Point Journal issue #56 - Association of Professional Piercers
Point Journal issue #56 - Association of Professional Piercers
Point Journal issue #56 - Association of Professional Piercers
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Al D. Scholar<br />
Kendra<br />
Berndt<br />
Eye <strong>of</strong> the Lotus<br />
Edmunton, Canada<br />
A wise woman once told me,<br />
“Conference will change your life. When<br />
it is done you will either know this is<br />
what you will do forever, or you will know<br />
this is not for you.”<br />
The past year—basically, my<br />
entire apprenticeship—caused me<br />
to question my abilities, knowledge,<br />
skills—everything. But getting the Al D.<br />
Scholarship and going to my first APP<br />
Conference gave me a sense <strong>of</strong> validation,<br />
justifying all <strong>of</strong> my hard work, sweat, and<br />
tears. I tried to embrace this opportunity—<br />
even though I was frightened like a<br />
schoolkid—and took it as a challenge to<br />
educate myself, build great friendships,<br />
and present myself as pr<strong>of</strong>essionally as I<br />
could in my future career.<br />
Conference week I had little sleep<br />
and even less food, but I can proudly<br />
say I faced its challenges and embraced<br />
all its opportunities. I shook hands with<br />
people I have watched on television and<br />
became friends with people I have read<br />
about. I found a great sense <strong>of</strong> family and<br />
a few very special friends. I questioned<br />
my existing knowledge and gained a<br />
priceless education, making me a more<br />
open-minded piercer with an unbounded<br />
passion for what I do. Most importantly,<br />
Conference taught me that I will be able to<br />
handle whatever my career or my life may<br />
throw at me with grace and confidence.<br />
I look forward to next year’s<br />
Conference, from the new friendships<br />
to the education. Thank you to everyone<br />
who made this a pivotal experience in my<br />
life. I hope to one day give back to this<br />
community a fraction <strong>of</strong> what was given<br />
to me.<br />
I now know this is what I will do forever.<br />
Topping <strong>of</strong>f a thorough revamping <strong>of</strong> the<br />
APP’s graphic identity over the last five<br />
years, Jon Loudon—the APP’s graphic<br />
designer—redesigned and re-imagined<br />
the APP’s booths at Conference this<br />
year. Jon has been instrumental in not<br />
only creating and solidifying the APP’s<br />
graphic identity—designing everything<br />
from brochures to business cards—but<br />
has also been responsible for the design<br />
and layout <strong>of</strong> The <strong>Point</strong> since <strong>issue</strong><br />
#35. The organization owes him our<br />
continuing thanks.<br />
Sure, you can learn<br />
a ton from the classes<br />
and buy a lot <strong>of</strong> cool<br />
jewelry, but the real<br />
knowledge you learn is<br />
that you are not alone.<br />
Al D. Scholar: Aaron Foster<br />
Pino Brothers Tattoo, Cambridge, Massachusetts<br />
38 THE POINT ISSUE 56