she reached outward with her art to the isolated world—which was starved for human connection.
Already having a tough year, facing personal and financial difficulties, like many others, the pandemic hit like a ton of bricks and made things worse. Suddenly, art projects were on hold; leisure income was nonexistent, and art shows weren’t COVID-19-safe. Mattie’s industry was drying up before her very eyes.
“So then, in March, I was like, there’s nothing left to lose. I was locked down, but I refused…
