Chapter One - Before the Beginning

Chapter 1

Chapter One – Before the Beginning

 

For as long as I can remember, there has always been drawing in my life. My earliest memories include sitting at a kitchen counter, my mother busying herself with whatever domestic tasks she had to do, and myself with a fat red pencil in my hand, scribbling away at the sheet before me. I’ve always found myself occupied in school, sitting at my desk doodling whatever images came to my mind, while my friends would remark on my skills. While excelling in almost all subjects in school, and to the horror of many guidance counsellors who would have rather I chose to pursue other fields, I completed high school and took art to another level and entered college.

This was to be the watershed in my life (one of many), as I learned many new and interesting techniques in ways to express myself visually. I was lucky enough to have been taught under a wise, yet most intimidating and unpredictable, teacher, who more than anything instilled me the sense that whatever I wished to create was my own and no-one else’s, and that none could take it from me. Years of high school art teachers who, though they applauded my apparent natural talent, were dismayed at most of the subject matter I often chose to create; it should be noted that I spent much of high school listening to heavy metal and punk music (and still do) and it had great influence on my style and subject matter of most of my drawings and other artwork (I could draw a portrait and still life subjects with ease, but felt much more comfortable drawing grim reapers and demons). But when I arrived in college, the same fore-mentioned teacher would applaud my efforts, only explaining that I simply needed to find a niche for my original creations, and to not let others dictate to me what I should or should not be drawing.

A couple years later, I would find this niche, and purely by accident.

Not long after college, I found myself working with a close friend and spending one glorious summer in collusion to create a small vintage clothing business. I would later spend many years working alongside this friend doing screen printing of t-shirts (another passion of mine that I would not have picked up were it not for the same teacher in college as mentioned before) and selling vintage clothing with him in various locations, and on the internet. I had also gotten out of one of my first serious relationships in my life. It had left a bitter taste in my mouth and I was at point where I knew that something was going to change, for it had to, and for the better. On one of the many days I was heading to the store, I arrived to find that a small note left on the back of a business card on the door. The note was from a person who had grown up in my small town, and, though we were not at that time on a friend-basis, we were aware of each other’s presence. The note explained that he had wanted to meet up with me, and give me an offer if I might be so interested, as well as his home phone number.

Turning the card over, I found the name and address to be that of a tattoo shop.

I was 23 years old, and had no tattoos.

I had a college education in art, and no real job in art to speak of (as working for the clothing store was, at that time, neither artistic nor work in any real sense), nor any means to do anything expressive (though not for lack of trying).

I was recently single, and feeling rather down on myself, and in search of something new to uplift me.

And, when I had least expected it, and at the time not even looking for it, it had found me.

 

 

Reviews

[Shellie]

This a perfect introduction, James. The story behind the story, you did this really well, and it was very interesting. This is a true story isnt it? I cant wait to se how it all works out. I like the way you install your earliest memories in the start and follow it through with school and college and everyday life like working for the clothes shop, helping out, but also sticking to what you love and then you show that even though you were doing a percent of what you wanted, you yearnd for more. Well done...heading to the next chapter right away.