Category Editorial

Point 86: The President’s Corner

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by Jef Saunders

In this issue celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary, we ponder the future of the body piercing industry, our community, and the Association of Professional Piercers. As President, considering the future of our organization and industry is one of my highest priorities. The opportunity to help establish policies and safeguards which help our organization flourish, and our industry to become safer and better-educated, has been one of the greatest honors of my career. As such, I’m excited to discuss how we hope to aid in the growth and success of our industry.

It is the goal of the APP, and hopefully the goal of everyone in our community, to foster inclusivity and diversity. With that goal in mind, the

APP has added several new classes, roundtables, and TalkAPP sessions to our 2019 Conference. These courses are intended to highlight diverse perspectives and ideas, provide education about the challenges faced by people of color in our industry, and discuss actionable steps we can take to minimize those challenges.

In addition, the APP has added the following language to our Member’s Code of Conduct:

“I agree to provide a work environment that is free from harassment, bigotry, and discrimination. I will not discriminate or harass employees or clientele based upon an individual’s sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, size, race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, age (except where legally required), religion, ability, or any other legally protected characteristic(s).

“Declining to perform a piercing on an individual (who has provided legally required valid identification) based on  minimum  age requirements, anatomy viability assessment, or potential health complications is not considered a violation of the APP Code of Conduct, unless it is done to explicitly discriminate against a legally protected characteristic. Refraining from piercing when there is a reasonable risk that the piercing will fail or result in complications is considered appropriate, safe, and ethical piercing practice.”

The APP will continue to expand our educational offerings and improve pre-existing classes at our annual Conference. In addition, we will continue to broaden the scope of our online courses; it is imperative that we offer a wide variety of options for education, so that all individuals looking to learn are able to do so regardless of distance or financial concerns. Furthermore, as sister organizations spring up around the globe, we will do everything we can to assist these colleagues in nurturing their organizations and developing educational materials.

I am truly excited to see what our industry’s jewelry manufacturers and other suppliers deliver in the coming years. I am in awe of the high-quality, innovative creations our sponsors have produced in the past 25 years, and I think we are all looking forward to seeing what they have in store in the next quarter century.

Finally, as the APP’s educational mission continues to succeed, I expect to see further growth in our membership. In the last three years alone, we have seen membership increase by more than double. Our next big benchmark will be one thousand APP Members from all over the world!

The future has some big things in store for our community, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish! Excelsior!

Point 86: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino

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In April, the Association of Professional Piercers will be 25 years old. As a community, we’ve come a long way; from bedrooms, basements, and dungeons to a reputable international industry with professional organizations, standards, best practices, and training opportunities. With that change, we’ve also experienced a drastic shift in the public’s perception of our trade.

With public attention comes public scrutiny. As both an industry and individual practitioners, we have a decision to step up our game and work toward professional growth and advancement, or rebel in an attempt to hang on to our subculture status. It is my feeling that we should not settle for mediocrity and succumb to doing things the way they’ve always been done, just because change is challenging and intimidating. Learn new skills. Educate yourself and your staff. Make professional and personal development a priority. Aim for continual improvement.

Along those lines, the APP has made some updates to what was previously called our Health and Safety Agreement. This document has now been expanded to address the diversity and inclusivity of our industry, and has been retitled as the APP Member’s Code of Conduct.

Read about these changes and inspiring words on this topic from APP President, Jef Saunders, later in this issue. Staying grounded is a key component of professional and personal development. Logical and level-headed decisions are difficult to make when egos are unrealistically inflated or emotions are heated. Jacob Spjut explains the difference between an industry’s knowledgeable elites and the attitude of elitism. Knowing who in our community has a wealth of expertise on a particular topic is an important step to forever learning. On the same token, Chris Beierschmitt’s article provides information on finding reliable, credible, and trustworthy information from sources outside of our industry, including peer-reviewed research. We are human and not expected to know everything. As any good teacher will tell you, it is not about rote memorization, but about knowing where to look to find what you need. As the APP’s Membership Administrator, I am experiencing first hand the rapid and immense growth the organization and industry are undergoing. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing what new directions our leadership and industry elites will lead us in next. But it is important to remember that each individual plays an integral role as well. As Kendra Jane expresses, it is time to step up and be the change you want to see.

Point 86: From the Editors – Kendra Jane B.

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“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”

—Noam Chomsky

Kendra Jane B. & Marina Pecorino, 2017 APP Conference

I am a glass half full, the sun will come out tomorrow kind of person; a believer that everyone deserves a second chance and that humans are innately good beings. I’m an eternal optimist if you will.

When I started piercing almost a decade ago it was amazing; piercing became an overnight passion I didn’t know I had. I wanted to learn everything I could about every aspect of our industry. I dove in head first. I have had the privilege of being chosen as an Al D. Scholar, and have now become a longtime conference volunteer. I have been a contributing writer and an Editor for The Point for several years. The culmination of all this hard work and diligence has been the opportunity to serve as this organization’s Vice President.  Looking back, it honestly seems so surreal. I have met soulmates, best friends, and my chosen family. Being a part of this industry has allowed me to be the change I wanted to see. I wanted to make a difference and this industry gave me the chance to do that.

Kendra Jane B. 2016 APP Conference

Although I may be a glass half full kinda of girl, I would be lying if I led you to believe that my time in the piercing industry has been all sunshine and lollipops. It is very easy to let piercing throw off a work life balance, as it seems piercers like to eat, breathe, and sleep piercing. In my case it allowed me to indulge in my first choice for self harmful behaviour, being a workaholic. I used my career as an excuse to miss family gatherings, maintain toxic relationships, and to define myself as a person through my career alone. This sadly means that I, like so many piercers I know, have spent the past few years teetering ever so cautiously on the precipice of complete burnout.

Badur Ramji & Kendra Jane B., 2016 APP Conference
Photo by Autumn Swisher

After almost a decade in this industry it was a strange reality for me to have worked so hard for so long to get exactly where I wanted to be, only to realize that place was not at all like I had envisioned it. I am so very proud to say that I feel I have made real changes within the piercing industry, but I am now realizing the changes I’ve  made  in myself during my involvement in the industry are the real prize. I have said it before and I will say it again, this industry has taught me self worth, the ability to set boundaries, and to stand up for what I believe in. The piercing industry has also shown me that it is ok to step aside when you are no longer the best person for the task at hand, and the time has come for me to step aside and let the next shepherds of our industry take the lead.

Kendra Jane B. & Caitlin McDiarmid, 2018 APP Conference
Photo by Shanna Hutchins

I believe that this industry and this publication deserve a new voice, the voice of the next generation of piercers. The time has come for me to say goodbye to The Point and my  role as Managing Editor. I would like to thank James Weber, Elayne Angel, Kim Zapata, Jim Ward, Caitlin McDiarmid and Marina Pecorino; whether they know it or not, each of them played an integral part in my editorial journey with this publication.

Kendra’s desk

Point 85: The President’s Corner

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by Jef Saunders

Welcome to The Point: Journal of Body Piercing—Issue 85, where we celebrate our piercing history. There is so much to consider when we look at the history of piercing: of course, there is the anthropological and historical record. There is also our far more recent piercing “industry” or “community” history.

A knowledge of both is quite rewarding. One of the often overlooked resources for people interested in learning the recent history of piercing, and of the APP, is what you are reading right now—The Point. Our issues are available for free online and provide tremendous insight into the kind of battles piercers had to fight in the 1990s versus the challenges we face today. It is worthwhile to see that things like jewelry standards and safety requirements have been a part of the organization from the very beginning. It is also of no great surprise to see that our industry’s leaders, from piercers to manufacturers, were often active in and supportive of the APP from the very beginning.

It is somewhat expected that two of the people who come to my mind when I think of the production and editing of The Point have also released books. Both Elayne Angel (The Piercing Bible) and Jim Ward (Running the Gauntlet) have produced works that have educated and entertained piercers and the public. The APP has also benefited from the extensive and challenging work that has been performed by the Body Piercing Archive. This group of piercing enthusiasts has put thousands of hours into protecting our history and presenting it for us at our Conference. The APP is deeply appreciative of this committee and committee members for all of their hard work. The APP Conference in May 2019 will feature a Body Piercing Archive  exhibit  about the life and work of Fakir Musafar. Fakir was a hugely influential figure, to our entire community and to me personally. The Association of Professional Piercers mourns his  passing and celebrates his legacy. I encourage all APP Conference Attendees to make time for the Body Piercing Archive’s exhibit at the upcoming Conference.

Point 85: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino

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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.

Bink Williams and Elayne Angel c. 1995.
 

Point 85: From the Editors – Kendra Jane B.

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“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”

~ Michelle Obama

I have a personal belief that the piercing industry and community is in a very unique and wonderful position regarding our history. Since piercing as a modern phenomenon began less than a century ago, we have the ability to learn firsthand from the forefathers and mothers that made what we do possible. We can talk to them in person about the failures and successes they have seen to date, and use this to better ourselves and our craft. At the same time, our industry is young enough that each and every one of us has the opportunity and chance to make the same type of impact on our industry going forward. We may mourn the loss of those that have taught us and paved the way, but as they leave vacancies we will need leaders, shaman, healers, and teachers to step up to lead the next generation of piercers.

In this issue we give thanks and look over some of the highlights of our young industry’s history. Please note this is not a full nor extensive anthropology of our history, but merely a highlight reel if you will. It is an issue to make you feel nostalgic, but more importantly it is an issue to make you contemplate the culture of our industry and where we are going. This is a topic we plan to tackle more in depth in our next issue (the first of 2019.)

If history has shown us one thing it is that compla- cency and apathy will get us nowhere, that a popular- ity contest is one that no one wins long term. During November and December, the Association of Professional Piercers held our 2018 Board of Directors election to fill three upcoming vacancies. We want to thank our participating Members who let their voices be heard and helped us reach quorum. We are also excited to announce that, as of our 2019 Conference in May, these three Board positions will be filled by Becky Dill, Cale Belford, and Monica Sabin. It will be wonderful to see the direction our organization and industry will take with the help of these strong guiding forces.

Point 84: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino

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by Marina Pecorino, Point Editor

Starting from the time my shoes touch the Vegas cement several days before the attendees arrive, the week of Conference is usually a blur for me. This year had the added complexities of new motherhood; extra calls home and using my breaks to pump breast milk made my already busy schedule even more packed.

Much of my work happens after classes end and most attendees head to the bar. Unfortunately, my workload and late hours meant that I missed many of the extracurricular activities this year, including the Opening Pool Party at the Flamingo, most of the Banquet (which featured attendee karaoke and a special visit from Elvis), and all the Alternative To The Bar activities. Thankfully, I still found time to take a guided tour through the Body Piercing Archive Exhibit and make a few quick passes through the Expo.

By the end of the week, as usual I was both exhausted and revitalized. Conference provides a chance to develop professionally and personally, and although classes are no longer my personal focus during the week, I always glean new knowledge from the overall experience. I was able to attend a few classes and they were wonderful, led by a range of speakers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. It seems that every year, our class offerings provide an ever-expanding range of topics, from technical, to analytical, to anthropological. Every year, it seems that the week has an unnatural momentum; starting out steady, but somehow quickening the closer we get to the end, until suddenly the week is over. This year, that progression seemed even more spectacular than usual. The final flurry of activity comes during pack out, which the Volunteer team managed to accomplish in record time this year. That evening culminates with one last “family” dinner, after which we gather for speeches, allowing the Volunteers to speak from the heart about their experience. This is one of my favorite times during Conference, hearing how each individual will go home changed in some way with a renewed sense of themselves and their connection to the industry and our community. We all come together in the same city for the same event, but the week alters each person in their own unique way.

After dinner and speeches this year, I made it back to my room just in time to see the Bellagio fountains erupting. I stood at the window in welcomed silence, watching the colored water and lights dance amid the city of sin and excess. In that post-Conference quiet, I took a few moments to mentally prepare for reintegrating with normal life; it is amazing how different life  can feel during Conference week. It will take many of us time to decompress, organize, and fully understand our experience, so if you had the opportunity to attend, I hope you take the time to reflect and share your thoughts. If you were not able to attend this year, consider joining us for our first year at Planet Hollywood for the 24th Annual Conference and Exposition May 12-17, 2019.

Point 84: From the Editors – Kendra Jane B.

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By Kendra Jane B. , Point Editor

Point Editors, Kendra Jane B. & Marina Pecorino

In our last issue of The Point, I spoke to being mindful in your preparation for Conference. I said I was going into it knowing what I wanted to get out of it. I had hoped to find a renewed connection, a connection with the people of our industry. Instead what I found was a renewed connection with myself.

This year was a wash of emotions, so here’s your warning; emotions ahead.

I sat in my room and contemplated all that was Conference. I had arrived 10 days prior and, man, was I ready to go home. Conference is a special place filled with the most special people, but it also comes with sacrifices of sleep, water, sleep, raw fresh vegetables, oh and did I mention sleep? So this year on my last night I decided to do something a bit different. I took myself out on a date. That’s right a me party, party of one. For most of my life I did not feel like I could be my true self, and as such I never wanted to spend time with myself. Through my journey within this industry and the past eight Conferences, I am so very happy to say I am 100% happy with who I am, what I believe, and where I have drawn my boundaries. This wouldn’t have been possible without the people I have met because of Conference. So at the end of this year’s very hectic week I celebrated myself and all I have accomplished with dim sum, hand pulled noodles, and mochi. I finally know what my truth is and I hope that your journey through the piercing community and Conference allows you to find your truths.

I hope you enjoy this look back through this year’s Conference.

Point 83: My Journey with Fakir

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By Jef Saunders, APP President


Fakir with Jef’s son Simon, wife Laura Jane Leonard, and Jef himself. Photo by Ken Coyote

On May 4th, 2018, Fakir Musafar posted a farewell message on his Facebook account: “The time has come for me to inform you that Fakir’s shelf life is running out. I have been fighting stage 4 lung cancer since last October, and I am near my expiration date….” While I have known about Fakir’s diagnosis for months, witnessing Fakir make his short time remaining public really hit home. The outpouring of emotion, thanks, and support from all over the world has been quite a thing to behold. I’m confident the letters, cards, and photos you send are deeply appreciated by both Fakir and his wife Cleo, and may provide an air of closure.

Fakir with Jef’s son Simon Saunders. Photo by Ken Coyote

My journey with Fakir began over 20 years ago, the way it has for so many others: through reading Modern Primitives. I was struck by the audacity it took to modify one’s body in so many different ways, all of it done long before body modification was an accepted element of Western culture. He seemed larger-than-life, brilliant, and enigmatic beyond description. Who was this man, and how had he developed this devotion to piercing, corsetry, and suspension?

It wasn’t long before I met him in person, in the spring of 1999. I remember thinking to myself, “I hope I look as good as this guy does when I’m in my fifties,” not realizing I was taking a class from a man in his late sixties. Fakir’s apparent defiance of his age turned out to be nothing compared to the impact his Basic Piercing Workshop had on my life. I learned directly from Fakir about the cultures he admired and about what compelled him to modify his own body. I was exposed firsthand to the ritual and spiritual experience that piercing and body art could be, and I was awakened to a perspective on body play that came from the immersive experience of the workshop. Fakir and his Intensives changed me forever.

I felt compelled to revisit the magic in the Fakir classes. Within eighteen months I had attended his Basic, Branding, and Advanced Intensives. Five years later I was visiting regularly, at times even driving from Rhode Island to San Francisco, just to experience a class. In 2005 I started teaching for Fakir, and I’ve grown increasingly devoted to the unique quality of the workshops the Fakir Intensives deliver. For Fakir, however, teaching the body arts is really only half the story.

It’s difficult to explain the amazing life he has led. You may be aware that Fakir has been an advertising executive, a military demolitions expert, and a lifelong photographer. You might not know that he was a magician, a ballroom dancer, and a pioneering corset designer. There’s a unicycle in his garage, surrounded by shelves of piercing supplies, rigging for human rituals, and Body Play magazines. The man has lived that kind of life.

I’ve had the good fortune to grow close to Fakir, first as a student, and then as an instructor, but more significantly, as a friend. He is the patriarch of my chosen family, and I can say without hyperbole that the most important relationships in my life all trace back to Fakir, the Fakir Family, and the Fakir Intensives in some way So, although I write this column with a heavy heart. I’m thankful that Fakir chose to inform the broad piercing community about his condition, providing anyone who has felt his substantial impact the opportunity to reach out to him by sending a card, a photo, or a letter before he moves on to the unseen world. Through this considerate gesture, Fakir is showing us once again the type of person he is, and the extraordinary value he places on human connections. I truly hope you’ll take him up on it.

My journey with Fakir resonates as one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you, Fakir. Your contributions to body art will be celebrated by our community for all time, and I, personally, have been forever blessed by your influence in my life. Your example and guidance have led me not only to evolve into the piercer I am today, but more importantly, the person I have become.

Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!

Point 83: Conference, 2018 from Editor Jim Ward

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It warms my heart to see this issue of The Point and brings back fond memories of issue 49 of Piercing Fans International Quarterly. Published by Gauntlet in 1996, it featured more than a dozen performance artists active at that time.

In 1996, suspension had not become the popular pastime it is today. Only one photo in the 64 page issue features it, but there were plenty of imaginative ways in which artists found to express themselves with piercings and blood.

The opposite page features the editorial Michaela Grey and I wrote for the issue. The names may have changed, but perfomance art is as vital today as it was in 1996.

The cover of PFIQ issue 49 with Spike the Holocaust Girl photographed by Christine Kessler
Back cover featuring Ron Athey in the “St. Sebastian Enlightened in a Zen Garden” scene of The Casting Out/A Crown of Thorns performance at L.A.C.E., Los Angeles, November 13, 1992.
Photo by Dkon Lewis.