As a teenager I became a piercing enthusiast after a persistent friend convinced me to get pierced with them; soon, I began frequenting my local shop at every opportunity. During my original career as a school teacher, my first stop at the end of each school year was the studio to eagerly get some of my visible piercings back. Then I realized the classroom wasn’t the best fit for me, and as my final school year ended and my existential crisis began, I once again stopped by the studio to get pierced—my favorite form of self-soothing—only to learn that the main piercer was moving and they were looking to hire an apprentice. Now, I have been an industry professional for more than ten years.
In the beginning, I knew very little about most forms of body modification, but was eager to learn. I apprenticed under Bink Williams—a Member of the Association of Professional Piercers since 1996 and close friends with some of the founding Members—so I was fortunate to have an expansive library to peruse and an immediate link to the APP. Among other works, the shop library included A Brief History of the Evolution of Body Adornment in Western Culture: Ancient Origins and Today, ReSearch: Modern Primitives, and The Piercing Bible. We also had three ring binders containing well- loved back issues of PFIQ: Piercing Fans International Quarterly and The Point. During slow times at the shop (of which there were plenty back then) I would read through the library and poke around on BMEzine. We reference some of this influential literature later in this issue, and would encourage you to seek copies for your own edification.
Despite my fortunate start in the industry, until I started attending Conference in 2012 I remained isolated without much contact with other industry professionals outside of my own studio. Now that my main job is as Membership Administrator for the APP, I interact almost constantly with Members, piercers, enthusiasts, and the general public. The last few years have signified a pretty immense shift in my professional life, so I welcome this opportunity to look back at where I came from and where our modern industry started. We hope you enjoy this issue, taking a stroll with us through body modification and piercing history.
