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Blackwork Weekend MMXVI

My alarm went off at 3.00am this morning and so with a little over 3 hours sleep I half heartedly made my way to the shower and letting the warm water run over me I pushed the toothbrush around my mouth.  During the 30 minute ride to the airport I battled nausea and a repeating pizza. Arriving in plenty of time for my 5.55AM flight I got checked in, dropped my baggage off and cleared security. However once I was on the other side I checked the boards for my flight and couldn’t see the details anywhere. A little confused but not too concerned I went to the info desk to ask about the “missing flight”, still not fully awake the lady pointed out to me that the flight I had was for 5.55PM and so my 12 hour wait in the airport lounge begins.

I rarely get the chance to sit down with such an extended amount of time and do with it as I please. Of course there are emails to answer but without my schedule to hand I’m as useless as the “ay” in okay and so looking out to the rising sun, reflecting on the weekend I decided to share my experience and write a new blog update.

The reason for taking to the airways this time was to attend the 2nd gathering of Blackwork Tattooers put on at “Off The Map” in Easthampton, MA, USA. It’s great doing these type of events as being a traveling tattooer puts your circle of friends all over the world and time together is as scarce as it is precious. It’s also a time of meeting new people, hearing their stories, sharing your own and taking lessons away that can be carried for a life time. I would spend a lot more of my days rambling across the globe if I didn’t have my daughter to take care of back home but even these smaller trips can bring pangs of guilt to a fathers heart. It’s a constant battle of balancing out what I can, should, want and can’t do all the while striving to be the best I can be. There can be no success with sacrifice and I guess this is something that all the people who got tattooed by me during this trip the US can relate too.

Once a person is stood in front of me ready to embark on the journey we take together in realizing their tattoo I will be completely present, all my focus just on them, no compromise and by the end of it all I will have emptied the well. But to get through it all the person getting tattooed needs to match my dedication, purpose and sacrifice. There’s an African proverb that goes something like “If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” My tattooing can only be as good as my clients allow it to be, if they are rigid and come with preconceived ideas without the willingness to evolve then we fail before we start. We need to work in UN1TY. I will write something in the future about my process and how to work with me and make sure the fire gets fueled not smothered.

Each and everyone of the people I worked with during this visit came to me with complete trust and dedication, bringing out the best of me each day and as a result I feel I pushed my self and my tattooing. I only hope I did them justice and they’re as happy with the results as I am.

Another joy of attending The blackwork weekend is also to be surrounded by other tattooers dedicated to pushing themselves and the boundaries, non seeing each other as competition only comrades on the battlefield. I’m thankful to each and everyone of them for inspiring and challenging me.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this trip what it was I look forward to doing it again.

Until then…

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P.S. I plan on being back in the U.S in November, hopefully in NYC. Those interested should email me on Hanumantra108@gmail.com

Cheers.