Well, here we go. After 17 years of tattooing, and 11 years of living here in beautiful Minnesota, it is time for a change once more.
Recently, when Amy & I were in Honolulu for Mike's memorial, my father and I had a long talk about the current situation with him, Tattoo City, and all the crazy business around the Ed Hardy brand and the time and effort that goes into keeping it up and running. What was finally revealed to me is that because of all these tasks, my father has had NO time to actually do the things he enjoys, such as create art for art's sake. This, coupled with the elephant in the room of all of us not getting any younger, has necessitated the fact that it is time for me to move back to my hometown of San Francisco and help in the family business.
So as of September of this year, Amy & I will be moving to San Francisco and starting over. This is a huge task, as living away from California for 17 years has allowed me, the ultimate pack rat, to accumulate a lifetime's worth of books, art, memorabilia, and assorted crap, as well as all of Amy's and our furniture, a car, and two annoying cats. Add to the fact that Amy has barely ever seen San Francisco let alone spent any time there makes this a stressful but at the same time we look forward to the challenges this will bring.
I want to say that leaving is bittersweet. Working at the Aloha Monkey in Burnsville has been a great experience and has really recharged my batteries. Josh Arment, Marx Barry, Josh Edwards, Kyle Franklin, Ryan Malone, Tara Boyd, Will Vinge, and all the rest of the regulars and extended family have made me love tattooing again, giving me a new lease on life. I cannot stress enough how much I owe this crew.
I cannot forget the crews of Uptown Tattoo as well, who took me in when I was at a real low point due to personal problems. Nic, Jon, Tom, and Brandon were essential to putting a lot of my life into perspective and made me realize what I was and what I wasn't; and to make sure I knew that what I put into this craft is what I can get from it as well. I thank them all!
And of course, I have to thank David Dettloff and the crew of the Ink Lab, who took me into the Minnesota Fold back in 1998. When I moved here from Hawaii, David helped me to realize that this state is fantastic, and that there is a lot of greatness where I expected nothing more than "you betcha" and hot dish. The crew of the Ink Lab are still friends, and I have to say thanks to Charlie, Kryss, Daniel, and all the help over the years for putting up with my crap.
So it will be a busy and hectic summer for Amy & I, and hopefully we'll see everyone as much as we can before our big move. I'll keep further news coming.
ADVENTURE HO!
- Doug Hardy
