Modifications

Holy cow im tired. This has definately been a draining weekend and i have yet to get a full night sleep but hey, i'll sleep plenty when I'm dead. I talked to a friend last night while hanging out and was informed that at times my blog can seem to be a little scatterish and confusing, so I will do my best to keep things clear and simple; yet if I do that then are you really getting to experience whats going on in my head, or the watered down clean version. I am very sporadic at times and im cool with that. Keeps people in my life on their toes. :-) I have gotten some nice tattoo work done recently and changed my hair and got an eyebrow piercing, all within the first few weeks of the new year. I came out of a suffocating situation that lasted for most of the past year and so when the new year came with a touch of fresh air, i jumped at the chance and breathed new life into my soul. After each tattoo i get i always say im not gonna get another one for awhile and then my creative side kicks in and bam, next payday im under the needle getting another crazy design placed on my body. I have been slowly putting together the pieces to my next major tattoo that will take a few sessions to complete, mainly because of the amount of money im sure its going to cost me, easily about $1000. When its fully finished its gonna be insane!! I plan on going to see Govina at the shop and start getting the ideas flowing and seeing just how far this piece can go. I honestly see it being like a masterpiece and will design it so other pieces can be put on as time progresses. With all this creativity flowing I have decided to begin looking at schooling for art progression and going to even look into possibly working at the tattoo shop where I always go, simply so i can be around the atmosphere. People who love music go to concerts, people who love cars go to car shows, people who love art go to museums. I love body art and so i hang out at tattoo shops. People may look at those who are fully into the body art culture as outsiders and people who love to party and do drugs. Ladies and gentleman pardon me while i slap you for your ignorance and self-righteous stupidity. Granted alot of people who get tattoos live what society likes to refer to as an "alternative" lifestyle. Not really sure exactly why they call it alternative but whatever floats your boat. Am I a full fledged member of the tattoo society with art covering alot of my body? Nope. Will I ever have my body fully covered in ink? It would be cool but i wont do it. Some ink for me is cool, but the whole body suit thing just isnt my style. Im not even sure full sleeves are in my future either but I do plan on having one or two major pieces that cover the majority of my upper body. Even as I type my mind is shooting out ideas and improvements on the designs I already have. That is one thing i truly love about art expressed in any form whether visually, verbally, or linguistically; its always evolving. Art in any form is as crucial to a society as the water and food supply, in my opinion. It helps shape the ideas that power the businesses that provide income for the residents who invest this income into the general population through various outlets. Art in all its forms allow for a people to show themselves for who they truly are and directly expresses the health and wellness of a city and population. I read in the Bible something that a great men of the Christian belief Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy, if i remember correctly. He stated that "I desire that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers."
Now I will not spend the time getting into a debate about the fullness of what he was refering to and as a note of caution to any would be debatee's, if you want to pursue a debate about the context and all that about the verse I used understand that I spent 6 years in a sort of seclusion from any other form of influence, studying and living out the bible, under the guidance of some very influential and wise men and women. So if you come to the debate, please make sure you have proper ammunition, have done your homework, and only wish to learn and grow, not to prove your superiority either intellectually or religiously, cuz i shall make you look like a fool, one way or another. Cool? Alrighty then. Let me continue on.
Side note. I was born under the Gemini sign, so intellectual debates and challenges are so my thing.
When I read the words "even as your soul prospers" i saw a man who understood that the soul was just as vital to the health of a person as is his or her body and wealth. The soul is an intangible thing and art is the means for which it can become tangible. It would seem almost idiotic for someone to think that art has no place in society. I have actually heard that said in some circles of power in my city. They may have only been referring to a certain form of artistic expression but nonetheless their statements show the reality of where a culture and society can lead itself when art is pushed to the side. I will for sure be writing more about this topic because its something that literally drives me on a daily basis but I have also learned that too much at one time can ruin the whole meal. So onto what inspired this recent posting.
"Some customize their cars, I customize my body" was the content of my most recent status update on facebook and myyearbook.com, which are the sites i use to connect with friends and even flirt a little. Met an awesome new friend on yearbook so its all good in the hood. LOL. I came up with that quote while thinking about the money i spend on tattoos and the money i used to spend on car mods. both were seen as useless in some people's eyes, which is fine but i bust my ass for the money so im entitled to use it how i see fit. Being single with no one depending on my financial support has its perks. :-) I like to customize my body because its the canvas that i have chosen to express myself upon and its where I tell my story. Many people i knew in the church have and have gotten tattoos and some continue to do so, because its a form of artistic expression. I love tattoos because they allow me to channel my creativity and reveal myself in unique and abstract ways. I cant carry my art collection around with me everywhere i go, so my body is the mobile collection of art that shows the various sides of my personality, reveals my likes and passions, and chronicles the key moments in my life that i feel have shaped me into who i am today. I have seriously considered doing a full tapestry of my life up to this point on my arms or legs or even back, but may just hold of on that for awhile..lol. If you want to learn about me then chances are you can just look at my tattoos and see all that you will ever need to know.
On the completely vain and shallow side, they are amazingly good icebreakers and attention getters when it comes to the opposite sex. :-) "she thinks my tattoo's sexy, it really turns her on" (sang in a country twang voice and is the modified version of the verse 'she thinks my tractor's sexy, it really turns her on' taken from the song "she thinks my tractor's sexy" by Kenny Chesney) I think i might have to get that song and do an "alternative" lifestyle remake of it..lol...what do you think. Already have been working on a remake of Free Fallin by Tom Petty, calling it Free Ballin. "Yea I'm free, free ballin!" LOL talk about an alternative lifestyle. I really need to get back into the studio! Last time i was there we had an interesting time lmao. You were there and you know who you are and you know exactly what I'm talking about. :-)
So it may be best if i close up on that note. Its 1:30 and I have to be up in a little while for a meeting at work. Should be fun. So I hope you enjoyed the blog as much as I have enjoyed reading it and look forward to writing more about my views and thoughts in regards to the vitality of art in a society.