Malik Foster

I spent over thirty years doing IT support at an insurance office in Newark, which mostly meant helping smart, busy people who did not have time to learn their computers. I got good at explaining things in plain English and at never making anyone feel silly for asking. That is exactly what I do now, just at a dining table instead of a help desk.

Most visits cover the things people actually use: video calls with the grandkids, sending photos, reading the large print setting, and spotting scam texts. I write every step on an index card in big letters, because a card on the counter beats a manual nobody can find. Some families also book me for drawing lessons. I have filled sketchbooks with pen and ink since I was a kid, and I teach that the same way, one step at a time.

I live in Roseland with my wife, Denise. In good weather I draw the old trees at Becker Park, and the squirrels there have learned to pose.