TOOLS OF THE TRADE.

January 15th, 2010 | Filed under Inspiration, Update

I believe love like this can only be related to by individuals who share the same intense feelings towards their own chosen beloved path of sincere application. Speaking of application, thats what I love about every square millimetre of these beautiful instruments – they’re deliberately crafted and harmoniously designed to do what they were meant to do, they do it well and look good while doing it. Each is as unique as an individual. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that, people. Like a chef knows their knives, a barber knows their scissors, a painter knows their brushes, a violinist knows it’s bow and and the tension in the strings.

So what if I fondle my machines and randomly want to hear the sweet noise of their buzzing after a few hours of its absence hanging thick in the air. So what if I often, more than I’m prepared to admit, can be found ogling respected machine builders websites at four in the morning when most are viewing pornography and gettin their rocks off. potatoe, potato, vodka.

some people utilize photoshop, illustrator, pencils with paper.
aside from three out of four of the aforementioned, these are what I use, as extensions of my hands, paired with ink. It’s not just a matter of simply jabbing a needle into the flesh as so many would like to believe, there are other miniscule, yet significant nuances that I have to be mindful of that require your sensitivity to them, to respect their essence and not fight their natural rhythm and flow.

In essence, all eloquent profundities aside, I just like to make shit happen.

And these are what I use to do so. Some more than others get to star in the starting line up. Other’s have been temporarily benched while we both devoutly tweak and finaggle out their true potential to uncover exactly what they are – like forging a diamond out of coal. So far I’m proud of my collection, I believe that they reflect the true nature of my evolution thus far. I’ve been fortunate enough to be shown that someone who is serious about their craft need only invest the most to get out the best of themselves as well as their hard work and talent. That’s just me. It may not be you. Some may see it as excessive, but I don’t mind. I’m at nine complete machines (with two frames that have yet to be furnished with innards) and I’m not stopping.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about rotary machines, but I’m not ready to indulge just yet. There’s so much mystery left to these lil guys that I feel so compelled to getting to the nitty-gritty bottom of. I can’t change my true nature. I’d also like to one day spend some time in the mountains of Luzon, where my pops is from, living amongst the tribal Ifugao head hunters who have been tattooing for thousands of years. I would only hope that one day they would bestow upon me the traditions of tribal tattooing in all its non-electric glory. One day, I intend on making this specific ambition a reality.

Oh, and just as a little side note, please do not refer to them as guns. Guns kill people. These machines make people beautiful.

“Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer.” — Mark Z. Danielewski