It's been a really long time since I've had the time to get to DA let alone look at everything everyone has sent me, journals, and deviations. I would like to say that I have been busy creating all sorts of art and the the time has been very creative but unfortunately it just hasn't been. I have been busy with the gf, trying to get work tattooing, finding a place to live, moving, drinking, and just not feeling creative at all. It's a horrible rut to be in and I'm trying to get myself out of it but sometimes thats the hardest part, getting out. I have a few ideas of things to draw for upcoming tattoos, but that motivation thing is really killing me. I really just need to get up and start drawing. So until next time...

first off i really enjoy it when i can look and see all the people that have faved any one of my art pieces, whether its a tattoo or a work of art or a sketch. I really do love that. i think that i give more credibility towards someone that is an actual artist with posts in their own gallery then to someone that is just collecting things they like. to me if your an artist, whatever your media, youre an artist and you know what good art is, or at least should have an idea of what good art is. regardless, your out there creating it along with the rest of us and who is to really say who or what is better then the others?

I like that people that fav my art will do so and i thank them for it but if you arent actually putting your own art out there to be faved or not by others, i simply view you as a collector and although i appreciate the fav, i dont really care all that much. praise from a peer is more important to me the the praise from an outsider. if you have drawn stick figures and post it here i view you as a peer and will let you know that i appreciate you fav but if you have no artwork of your own to put before all of those on this site, then to me you are nothing more then a looky lu. thanks but i want to know that what i do is appreciated by my fellow artist and that what i am doing excites, inticesses, inspires, or something to them.

thats what happens when i fav something. i do it because it affects me somehow. not that "that pretty", or "that great" or whatever dirivative you want to use.

Sorry if ive offended you and you hate me but thats how i feel and thats why i dont give thanks to those that dont create only collect. their opinion means more to me.

I'm planning on going to the Museum of Comtemporary Art on Tuesday. I have ridden my bike down by there and in front of it a bunch of time. It seems like I am always riding by on my way somewhere else but not this time. I'm taking Tuesday off to go and spent as much time down there as I possible can. I spent a day down at the Art Institute about a month ago and still want to go back just to reabsorb all the impressionistic works. So I figure that another day at the museum cant hurt help me get back into the swing of revitalizing my current lull in creative spirit.

The past week or so I have been going through this very uncreative lag that has been bothering the hell out of me. I know that it's from working in a tattoo shop that isn't very creative oriented. When I get to work, it seems that the last thing I want to do is draw something. Like I have anything better to do with my time. I walk through the doors and can quite literally feel the creative juices being sucked right out of me. Hopefully this drain will only last about another few days as the new shop should be opening up next Friday.

That's why I feel this trip to a much more creative environment will really help get me and my mind set back on track and where it needs to be.

So last week I'm out of a job but have interviews with two other tattoo shops in the area. The first one goes great and they love me, so I have the job. The only thing is that it's going to be a new shop and not going to open till the beginning of May. Fine, I can handle that cause it looks like it's going to be a great shop to work in and the people are pretty cool. Thing is, I can't wait a whole month without any income. The second interview goes pretty good and they say they will call me back the next day to let me know whats going on. They call and want me to come down for a few days to see how everything is going to work out, basically a trial run. The three days are over and everything went well. No problems and I made some good money. I also know that they are going to want me to stay there. So I go from having no job to having two seemingly really great jobs. That is definitely my kind of luck.


So here is my dilemma.

The first shop is just opening and would have all new equipment, a great location, I would get to see firsthand how a tattoo shop opens, possible advertising benefits, it's close to where I live, a much more creative environment. The bad side is that it's just opening so not many people will know about it, it will take awhile to get things up and running, possibly many days of doing nothing and no one to tattoo, i.e. no money coming in for what may be a long period of time.

The second shop has been around for over ten years, has a strong client base, I have made some good money in the few days I have been there and it looks like it will only get better, people are cool. The down side is that there isn't any of the equipment that I feel really helps me do my job the best that I can do it, it's an hour commute each way, it's in the getto.

So there are the main things that I'm having to consider as to which shop I will pick to work out of for the forseeable future. Now there are certain things that I know shouldn't matter but in the end really do matter more then you might think. I'm talking about the equipment. I know that someone with the best equipment in the world won't necessarily be a good artist and that a great artist can work with not so new equipment and still produce great work. My main problem is that I shouldn't have to fight the equipment or lack of it in order to make a quality tattoo. Good equipment definitely helps in producing a great tattoo because it puts me at ease while I'm working. I think any tattoo artist works best when they are calm and relaxed. Now when I produce my other art that isn't always the situation but that's a different topic.

Good thing is that I still have a few weeks to figure this whole mess out.

I am out of a job and I get the feeling that no one really likes the art that I produce. I'm not fishing for compliments, but there must be someone out there that wants me to create something for them. I know I'm not the best but I know I'm certainly not the worst by far. It would just be nice to be apprecieated for what I do.