On the road and Off the Map

Sometimes you have to let go....

Ever since my move to England and the...untimely return, I've been dying to make another move. However, my English adventure taught me (among other things) that if I couldn't be happy in the spot I was in, I wouldn't find happiness somewhere else...I had to become happy with me and my work ...pleased with my contribution, I guess. No ONE and no WHERE could do anything FOR me... end of the day, you have to be able to do work...and figure out how to make that work, satisfactorily, enough.

So, after dealing with pride and hard lessons, I let go (like two years later, but hey, better late than never) I focused on my craft, took up painting, and tried to smile more often. Then one day while looking through tattoosnob.com for inspiration I came across an application to be the fifth full time artist at Off the Map Tattoo! Creators of tattoonow.com and the Paradise Tattoo Gathering and Artist Retreat!

It should be noted, this was also really bad timing to think about a move, or a quick trip to Massachusetts ...THREE weeks before my wedding! so to my wife and my mother in-law....OOPS! HAHA! Really, very sorry for the extra stress.

Needless to say, I gave it a shot....to my joyful surprise I got a response the next day!

That was October...since then I've been to Massachusetts twice, totaling a little under a month and a half worth of time, Getting to know, living with, and working along side some of the most humble and inspiring people I've met in my nine years in this industry. I am truly honored to be a part of the Off the Map family, and so excited for April, to fully begin this new chapter...eager to grow.

Until then I find myself back in Kentucky, trying to bring that chapter to an end...For the rest of the month I'll be doing private sessions on customers with large ongoing work (expect a new episode in the body suit series) as well as three guest spots at the shops of some of my favorite Kentucky tattoo artists. Bleed Blue Tattoo- March 15th and 16th, Studio Ink Tattoo-March 22nd and 23rd, as well as After Forever Tattoo- March 28th and 29th. I have a couple spots left If anyone is interested, at both Studio Ink and After Forever. Email me at theartofjoeking@gmail.com

Okay, so I've covered where I've been, and where I am...on to the future!

I'm working on two new blog posts...After the first video...I had several people asking about the process, and one guy, I promised I would do another video accompanied by a sort of tutorial....in retrospect I shouldn't have done that HAHA! But, I did say I would, and have begun shooting the footage. Expect that within a week.

The other is an article I've decide to do about distraction and how it affects the artist.... Something I've been dealing with and spending a lot of thought on for the last couple months.... A time when I was completely free of distraction....I pondered the concept of distraction...that seems kinda messed up now that I think about it.

Anyway, I'm gonna do this more often...I've been enjoying it, so I'm planning things to do monthly as well as regular updates. I also see a personal website on the horizon.

Still uncertain of exact date of return but I am booking appointments as early as the first week of April at Off the Map Tattoo in Easthampton Mass. If I missed you this month in Kentucky, I'm sorry...stay in touch and I'll get you the next time around! I'm still in the United States this time!


Thanks for all the support!

Joe King