To B Sting or not to B Sting...

To be, or not to be--that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them... - Hamlet

I've been an artist for thirty years now and counting. I've worked as a graphic designer, sign painter, Illustrator...I've worked for a couple of newspapers, design studios, printers...silk screened t-shirts, airbrushed t-shirts, backdrops for hair shows, retirement parties and for photographers...I've painted murals in homes and painted my kids faces on birthdays and halloween.

I have no huge portfolio, no hidden chest full of work that I've done...there is no scrap book of photographs. My career or better put, my life as an artist hasn't been filled with countless successes...no wall of awards and there is no big bank account. I suffered many things over those thirty years to be an artist; some things I suffered at the hands of others and some by my own undoing. I've quit, given up, thrown away, tore apart, cursed, cried and passed out in a drug induced drunken depression. I hated art.

I hated everyone I had ever associated with as an artist. I hated old employers. I hated those who would not employ me. I hated my clients. I hated myself.

I could spend the next six moths blogging about all that depression, hate and lost time, but that's not where I wanted to go with this. :::snickering::: I opened with an excerpt from the soliloquy "to be or not to be" spoken in Shakespeare's Hamlet to give the gist of my misunderstanding for so very long as an artist, as a human being. Regardless of having set backs, be they caused by others or myself...all is not lost. You could consider this blog as a continuation of an earlier blog "get busy living or get busy dying"...I'm not trying to be the existentialist, although I do believe that choice makes a big difference in what we do everyday.

Its not over and I'm not done. I love being an artist...I love being a Tattooist, a body artist.

I love ranting and the occasional use of the F word...well more than an occasional use of the word. But thats not important.

Its taken me the better part of five years to make the decision to become a tattooist. Since I've made that decision I've had the term "scratcher" tossed loosely around me, but not directly. I have been in many "entry level" positions and I've worked as an entrepreneur. On both levels of employment, first and foremost, I had to learn the job. I spent a year just to learn the proper equipment, health and safety requirements, I've talked to tattooist and I've seen a few work...not all professional tattooist are open to the idea of giving someone too much information and I can understand this. No professional wants to be liable for someone else's mistake by giving direction other than in a controlled, professional setting...basically, an apprenticeship or lessons. Even in the case of a professional setting the tattooist will only allow the student to work at his/her pace.

As a professional artist it has been a sobering and humbling experience to work at this slow pace. However, I have had the great fortune to have had a great deal of support...I have had major benefactors from friends to family...family to friends that have included financial support, moral support, artistic support and much more. I've earned an opportunity to at least be considered for an apprenticeship at a professional shop...I enjoyed the conversation with the head of the shop and I believe I can set some goals there. Most importantly I have had the support of clients that have trusted and enjoyed my work as an artist.

I've got one major obstacle to over come and we'll see if things will fly in a month.

I choose to be a body artist because I love the art form...I love the fact that most of the "professional" tattooist I've researched and or talked to are "artist"...they paint and design. I am a Tattooist and I choose to be.

more later...

Its the little things...

The little things make a big difference if you know what they are.

I like to have water and mints around my little office area for my clients. I fill a little ceramic bowl (its really square shaped) with life savers wintergreen mints...sometimes jawbreakers or tropical life savers. Unfortunately, my family thinks its for them and will eat their fill, if I let them. So, I fill the small bowl with small amount and if they finish it off I won't fill it again until I have a client. One of my teen aged daughters decided to take it upon herself to reach in my cabinet and help herself to some of that candy. I said, "Hey, that's not for you!" She replied, "Come on Dad, I need some candy, man." (yes Jokingly, she says "man") When one of my younger daughters overheard the conversation she went to get her candy dispenser...one of those plastic thingys you grab the side of and flip over and the candy drops into a dish...cool...well your supposed to fill the thing with m&m's but its better to offer individually wrapped candy...ya know. To cut to the chase...it was the gesture...that little thing to make my presentation better, thats cool.

We know that won't stop this house from eating up my candy, but its a cool way to put it out on the desk...ahem, well, there ain't nuthin' in it right now :::glance over shoulder to look for candy munchers:::

That little thing that my daughter did for me made my day...gotta have a support system.
nuff said, I'll holla later...

Get Busy...

Okay, here we go...my second entry into my blog. Get busy...well that's short for a line from Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living or get busy dying." I've been doing both for so long that choosing one or the other made me disoriented. Art is not the whole of my life but it is one major factor in staying busy, and art is so full of life to me. Creating art and enjoying the art of others is such a joyous experience for me...incredible.

If you could just humor me for this moment in soundbite or is this readerbite :::shrug::: you get it...I'd like to make another movie reference...My life has been like a low budget version of Forrest Gump, with a few changes metaphorically. The character of Bubba has been many individuals I have met over the years that have shared with me detailed dreams and ambitions...some who have lost their lives in this war on poverty. As it is with the movie I have crossed the paths of many very influential individuals, I having traveled some odd course through life. All these experiences have been encouraging, empowering and enlightening...three words inspired through that course and I frequently use. I have my own conclusion regarding this film, as a metaphor, as it relates to my life, and that is - Life is Powerful.

If Art is my life (and not the whole sum of it) then Art is Powerful.

Get Busy Living, or Get Busy Dying.