Point #65: From the Editor

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IMG_3716Kim Zapata headshotBy Kimberly Zapata
The Point Editor

As 2013 draws to close, I—like most—have been reflecting on the year as a whole. When I consider 2013 in piercing, I am in awe at what we as a piercing community have accomplished. The Point, our very own industry publication, saw its first year fully online—reaching a wider audience than we could have imagined. Legislation was passed in numerous states that promotes safe piercing (like New York’s bill requiring parental consent for the piercing of underage individuals) and protects the rights of modified individuals (see Arkansas’s fierce fight to defend scarification). Other countries made equally impressive strides: South Australia is working to ban piercing guns, and just last month the newly formed LBP (Lationoamericana Body Piercing A.C.) hosted their first annual Conference, the first Congreso Internacional de Perforadores Profesionales, in Mexico. While the Conference consisted of a wide array of events and classes, there was also a fantastic announcement: Mexico is officially banning piercing guns!

While some U.S. states and several European countries have already banned piercing guns for use on cartilage, including ears and nostrils, and other areas of the body, Mexico is the first country to ban its use entirely. This is huge, though I don’t need to tell those of you in the piercing community why piercing guns are so dangerous. (Many of you have seen the work of a gun piercing gone bad.)

I have my own piercing gun horror story: the first time my ears were pierced, at nine years old—andPoint65-piercing gun with a gun—the piercing became infected within two weeks. Whether the infection was the result of contaminated equipment, poor quality jewelry, a terrible aftercare regimen, user error, or “twisting” the posts I will never know. I reluctantly removed the studs and waited another four years before having them repierced, again with a gun. (It was the ’90s; my mother and I didn’t know any better and actually assumed it was preferable to the “ice cube and sewing needle” method she knew.) My second experience was worse than the first; while the stud did pierce my lobe, one of the guns mechanisms failed and the jewelry was never ejected. This means my ear was pierced but the gun was still attached. Imagine sitting nervously on one of those cold stools—in front of a floor-to-ceiling window—feeling the jewelry pass through your skin and then hearing the phrase, “Uh oh.” After a few painful minutes of poking and pulling the piercing “tech”—i.e. counter girl—was able to wiggle the jewelry free and I walked away with a pair of pierced ears that miraculously healed.

The APP has taken the following stance against piercing guns:

It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear…[f]or this reason, APP members may not use reusable ear piercing guns for any type of piercing procedure. While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewelry design.”

However many states and communities have not. (Keep in mind these decisions and regulations are passed at a local, not national, level in America, hence we cannot push for a nationwide ban.) That said, as we start the new year, I have a challenge for all piercers (and piercing enthusiasts): Join together and work to ban piercing guns in your state, city, or municipality. How? Education, education, education. Continue to educate piercees, public health officials, legislators, and anyone who will listen about the dangers of piercing guns, the jewelry they use, and the untrained individuals who operate them. Petition those who have the power to write, present and vote on these regulations. And do what you do best: perform safe and healthy piercings in sterile conditions all day, everyday.

There is power in numbers, so let’s pull our voices together and work to make 2014 an even better year for safe and professional piercing. And, as always, enjoy this issue of The Point.

 

Point #65: The Piercing Password, Daith

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 Jef Saunder headshotBy Jef Saunders
Rockstar Body Piercing

Few people are aware of what a shibboleth is, but they are familiar with one very famous one: Lollapalooza. Lollapalooza, made famous by the Perry Farrell’s traveling music fest, is familiar to us. It is relevant on several levels to the piercing industry, as Lollapalooza was, for many people across the United States, their first exposure to body piercing. Whether it be through traveling piercers like Eve Zamora, Gadhi, Cricket Keene, Allen Falkner, and Ken Coyote, or the modified Jim Rose Circus Sideshow: the Lollapalooza tour was essential to early 1990’s body piercing culture.

But the Lollapalooza I am referring to is the shibboleth “lollapalooza.” A shibboleth is a word that one culture can pronounce easily, but another cannot. U.S. Forces in the Pacific theater of World War II would hear other soldiers walking in the woods, or in the dark. If they were unsure as to whether they were American or not, they would yell, “Say Lollapalooza!” An American can say this word easily. Japanese soldiers could not. This shibboleth protected American soldiers from ambush, and the mispronunciation potentially cost Japanese soldiers their lives. [1]

The word shibboleth, and the first recorded concept of this kind of password, is from the bible. Specifically Judges 12:5-6 (King James version quoted) “And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now shibboleth: and he said sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.” [2]

The two previous mentions of a shibboleth are primarily a racial/cultural mispronunciation, but if we get to the heart of the matter, a shibboleth is a password into a culture. Arguably, body piercing has several of these: “plugs” versus “gauges,” “philtrum” versus some sort of “bite.” Some piercers still mispronounce “labret!” (For the record, it’s a hard “T” sound). But none is as nonsensical as the pronunciation of the daith piercing (doth, like “goth” with a “d”). The uninformed cannot wrap their heads around that pronunciation, and this makes it a shibboleth.

I had heard several versions of how the daith received its name, but I decided to go straight to the

Example of a daith piercing, by Jef Saunders.
Example of a daith piercing, by Ken Coyote.

source.  I called Erik Dakota, the first person to do the daith, and asked him how his client came up with the name.  Erik explained to me that he had a wonderful, intelligent and creative client named Theresa, who was “a good Catholic girl” (which hopefully dispels some of the inaccurate versions of the story).  She asked Erik if he could perform a unique piercing, what we now call the daith.  Erik assessed her anatomy.  Yes indeed; her tissue could support the piercing, but the cartilage was too rigid to put a straight needle through.  Erik had lots of experience curving needles to perform another piercing he originated, the rook, so he curved the needle, performed the piercing, and asked Theresa to name it.  Theresa had been teaching herself Hebrew, and decided it took quite a bit of intelligence to perform this piercing.  She elected to name her new piercing the “daith,” which she said was the Hebrew word for intelligence. The name, pronunciation, and spelling stuck.

I’ve had a bit of trouble confirming this spelling and/or the meaning for the word “daith.”  Internet searches and talks with friends who speak Hebrew have pointed me toward the word daath, or da’at, or da’as, meaning knowledge. [3] (For example, someone who is knowledgeable in Jewish law is “da’as torah.”)  I have also found reference to “daath” on the Tree of Life on Kabbalistic websites. [4] The spelling “daith” remains elusive to me.

I think it is important to note that neither Erik Dakota nor his client Theresa had any intention of this piercing having spiritual overtones; it was simply a good name that fit a piercing that had to be performed by a knowledgeable, intelligent piercer.

I have heard several piercers suggest we change the spelling to “daath” or just make it as easy as possible for our clients, and spell it “doth.”  Our industry seems to get particularly bothered by clients and piercers mispronouncing terms.  I am of a slightly different opinion.

We have been given a gift, in this unique spelling and counterintuitive pronunciation. I say: Let’s keep this our password. One of the joys of my job is meeting other informed, active piercers, and the rarer, but much appreciated, educated client. To hear “daith” pronounced correctly is music to my ears.  Only someone knowledgeable about our culture (at least a little) will pronounce “daith” correctly, and this uniquely confirms Theresa’s initial intention.  It is a nod of respect to Erik and his client.  Daith is our shibboleth; it is our pass into our culture, and we are well served to preserve it.

References:

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth
2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+12%3A5-6&version=KJV
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da’at
4 http://www.mirach.org.uk/basic/daath.html

											
																					

									

																	
																	

										

											

												Point #65: International Suspension Alliance (ISA)
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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PKing photo for conference 2011By Paul King

APP Treasurer


In the summer of 2012 Allen Falkner contacted me, requesting help from the APP for a member of the suspension community. A woman was having a legal custody battle over her children. The other party’s attorney was using her participation in hook suspension as evidence that she was an unfit mother. I recommended that he take the issue to the APP Board, as  I was sure they would help in some way. But I wasn’t sure exactly what help would look like and what the implications, would be.


The APP’s primary purpose is laid out in the mission statement: The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) is an international health and safety organization. It is a nonprofit voluntary alliance dedicated to the dissemination of information about body piercing.


As a modern adaptation, (hook) suspension utilizes body piercing needles to pierce the tissue rather ISA_2than the actual hook. However, after this commonality, the differences start to outweigh the similarities: Suspension is temporary without the complication of trying to heal the body with a foreign object present. Suspension requires knowledge of, and experience with, placements and configurations with considerations for differences in weight and torque bearing tissues. This must all be done in tandem with an expertise of the support rigging that rivals that of a mountaineer. Body piercing is almost always performed by a single practitioner while suspension is usually done with well-practiced and coordinated teams.


The mission statement goes on to say: the APP is a united group of piercing professionals…


Anyone that looks around the APP’s annual conference, online forums, or The Point publications will see faces of people that suspend and those of people that pierce. However, not everyone that professionally pierces suspends, and vice versa. Many people that are active in the suspension community participate within teams without needing to learn or to perform piercing. These are two distinct-yet-overlapping communities that have independent jargon, histories, skill sets, social norms, and motivations.


Body piercing has become a professional industry. While there are some who perform suspensions professionally, I’m unaware of a single person that financially sustains themselves on suspension. For most in the suspension community the words “paid professional” have no place. Although some appreciate donations to cover costs, most practitioners perform the services out of love of the experience, the benefits of gathering together, and the privilege of being entrusted to guide another through this powerful process.


The APP has political clout, but does it have the legitimacy and the authority to represent the suspension community before judicial, legislative, and public health officials? I don’t think so, and some veterans of the suspension community agree. On March 28, 2013, leaders from all the teams present during the Dallas Suscon met for dinner to discuss openly if they felt there was a need for greater community-wide coordination and cooperation, and what that might look like. Some of the needs that emerged were safety standardization, legislative representation, international cooperation, and contact consolidation. Simply put, there is a need for a common, stable, and readily accessible location that anyone, anywhere, can go to for reliable information and help.


ISA_1A small work group formed from the initial Dallas meeting. This group’s primary tasks are to solicit feedback and ideas from teams and individuals within the suspension community at various Suscons around the world, investigate these community-proposed options, organize and delegate viable plans, work their butts off, and continue to hold meetings to report on progress. At present, the group includes seven workers: Allen Falkner, team member of Traumatic Stress Discipline (TSD), USA; Bruno Valsecchi, member of APTPI, Italy; Eden Thomson, team member of Skindependent, New Zealand; Håvve Fjell, team member of Wings of Desire (WoD), Norway; Mike Coons, team member of Hooked, USA; Misty Forsberg, team member of Hanging City, USA; and Steve Joyner, team member of Constructs of Ritual Evolution (CoRE), USA.


On June 12, 2013, while at the APP conference, suspension teams and individuals came together for the second forum. During this meeting, the group submitted a working mission statement for a proposed new organization, to be known as the International Suspension Alliance (ISA): The International Suspension Alliance (ISA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the unification of the body suspension community through education, outreach, and the dissemination of information pertaining to the safe practice of human suspension to practitioners, the general public, and health care professionals.


86 people attended the open meeting. The entire meeting, including presentation and Q&A, was videotaped and is available for everyone to see here.


The third open meeting occurred in Oslo, Norway, July 24, 2013. Transparency and solid communication with the greater suspension community remain paramount for the work group. Allen Falkner et al. compiled a list of concerns and addressed them frankly. A complete video of this meeting is also available.


Over the next several months, more open meeting times and locations are scheduled:


September 2013 – Livorno Italy during Italian Suscon

September 2013 – Omaha, Nebraska during Mecca

April 2014 – Dallas, Texas during Dallas Suscon


The need for community organization is not theoretical; it is very real. In some U.S. cities, counties,602361_530168800353022_1022412352_n and states legislation is circulating that—if passed—will dictate, restrict, and in some cases, prohibit hook suspension. On December 6, 2002, the Florida Board of Medicine determined and then ratified that hook suspension was a medical procedure and therefore requires an M.D. to be present for and approve of all suspensions performed in the state.  In 2010, the city of Minneapolis prohibited all suspension practices. December 5, 2012, Coconino County Public Health Department, AZ implemented the revised Body Art Code, which banned suspension. The Coconino regulation acknowledges that suspension could be motivated by the desire for a “spiritualistic ritual.” It seems easy to imagine that any law blatantly banning what in some circumstances is an expression of religious belief and in other circumstances is performance art could be defeated in a U.S. court under First Amendment protections, but this of course assumes that the community has the resources and organization to challenge such discrimination.


Time and time again, body modification (tattooing, piercing, scarification, suspension, and extreme/heavy) communities are at the mercy of legislators, medical and mental health professionals, local law enforcement, and health inspectors. The people in power have their perspectives, informed by their own biases and agendas. We can let them establish whether or not these practices are legal or illegal, ethical or unethical, healthy and cathartic, or emotionally unstable and dangerous—or we can establish our own. Operating only from a position of defense and reaction to what they do is inefficient and garners as many defeats as victories. It’s exhausting and we’re always fighting these battles on their terms and their turfs. Like it or not, much of this comes down to good old fashion PR. How we talk about our practices and how we portray and organize ourselves in person, in the media, and on the internet does matter in shaping the minds of policymakers and the greater public opinion.


I talked to Allen about the group’s progress. His words sum this article up best: The future is really up to the suspension community.  The work group’s only function is to set up and establish the organization.  Once we have membership, the real work begins.  At this point I cannot speak for the organization. I am simply one person, but it is my hope that we will soon have one unified voice that will work to help those within our community.


1  There is at least one other documented custody battle in which suspension participation was used as evidence that a parent was unfit for custody. In the second case this tactic was applied towards the father. In both of these instances, the individuals requested to remain publicly anonymous.

2 Steve Joyner, Allen Falkner, and www.suspension.org are credible resources.

3 http://www.floridahealth.gov/Environment/community/body-piercing/newinfo.htm

4 minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@council/documents/webcontent/convert_260915.pdf

5 http://www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1044




											
																					

									

																	

										

											

												Point #65: APHA Conference 2013 – Boston, Massachusetts
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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Jef Saunder headshotBy Jef Saunders

Rockstar Body Piercing


The 141st American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting was held in Boston, running November 2-6, 2013. More than 12,000 people attended the meeting, and once again the Association of Professional Piercers was among those present (this year represented by Nicholas Adams, Brian Moeller, Laura Jane Leonard, and myself—Jef Saunders).


This meeting is a decidedly different form of outreach than many of us are used to.  Instead of working with clients or piercers, we deal directly with public health workers. From doctors, regulators, and students we were blown away by our reception. So many people stopped and said, “Thank you for being here.  This is definitely a great public health topic!”


One of the questions we got again and again was “Do you have information on the dangers of APHA 2013piercing and tattoo parties?”  And after fielding the question several times I got to thinking that an informational pamphlet (written by our members) would be an excellent addition to our existing literature.  (In it we can outline everything from the dangers of piercing outside a well-equipped facility to what one should look for in a piercing studio.)


One of the joys of this expo was meeting with folks from state and local health departments and discussing things that they hadn’t considered health and safety issues.  Many of these health department officials were completely in the dark about things like jewelry standards, and it turns out  these were things that the officials were very interested in!


The difference between APHA and other types of outreach, like the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention, was tremendous. A tattoo convention is similar to the same type of “outreach” that we do in our own shops every day.  Educating the public one at a time is important, but is it a good investment of our resources? (I’m not saying it is or isn’t, just posing an important question.) What I can say is that the APHA meeting convinced me that efforts can, and should, be spent working with public health officials.


Think about it: Consider how influential our organization might be on public policy!  Getting jewelry standards, health and safety standards, and even our procedure manual directly into the hands of policy makers and legislators has been of tremendous value to our members and to the public at large.  It is for that reason I would strongly encourage the APP to continue attending APHA meetings;  I can’t imagine a better investment of our time and resources to reach more influential public health leaders.

											
																					

									

																	

										

											

												Safe Piercing guest post by APP member Miro Hernandez of Dandyland Piercing in San Antonio, TX
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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Why choose to get pierced by an APP member?


Because you and your body deserve so! When you choose to get pierced by an APP member you are making a statement that you and your body value your health and safety more than anything else. Many professionals in various industries are members of professional organizations, why shouldn’t your piercer be in one as well? Granted, there are great piercers out there that are not members, those that choose to do so are showing you their dedication to their occupation, and more importantly, you as a piercee. Though the organization has no say in the matter of a piercer’s skill or merit, members are required to meet a minimal set of standards that cover jewelry and environmental criteria, often times, standards that far exceed the minimal standards that many states have set forth. These standards and requirements set forth by the APP, have your health and safety in mind.


One bad piece of jewelry can lead to a bad experience, easily turning people away from an art form that they could have easily embraced. When you get pierced by an APP member, you are getting pierced by a moral, ethical piercer who refuses to put anything less than the highest quality jewelry in your body. With the amount of jewelry that has flooded the market, not all of it being good for you, you can rest assured that member piercers have made a conscience, knowledgeable decision with proven, factual, scientific evidence that the initial jewelry you are being pierced with is in fact, made specifically to implantation standards and is safe and suitable for your body.


Member piercers often are more than just piercers, but educators as well. They work hard with the general public on educating them as to what they should be looking for when getting pierced, which in turn means that they are seeking out means of furthering and continuing their education. Members will often attend the annual APP conference or travel to work alongside other piercers to seek and gain more knowledge, whether it be technique, safety and cleanliness, jewelry trends, bedside manner, etc., so that you, the piercee, can rest assured that you are in the safest, most knowledgeable of hands.


Piercers tend to be a very passionate bunch and love their professions and the experiences they are able to give their customers. Make your experience a statement that you value your health safety over all else, get pierced by an APP member!


Miro Hernandez

Dandyland

San Antonio, TX

piercermiro@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/piercermiro

IG @piercermiro


 





											
																					

									

																	

										

											

												Point #64: From the Editor
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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IMG_3716Kim Zapata headshotBy Kimberly Zapata


This is a strange issue for me as it is the first post-Conference recap I am covering as Editor, and I’m doing it from the confines of my fourth-floor walkup in Brooklyn, New York. You see this event, the 18th Annual Conference of the Association of Professional Piercers, is the first Conference I have missed in years. My reasons were good—I was nine months pregnant with my first child (who I am happy to say was born on July 14, 2013)—but that did not make the week any easier, especially when I logged onto Facebook and saw my feed full of posts by colleagues and friends about their APP adventures. I lived vicariously through check-ins, status updates, and photos, and while I am certain I did not miss the temperatures this year (dry heat or not, it seems as though it was just damn hot), I did miss the camaraderie, the classes, and the parties, handshakes and hugs. So as you can imagine when the content for this issue came tumbling in—an issue dedicated to post-Conference coverage—I was both excited and at a loss.


I worked through the week backwards. I began with the events of the banquet dinner: the President’s Award, the Josh A. Prentice Award, the Innovator’s Award for Creativity, and the Award for Technical Innovation. As the pictures poured in, I saw the fashion show everyone was talking about (seriously, all of my social media pages were abuzz about it) and the opening party. I also saw pictures of piercers and other industry professionals learning and conversing. Some were taken in the classrooms but others captured the moments that took place in hallways, restaurants, and at the Bally’s main casino bar (an unofficial meeting ground for many). Even though I will never know what was said as these shots were taken, I know—from my prior experiences—the dialogue exchanged was unlike any other. (Sure there were jokes and the annual idle chatter, but there was also advice—given and received—stories shared, and memories made.) It is a conversation neither you nor I can replicate, one that articles fail to fully capture, and one that is exclusive to the Conference experience.


In addition to the thank-yous and award announcements, we are fortunate enough to have two “full-Conference” coverage articles this year: one from Courtney Jane Maxwell and the other, “Confessions from a Conference First-Timer,” by Amanda Badger. While Amanda’s article reminded me of my own first Conference experience—so much so I could feel the nervous, anxious excitement well in my chest (even amidst the breastmilk!)—Courtney’s article pointed out just how far we have come. We also have recaps from Dianna Brown, Parker Webb and Jacob Spjut, a few of our ever-amazing Al D. scholars


So as I sit here, typing with one hand while my newborn babe—propped in the other—pulls and sucks on my breast, I hope you find this issue as nostalgic as I did. Relive your annual pilgrimage in these posts, photos, and pages, and let them serve as a reminder as to why you do what you do (and keep doing it with pride). And if you weren’t at Conference this year, like me, read on to see what you missed, and what you have to look forward to next year!


Welcome to issue #64 of The Point: The Journal of the Association of Professional Piercers.

											
																					

									

																	
																	

										

											

												Point #64: Maya Coe’s Conference Experience
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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Point64-Maya Coe headshotBy Maya Coe


The whirlwind of adjectives that appear in my mind when I go to describe my experience at my first APP Conference is blindingly overwhelming. Ever since my return from Vegas, every time I’ve been asked to talk about my trip I am at a loss of words. So now I’m going to take the time to finally sit down and spill the details of my wonderful experience at Conference.


Let’s back up to how I was even able to attend. I became aware of a scholarship being offered by a group of piercers generous enough to help send those in need to Conference, and so I applied. Soon after, I was accepted as a recipient and my Conference experience began. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I was in a state of constant motion, both physically and mentally. At first it was a bit nerve wracking to be amongst so many people I had only read about (and even written reports on), but as I began to meet others the feelings of uneasiness quickly dissolved. Everyone was friendly, relaxed, and accepting. If you at all ever found yourself wanting company it was not a problem, and if you found yourself just needing a bit of solitude, again, not a problem. This being the valuable outcome of being surrounded by people that are just as socially sensitive as you.


Being an apprentice, I opted to take full advantage of my trip and attended 13 classes and two meetings. 2013 APP Classroom Exposition (3)These classes included information on jewelry, aftercare, anatomy, Statim usage, medical risk assessment, how to prevent cross-contamination, and ways to use tools. I also renewed my bloodborne pathogens. The amount of information I was being taught was stunning. The anatomy classes I attended were instructed by Elayne Angel, and it felt totally exhilarating to be taught by one of the original piercers that helped shape our industry. I also felt privileged to receive instruction from David Vidra being that this was his last year teaching courses at Conference. (He is particularly inviting to learn from due to his ability to mix humor with otherwise dry and heavy subject matter.) Aside from the more technical classes, I also treated myself to Fakir’s class on making effective piercing rituals. This class touched on a spiritual level, and is part of what makes piercing so appealing to me. And again, being instructed by such a legend of the industry was very inspiring. I left every class I attended with something new, which has impacted my career much more than if I had only studied the subjects via books and the internet.


When I was not in class you could usually find me relaxing at the little bar in the casino of Bally’s with my beer and cigar, soaking in my surroundings or leisurely chatting with whoever was sitting next to me. If not there, I was getting as much rest as I could! I only explored outside of the hotel a few times during my stay, just to get fresh air and a change of scenery or bite to eat. (One of these nights included the scholarship dinner, in which all of the recipients got to meet the people who helped us get to Conference, and when all 25 of us piled in a van and went off to eat delicious Ethiopian food.)


2013 APP Event (11)I often reiterated the following statement when asked how I was doing while at Conference: I’ve never felt so exhausted yet awesome in my life. Not only was I learning and networking, but I was also making new friends and experiencing Vegas for the first time—and the ability to network with piercers from around the world was something I felt extremely appreciative of. It’s safe to say that I feel I have benefited in a HUGE way from attendance. I wouldn’t trade my time at Conference for anything, and I look forward to attending many more.

											
																					

									

																	

										

											

												Point #64: Innovator’s Award Winner for Technical Innovation: Jimmy Buddha – Diablo Organics
											

											

												
													
												
												
												
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SONY DSCInterview by Shanna Dickey


Shanna Dickey: Congratulations on winning the Technical Innovator Award this year.

Jimmy Buddha: I appreciate it, and a big “thank you” to the APP community and everyone who was a part of this year’s Conference. We couldn’t be happier to bring home the Technical Innovator Award. In a craft that has been around for thousands of years, it is difficult to come up with new, innovative concepts, and to be recognized among a community of trail blazers is a great honor.


SD: How do you come up with your ideas?

JB: As a piercer for more than 15 years, I have insight into body jewelry function and design. When I work with people who have specific body modification needs, I love the challenge; that’s what gets me going in the morning.


SD: What is your design process?Point64-Buddha Award Winning Jewelry 2

JB: It’s really organic and depends upon the materials around me. I just start playing with a design and incorporate function for that specific material. If I like something, I run with it.


SD: Who inspires you?

JB: I get inspiration from our industry’s wide array of individuals. That’s what keeps me here: the independence and originality.


SD: What was your new technical innovation?

JB: I designed spreader hooks for JP. They were created from 28-million-year-old megalodon teeth unearthed in the deltas of the southeastern US. They took about eight months to complete, from sourcing the material to designing the piece.


SD: How are spreader hooks innovative?

JB: People with large stretched lobes want to wear heavy weight without permanently damaging their ears. Heavy weights can leave sore spots and even cause thinning of the lobe itself. The spreader hooks help to distribute the weight over a larger surface area than traditional hooks. It also turned out to be a pretty sexy design element for the piece overall.


SD: Do you create custom orders for a lot of people?

JB: I put a lot of time and energy into custom orders and try not to overextend myself. Sometimes they can take a year to complete. A lot of the designs we create have limited availability, so we have to reshape and transform to stay current. That way even our “classic” products are limited and have a custom feel.


SD: How is working with an individual different than designing for your new lines?

JB: Everybody’s needs are different. With regular catalog designs, I have to compromise. With custom orders, I have the opportunity to really focus on their specific modification needs.


Point64-Buddha Award Winning JewelrySD: What did you think of this year’s fashion show?

JB: I was really excited to be a part of the fashion show. I think it was a great success and an important direction to move in for body modification, fashion, and jewelry. Everyone really stepped up to the plate, and we made each other look good.


SD: What was most memorable at this year’s APP Conference?

JB: The APP Conference is a family reunion of sorts. I have built some really strong relationships over the years, and APP gives me the opportunity to visit with friends I don’t otherwise get to see. It’s also my chance to make connections with our new clients and continue to build those relationships.


SD: What are you currently working on?

JB: I want to make sure our designs stay fresh and relevant. We are a wholesale company and customers have a lot of different shopping options today. We want to keep our clients in the loop and remain competitive. I have assembled a great team to help with every step of the way.


SD: Tell me a little bit about your team?

JB: Jenny and Shanna are holding down the fort in Austin five days a week, always willing to answer any questions. Lauren is traveling around the States in “La Diablita”—our little red Diablo Organics’ car—and heading to a shop near you. We are really focusing on customer service and providing a good product to our clients. Our designs have been really well received, and we continue to evolve as a company and team.


SD: What do you have in store for the next year?

JB: I’ve been focused on creating a strong infrastructure in Austin. I feel like now I can really begin to search for different raw materials, and continue to look for new methods, techniques, designs for that next big thing. I’ll let you know when I find it…