Maverick ZINE — Tattoo Culture, Art & Artist Stories

00:00:00:01 - 00:00:03:09 Austin Spencer And that's where you run your design studio. Great sex.

00:00:03:09 - 00:00:04:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Great sex studios.

00:00:04:13 - 00:00:07:00 Austin Spencer I love that name because that's like the best fucking name.

00:00:07:02 - 00:00:24:19 Blaze Ben Brooks I did a really big job and coming right, right out of Covid, I guess, the advertisement guru in my head said, like what sells? Yeah, great. Who doesn't like it? And when I do a year like a bank account like that was like, really crazy. Like Bank of America was like, we can't give you a bank account with that name.

00:00:24:21 - 00:00:28:23 Blaze Ben Brooks That's really. That's crazy.

00:00:29:00 - 00:00:49:20 Austin Spencer What's happening is Austin from supporting local tattooer. I'm super, super fucking pumped to sit down today with with somebody that I'm truly a big fan of. Mr. Blaze, Ben Brooks. He's a fantastic illustrator, graphic designer, painter all around good dude, creative monster. I'm I think, Well, thanks for coming down.

00:00:49:21 - 00:00:51:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Thank you. That was really kind.

00:00:51:18 - 00:01:10:09 Austin Spencer I appreciate that, man. I was telling you yesterday on words. I'm trying to like, really just be more picky about who we work with and who I get to, like, sit down with and make sure that I'm just genuinely fucking fans and I really am. Do like. It's fun to like, see, I look at your artwork all day, every day.

00:01:10:11 - 00:01:14:18 Austin Spencer Hey, that work you did all the branding for Maverick, so thank you for that.

00:01:14:20 - 00:01:36:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Of course. No, do thank you for supporting me and letting me, be a part of the ride. I feel like it's, pretty rare to, like, have the trust of someone to, like, kind of give them their whole maybe identity for whether it's their business or their, their baby that they've saved up their whole lifetime to, like, finally have a business.

00:01:36:06 - 00:01:39:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So it, means a lot. Thank you.

00:01:39:11 - 00:01:55:13 Austin Spencer It's. Dude, it's wild because, like, I don't, I don't like I. We started studio 21, like, in 2003 or whatever. My mom is a graphic designer, so I grew up around it. Like, I, I feel like I have a real good eye for design and like, what's just works are clicks. You know, I don't know what to call that.

00:01:55:14 - 00:02:10:12 Austin Spencer You know, it just or just feels right for me. And, so my mom did everything, for the shop the whole since the very beginning. So this is the first time I stepped away and, like, let somebody else do it. And it was, it was it was cool. Is exciting. And, like.

00:02:10:17 - 00:02:14:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Was that scary? Or had you only use your mom or any, like, branding.

00:02:14:14 - 00:02:28:16 Austin Spencer Wherever it's ever. Yeah. We kind of talked about this yesterday too, is like as a tattooer. Like I felt like since we were artists, we had to do everything, but luckily my mom had the graphic side of things, you know? So we also talked about that, how it's like a there's a balance of that and like.

00:02:28:16 - 00:02:46:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Kind of had the guidance, I think, to come from a parent. Yeah, my parents were not and they were redrawing. But like it was never like, I could go and ask them like, hey, does this look like how yeah, it should look. And I think to them it was always like, oh, the fact that you made that was it was great.

00:02:46:07 - 00:02:51:09 Blaze Ben Brooks But like, almost wasn't enough, clarity for me. I needed someone else to.

00:02:51:11 - 00:02:57:18 Austin Spencer Yeah. Kind of give me a little dude. She would just be like, that's that's not, that's not good. Like. And. Yeah. And we just. Yeah. Which is great.

00:02:57:20 - 00:03:00:11 Blaze Ben Brooks But what I was looking for,

00:03:00:13 - 00:03:07:10 Austin Spencer But. Yeah. So you, like, I kind of caught you. I feel like, at, like a younger time almost, you know, like, I was wondering.

00:03:07:11 - 00:03:13:15 Blaze Ben Brooks That was like, where where where did where did you first ever, like, maybe share of me or see my name, like, took it to where? Like you reached out.

00:03:13:15 - 00:03:31:21 Austin Spencer Yeah. I'm trying to remember because it was like, first of all, I didn't know you. And you were from Vegas. You were. You were in Brooklyn at the time, and I think just threw I got maybe it had to be in like the, the business card project. You did. So like, I feel like you probably did something and it clicked and I was like, oh shit.

00:03:31:21 - 00:03:48:09 Austin Spencer Like that's I want to I want to see this person and like, follow them and, and start getting into that. And then years later, realizing maybe like a couple years or a year, I don't know, but, we started the work on the Maverick Project and I was like, dang, who? I don't even know who I should do.

00:03:48:09 - 00:03:56:04 Austin Spencer And then I was like, fucking yeah, you. So it was it was cool. Then. I don't I don't really fully remember, honestly.

00:03:56:04 - 00:04:13:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, I know I feel like that whole town was kind of a blur. I remember just, like, take it. I was taking on projects like Hannah. So it was just kind of like, auto mode is like, as long as I can, like, knock out two business cards or like one and a half in a day, I was like, on track and just like, okay, yep.

00:04:13:09 - 00:04:42:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Next, let's go next. And then. Yeah. And then randomly, I'd probably throw in like a bigger project for the month to like, fill in the extra time. Because if I, if I was knocking out the cards that quickly, usually I'd probably have a couple days off in between. Yeah. And that's where I'd fill it with something like a brand new project or like, yeah, I'm working on like a logo and maybe like a full, like, brand guide for something like Maverick or, a T-shirt design for a shop.

00:04:42:13 - 00:04:59:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Because those end up taking a little bit longer because there's a whole like layout process and there's there's so much more to it than just, you know, hey, I want, a clown riding a train car on my business card, and here's all my info on the back with that stuff. It's for me. I can kind of.

00:04:59:22 - 00:05:02:21 Blaze Ben Brooks I turned it into a really quick process.

00:05:02:21 - 00:05:21:05 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. So, okay, we'll just jump into the tattoo card project, which I love for everybody who's listening, who doesn't have or any idea what we're even fucking talking about. You started doing, you were asked to do like, two. You were a graphic designer, obviously an illustrator. If you were asked to do, like a business card for a tattoo or one time, right.

00:05:21:05 - 00:05:24:06 Austin Spencer And then it just started to literally.

00:05:24:08 - 00:05:31:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Like I think like one of the first ones, I'm really like, I'm kind of forgetting the name and I'm sorry, but we did.

00:05:31:04 - 00:05:34:16 Austin Spencer Over 150 business cards for tattooing specific just like.

00:05:34:16 - 00:05:58:11 Blaze Ben Brooks But the the other, the first one was kind of like the super simple like like it was like a wizard or like a witch, like with some, like, dark background. And it was a he wanted something very simple. But it was like out of the scope of, like, what? Like a tattoo artist would maybe have like. Yeah, it was a bit more like graphic centric instead of, like tattoo centric.

00:05:58:13 - 00:06:09:15 Blaze Ben Brooks I remember doing it and was just kind of like, okay, like that was just a quick little thing, I'm sure. Here you go. And then I think I remember, like, posting it. I was showing a friend, Claudia Cutter. We both know.

00:06:09:15 - 00:06:10:09 Austin Spencer The odd client.

00:06:10:11 - 00:06:31:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Odd Club. Yeah. She asks for a card, and that I was like, oh, yeah. Like, let's. Then I that one felt a little bit more collaborative because it was a friend and I really wanted to, like, nail it, that I didn't want to nail the first. Like, yeah, yeah, I think this one was more like, oh, like, I know knowing this person going to see them, I want to make sure that they're like always happy with the work I've done.

00:06:31:06 - 00:06:56:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Not that one out. And then I think I had posted again, I think from there it was like I was saying earlier, the tattoo world is so interconnected. I think everyone kind of has eyes on what everyone else is doing. Yeah, yeah. I think that's what, like, pushes it to like, it's, it's depth and like also like it's peaks.

00:06:56:09 - 00:07:23:15 Blaze Ben Brooks I think everyone's kind of sharpening each other in a way, whether it's like people hating on each other or people, you know, loving each other. Like, I think that culture really, inspires me. I think that's why I try so drawn to it, like from the get go. But once I started posting about the cards, and then had the artists who I was designing for posting them, it kind of like, spread like wildfire.

00:07:23:15 - 00:07:41:01 Blaze Ben Brooks And I was just like, yeah, one after the other. The I like the names of the Tattooers are getting bigger. But the pricing never change. It was also just like I was excited to, like, actually get to talk to these people that I've always really admired, but I always thought like, oh, I'm never going to get to.

00:07:41:03 - 00:08:02:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. You know, that that random city or, I'm not going to have a chance to travel to wherever they're, to get tattoo or, instead I was able to maybe even do a trade where, like, if they're going to visit New York. I was in it being in Brooklyn at the time, it was really cool to like, have them come through and redesign their business card.

00:08:02:07 - 00:08:10:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, it was already on the books for when they came into town. And, that's kind of how I like, got most of my collection of tattoos.

00:08:10:05 - 00:08:26:01 Austin Spencer I know, I love it. You were you were kind of saying yesterday and felt like, you had this, like a key to the city, almost as, like this past, like, every time you do a card, it was like, okay, cool. Like, I feel a lot more comfortable reaching out to them or just dropping in to say hi and checking them out and like, just like that was fun.

00:08:26:01 - 00:08:49:09 Blaze Ben Brooks It was like it felt it was nice. I think one thing I noticed when I first started getting tattooed or like being in tattoo shops, was there was this like notion of if I had just been there, if not me. But, when I talk to other tattoo artists, like they felt, inadequate to like, be in the same room or presence of other tattoo artists who had been doing it for ten plus years or.

00:08:49:09 - 00:09:13:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, there's this like, I don't know, just intimidating. Like, I like, like a social class system, right? Where it's like, oh, that guy's a legend. Like, I like, I don't even know if I can get tattooed by him. Like, I think I think being, like, humbled and honored to be in someone's presence is great. But, like, I also saw a lot of, people being almost, like, afraid to, like, have those conversations or talk.

00:09:13:12 - 00:09:40:02 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah. Or even almost too much humility. Right? It was like it would keep people from, reaching out or talking to, you know, some artists, right? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I felt like, because I wasn't, like, I guess a direct competitor and, like, being a tattoo artist, it was, it was it felt so normal to, like, just, like, talk to whoever who was in the industry, whether I knew who they were or not.

00:09:40:04 - 00:10:05:02 Blaze Ben Brooks But especially the ones that, like, I looked up to for a long time. It felt like there, there wasn't that weird it stigma or vibe. It was just kind of like, oh, hey, I can make you something because I'd love something for me as well. Yeah. It was like a just a simple trade. That didn't really have all this, tattoo shop etiquette.

00:10:05:05 - 00:10:30:00 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Yeah. I really appreciated that because I think, I had seen a lot of that being someone who, like, was interested in tattooing and, had worked in a shop and, done the whole kind of like research of being tattooed and seeing how others, I guess, being an observer in the space and the industry of tattooing.

00:10:30:02 - 00:10:39:10 Blaze Ben Brooks I'm glad a lot of that stigma and, I don't know, weird vibes of it didn't cross over into you doing work for other tattooing.

00:10:39:12 - 00:10:44:22 Austin Spencer And you weren't pursuing tattooing? Well, at the time where, like, when you first started doing, I.

00:10:44:22 - 00:11:05:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Think I was always, like, serious about it. I think being curious about tattooing and also being, very interested in, all the history in the lore, behind certain trials, behind certain artists. I didn't write out in my head that, like, I couldn't or wouldn't want to tattoo. So I always kind of kept that open and was like, oh, you know what?

00:11:05:08 - 00:11:25:01 Blaze Ben Brooks I think the reason I like, worked at a shop in Brooklyn for a little bit was because I was like, still open to. Yeah, like apprenticing. I was like in line for the next apprenticeship. Like that was never it wasn't until I actually had a machine in my hand and like, played around with it, even just on myself.

00:11:25:03 - 00:11:36:08 Blaze Ben Brooks I was like, oh, you know, I don't know if this is like clicking as much as my work as, like an illustrator or a graphic designer or, you know, just, an artist on paper.

00:11:36:09 - 00:11:39:04 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, you've been doodle and ever since you're a little kid.

00:11:39:06 - 00:12:05:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I probably started drawing when I was like 4 or 5 paper early, you know, getting the crayons on the paper. But, I remember just having a lot of, like, time, like, see, my, my parents owned, a hair salon. Yeah. Growing up. And we, we were kind of like the, the kids who had had to, like, come along with dad, like, all the meetings and, like.

00:12:05:08 - 00:12:29:01 Blaze Ben Brooks And then they were a full time salon all the like every day, seven days a week. And so there's a lot of, like, downtime where, like, we were just kind of I had to sit there and not do anything, or just be along for the ride. And I feel like having a notepad and paper, or notepad and pen or, you know, having some art supplies with me was always like a great way to, like, fend off the boredom.

00:12:29:06 - 00:12:29:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah.

00:12:29:18 - 00:12:33:16 Austin Spencer And and escape and just. Yeah, like your own worlds and I.

00:12:33:18 - 00:12:57:16 Blaze Ben Brooks I feel like it it clicked for me really early that I was like, oh, this is a way to not be bored. Yeah, yeah. And I and and learn like how to draw, anything was like almost like, I really like the idea of design being, problem solving activity, like a puzzle. Yeah. I think I, I look at Mozart as, like, this puzzle that needs to be solved.

00:12:57:18 - 00:13:22:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Or like, hey, here's a problem or here's a space that if you if you move these shapes around in the right order, it's going to it's going to make the space feel better. Like a white piece of paper. You know, he had this all white rectangle. What do I put and, you know, in the right order to maximize the I know or have an effective like a.

00:13:22:07 - 00:13:25:17 Austin Spencer Like a finished product. Yeah. Yeah, it sounds very graphic designer.

00:13:25:18 - 00:13:32:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. You know, I know I would I probably go I go too crazy. Well I just short circuit and just out. What words come out of that. But no that's.

00:13:32:21 - 00:13:48:04 Austin Spencer Funny. That's like you were the way you were thinking about it. Even then, that is 100% graphic design. You know, you have these parameters and then you've got to come up with some. You have to, like you said, solve the problem. You have a certain type of information you need to get in there, and then you need to make it attractive.

00:13:48:04 - 00:13:54:23 Austin Spencer And you know, like, appeasing to people's eye or. Yeah, yeah, please people. That's. Yeah, that's pretty interesting.

00:13:54:23 - 00:14:16:16 Blaze Ben Brooks I think I always work well with like, limitations and I think like that's another reason why, like traditional tattooing, at least the style in general was, very appealing to me, I think, like only getting to use 4 or 5 colors. And also in a way, for me, like if you had to put this on skin, like, what can't you do?

00:14:16:18 - 00:14:42:12 Blaze Ben Brooks And using those rules as I draw was, was really nice to keep things in line or. Yeah. And it was such a great guide for, you know, balancing strokes or like keeping a balanced tattoo, I think like that was or at least just a design in general, like you're not losing certain details or it's not too clogging in certain areas.

00:14:42:15 - 00:14:55:16 Blaze Ben Brooks I mean, yeah, yeah, I think studying it for so long, you really start to find what is right and what is wrong. Just when it comes to the principles of a balanced tattoo design.

00:14:55:19 - 00:15:06:17 Austin Spencer When you were, like, started working with so many tattooers that did tattooing kind of like in the community, help kind of boost your career and give you like a good direction to go in for a little bit. You know, when you were.

00:15:06:17 - 00:15:38:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Absolutely. Yeah. Like, I feel like I, I've met so many incredible entrepreneurs and I mean, each tattoo artist I've met is like their own business owner itself, right? Absolutely. I think being a freelance artist is so, what I mean, maybe one of the same, but also so different. And getting to, have a lot of tattooers a tattoo artists as mentors, but also as peers and also as something completely opposite of what I do sometimes.

00:15:38:18 - 00:16:14:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. There's there's so many similarities, but then there's also some spots that I like I can't even relate to. Yeah. But I think getting to connect with both sides of that spectrum, has helped me grow as a businessman and artist. And I'm probably just like an overall, like, well-rounded human being at that. I. Yeah, I've, I've met some people who were super aggro in the tattoo community and like, I've also met those people not in tattooing.

00:16:14:22 - 00:16:31:00 Blaze Ben Brooks And I also met the sweetest, kindest people who are willing to give anything and everything. And those people have shown me life. I think seeing both sides of that spectrum is like, let me decide where I want to land. That's cool.

00:16:31:02 - 00:16:39:20 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. And I just like how it just seemed like I maybe it's just when I kind of caught on to you guys, like you were like in your early 20s then, like when you.

00:16:39:20 - 00:16:44:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I just turned 30 this year. Oh, okay. Cool. Or last year in November. Yeah.

00:16:44:03 - 00:17:04:13 Austin Spencer And then I just watched you go from this is one interesting thing I think we that I really like to like about what you do is you get really into something, you go super hard, it seems like you fine tune it and then you have the like, self-awareness to be able to say or just self control to just stop that project, like, and then like, how does that work?

00:17:04:14 - 00:17:04:19 Austin Spencer You know.

00:17:04:19 - 00:17:24:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Like I feel like it's also, in a weird way, a flaw because I get once I feel like I've figured something out, I get bored of it. Yeah. Not to once I like once. It feels like I've I've done it. I don't feel like I'm pushing myself any further. I feel like, that was one thing with the cards I once I did like overly 100, 150.

00:17:24:18 - 00:17:47:02 Blaze Ben Brooks I like at this point where I was like, I have this. So down the it unless something and, you know, really crazy came through in an email or like someone wanted to do, hey, I want to do like a, I want to do a 100 card project, and I want you to do all 100 or whatever. Yeah, like but just doing another card, one after the other.

00:17:47:02 - 00:18:06:15 Blaze Ben Brooks I felt like I had, I had done it enough to the point where I wasn't, I wasn't learning anymore. I wasn't learning much more from myself. I wasn't learning much more from, the projects. And, it didn't feel like I was pushing myself. I think when I, when I sort of feel that, that stagnant feeling.

00:18:06:15 - 00:18:25:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, it's that's my sign to, like, turn it off and. Yeah, not not it's not I think it might be a little extreme of me to like, fully cut it, but it also gives me, I think, fully cutting it allows me time to find out what it is, is going to push me to the next thing or what?

00:18:25:13 - 00:18:32:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Just find the next thing. Yeah. I want to tackle and conquer was the little bit of time that we have here. Yeah.

00:18:32:08 - 00:18:39:06 Austin Spencer I just like how you also didn't see, like, kind of, maybe become dependent on the income of those specific tasks.

00:18:39:06 - 00:18:43:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Well, I guess that's, that's kind of the scary part of, like, stopping it, too. Yeah.

00:18:43:11 - 00:18:52:03 Austin Spencer That's kind of more where I was getting at is like, dang, dude. I mean, I get it as an artist, but it's pretty cool to just see you follow through with like, no, I'm going to start working on this now.

00:18:52:04 - 00:19:16:02 Blaze Ben Brooks It's scary doing it. But I think, because even before I did that project, like even just, being a illustrator, or someone or being a graphic designer for a company and, and then taking the leap into freelance. Yeah, that was probably like, the scariest moment I've ever had in my career, where it's like, you have to now do it on your own.

00:19:16:04 - 00:19:51:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And not having, someone to, you know, give you a project list every day and almost kind of cutting all your resources and having to gain the confidence that, like, every day you're waking up and you're going to have to, like, fend for yourself after doing like that. That felt like the biggest one. Now when I do it on like a micro scale or like just changing what kind of style art work or what kind of projects I want to take on that feels more micro than yeah, or I maybe because I did the the biggest, jump that all the other ones kind of feel like hops or skips or.

00:19:51:23 - 00:19:55:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Hey, I got the next one. Let's just let's try it out.

00:19:55:22 - 00:20:16:06 Austin Spencer You told me yesterday you were work. It worked full time as a graphic designer for a church. Yeah, yeah. And then you started working remote. So you moved out to Brooklyn, right? And then that's when you really started getting into the tattoo world and stuff. So you were doing like, all all these side projects on top of your, like, how long did you do all your side projects on top of your full time career?

00:20:16:06 - 00:20:43:11 Blaze Ben Brooks I guess the far side in the beginning, I'm like, I went to high school out here for web design, at a magnet school. And so they added like an extra couple classes to teach you, web graphics or web design. Yeah. On top of your regular six classes. And so that was like my intro into graphic design and learning how to, like, code a little bit.

00:20:43:13 - 00:21:20:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Okay. And then and when I was like, I think I was like 16, my mom got me an internship over the summer, this church called Central Christian Church had grown up, in the church, and as I worked in, it kind of like, really just like fell off of the religion thing. And then it was more so like, I was like, I think I just started treating it more as, like a business, like, hey, how do we looking at as more like an industry standard thing, like, how do I grow within this thing and treat it more so like, I want to be on the same level as a lot of

00:21:20:14 - 00:21:42:12 Blaze Ben Brooks these larger scale companies that are at the size of this megachurch that I'm working at. So from high school to about when I was like 20, I worked there. And then when I was 20, I had a friend of mine in New York, we went got coffee when I was visiting there for, like a long weekend.

00:21:42:14 - 00:21:59:20 Blaze Ben Brooks And she asked me if I really loved it out there, like, hey, she hated her roommate. She was like, I can grab two other people from Facebook or something, and we can, like, go get a cool apartment. And if you do, all you have to do is bring your stuff. Yeah. And you rent money out there. All right.

00:21:59:20 - 00:22:17:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Cool. So it was like one of those moments that for me, I was like, it's like too easy to get out there or is, is it. It's it's it's so set up that like, if I say no, I'm probably gonna regret it. Yeah. And so, checked with the church, they're like, yeah, you can, like, work with us for like another year.

00:22:17:11 - 00:22:33:11 Blaze Ben Brooks And as long as you work for another year, you get to keep all your, your laptop or two screens or. That's everything that you're working with, so. Oh, cool. So I get. Yeah, you know, I have my setup. Everything was like the perfect little mix. I get out there, I can move there in, like, the middle of February was.

00:22:33:11 - 00:22:34:01 Austin Spencer Like one friend.

00:22:34:01 - 00:22:46:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Well, yeah, with one friend, I had one. I had one other friend from high school who was also going to college out there. It was really the time where, like, all my friends left for college. And so I was like, this is my leaving for college. Okay, cool.

00:22:46:18 - 00:22:49:09 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. Because you get out of art school and everything like that. Yeah.

00:22:49:11 - 00:22:58:16 Blaze Ben Brooks And then and then most people like, stay on the West Coast. I felt very it felt like, very like against the grain to go all the way across the country for.

00:22:58:16 - 00:23:01:16 Austin Spencer New York to go to New York like a rom com story.

00:23:01:18 - 00:23:27:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. You know what? New York I can do? New York. That's right. I remember getting there in February. I was, like, cold, as cold as shit. And it was like, just having only two friends there, and they're like, full time students. Yeah. It was pretty lonely for like, the first, you know, I'd say six, seven months. Like, it was just really gnarly, I think, especially not having a place to, like, socialize.

00:23:27:20 - 00:23:50:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Like I wasn't going to school to, like, meet new people. Yeah. When I was even when I was like, here in Vegas, like, I would always. And I still do, like just hop into a coffee shop and become a regular there. And that kind of, like, gets me at least enough to where, like, if I bought a cottage from you for like 100 days straight, like, yeah, you we're going to know each other at least a little bit to have some rapport.

00:23:50:17 - 00:23:58:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Or we hate each other. Yeah. Hopefully. Boring. Just like that really annoying weird guy who comes in and works for, like, six hours and then leaves.

00:23:58:07 - 00:24:00:11 Austin Spencer Takes up the fucking table. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:24:00:16 - 00:24:18:20 Blaze Ben Brooks But sometimes it's even, like buying origami shop. But, Yeah, like I remember, like it was coffee shops and then kind of traveling and walking around town looking for the tattoo shop that I wanted to get tattooed, I guess, like, now that I was out of the house, is that I parents are, like, not psyched on me getting tattooed.

00:24:18:22 - 00:24:29:15 Blaze Ben Brooks It's not like now I can, like, go get whatever tattoos I want. I can, like, go to whatever shop I want. Yeah. Finally having my, independence. Yeah, I was an adult, I guess.

00:24:29:15 - 00:24:33:09 Austin Spencer Yeah. First time, like, live moving out of your family's home or zone two? Yeah. Okay.

00:24:33:14 - 00:24:52:00 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah. It's I it was like, first time me out of the house was like, I was 20 years old. That's cool. Yeah. And takes me to Brooklyn. And I think the first shop I like committed to was, Allied Tattoo. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's a guy, Ian Drake out there. He had some really cool flash on the wall.

00:24:52:00 - 00:25:25:03 Blaze Ben Brooks It was just, he did a great job at, like, only using, like, green, yellow, red. And black for, like, these, like, nine sheets in the shop that I was like, oh, dude, this this guy has it all laid out. Yeah, perfectly. It's all it all just super cohesive. Yeah. I think when I see cohesion like that, that gives me a good idea of, like, this person understands what and I static is and what, what they, they see it very clearly.

00:25:25:03 - 00:25:41:05 Blaze Ben Brooks What is and what isn't their style for it. Even if it's just. Yeah. Like, I like, like nine sheets or. Yeah, it's their whole catalog. I like seeing that another artist can understand. Yeah.

00:25:41:07 - 00:25:51:11 Austin Spencer Yeah. There's an art form to that big time, you know. Not beyond just the illustration that just the way, like, like you said, like a seeing it as a finished product, as cool as fucking. It's something I've always struggled with.

00:25:51:11 - 00:26:17:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Like I think I think as artists we're like, so, encouraged to make whatever is on your mind and like, just do it all art until like, you meet like a mentor, someone who, like, really understands, the feeling they want to evoke or like, really dial in a body of work. Yeah, there's parameters to what is and what isn't in that body of work.

00:26:17:19 - 00:26:33:16 Blaze Ben Brooks And when you set those parameters very tightly. Yeah. Or even very loosely, like you get a theme. And I think being able to like set that theme and keep true to it, that is pretty masterful. It's as an artist.

00:26:33:16 - 00:26:48:06 Austin Spencer Yeah. As an artist, it's also like, we we fucking hate structure, but we need it so bad, you know, like it's so healthy for us when we have it. I fought every type of structure my whole like basically until like in my 40s and I had kids, you know?

00:26:48:08 - 00:27:01:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Well, I punk in us is like something like like screw that. Like. Yeah I'm not I don't I want to get out. I want to break the rules, I want to yeah, get out of that. But it's the rules can come in all shapes and sizes.

00:27:01:07 - 00:27:06:04 Austin Spencer So. So you jumped in with him and were like, you just start getting tattooed by him and learning.

00:27:06:04 - 00:27:25:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. He like, did, this math, these cherries. And, like, this mandala on my arm. It was kind of. I think the mask was, my dad went surfing in Bali when, he was, like, in his 20s, and he brought back, like, these pictures of, all these masks. Yeah, that they had up on the walls and.

00:27:25:14 - 00:27:47:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, the different bars and spots like that. And then my roommate, when I was in New York who had got me to move out there, had one of the masks, was this mask in her room. I like that would be circuit like, but in his style. So it was kind of, it was my first time. Also like bringing, reference in the area reference or just.

00:27:47:14 - 00:28:03:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, images and, and saying, hey, can you, like, do this and then your style and yeah, even getting it was, it was really nice. I think Ian was great at telling me no in a way that like, I can understand and yeah. Was it like,

00:28:03:09 - 00:28:05:14 Austin Spencer An educational approach more than.

00:28:05:16 - 00:28:24:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Well, I, I think I think too a lot like being in a lot of, shops out here, like there was such a, I guess that stigma. But, a almost a rule as, like, if there's someone walking in, you don't turn away and you just say yes and do the tattoo.

00:28:24:11 - 00:28:27:07 Austin Spencer The shops here and and on the West Coast you were enthused to go to.

00:28:27:08 - 00:28:47:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. I remember all shops I've been been in or even even tattoo artist tattoo artists that were just starting out. Yeah. Or even like the OG ones, like, yo, you never turn my client. Yeah, that's how I raised. Hey, if they bring something, then you do it. Yeah. And it was nice to hear no while also saying, but we could do it this way.

00:28:47:19 - 00:29:01:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Like, yeah. Just change the direction a little bit or, you know, that's a bad idea as a tattoo. Just tell me why. Yeah, yeah. I think getting to see that for the first time was, it cleared a lot of things up for me.

00:29:01:19 - 00:29:02:17 Austin Spencer Yeah. You're open.

00:29:02:17 - 00:29:15:07 Blaze Ben Brooks It also taught me, like I can. I'm allowed to do that, too. When it comes to my work. Like, yeah, if someone brings me an idea that I don't like, I'm a I can say. I can say no, but say yes at the same time. Learning that was kind of.

00:29:15:08 - 00:29:40:00 Austin Spencer Like the art of collaboration. And, you know, it is it's not easy for some people, but for some reason, I've always I think if you truly just really enjoy what you're doing and then when people are bringing you stuff and you're like, yeah, no, I want to do this. But it has to be like this. Like, that's it takes a while to like, learn that sometimes and gain the confidence in yourself as an artist to like work with the client, tell them kind of more, tell them how to collaborate.

00:29:40:02 - 00:29:54:01 Blaze Ben Brooks I think sometimes as artists we are such visual, people and, speak in a language of visuals. Yeah, that trying to like, tell someone with words.

00:29:54:07 - 00:29:55:17 Austin Spencer It's fucking hard sometimes.

00:29:55:19 - 00:30:11:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, I probably already had it like three times during this conversation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They like lose the last word that I'm, like, trying to say because I wish I could show you what's in my brain, but, like, it's just it doesn't come out in my vocabulary a lot of time I, I.

00:30:11:07 - 00:30:31:14 Austin Spencer I think that's why I like tattooing so much is I, I, I didn't necessarily have the confidence maybe to articulate and share how I felt through my words, but I could I that's the first thing I did with a client was always just like, can I just show you? Like I just draw right in front of them, give me a piece of paper, like, you know, just it doesn't have to be perfect or anything.

00:30:31:14 - 00:30:50:23 Austin Spencer It's just, it just it gets me, like, my message across so much faster. Yes. And most people aren't visual people, you know. So. And it's, it's actually like you could tell me something, but I'm going to think something completely different. If I'm if I am a visual person, then I'm like going to go off in my own vision and it could be totally opposite, you know, that was it.

00:30:51:00 - 00:31:06:05 Blaze Ben Brooks I think that's another aspect too, is like, I can sit there and write emails all day, but I'd rather just sit in front of you with like a piece of paper and really just draw it out for you. Yeah, the way I'm seeing it, because that's that's going to be the clearest version.

00:31:06:05 - 00:31:20:21 Austin Spencer And sometimes artists stand in their own way in their. So they won't give that up because they feel like there's so much value in it. And it's like, nah, it's like it's if it takes you to the starting point A to point B, like, you know, like you said, just a quick sketch and the more you do it your whole career, the faster you get at it.

00:31:20:21 - 00:31:24:22 Austin Spencer So and the more polished you are. So you're a I don't know, I just.

00:31:25:00 - 00:31:34:18 Blaze Ben Brooks And the value isn't in just the you know that it's more so the values in the whole process front to back.

00:31:34:18 - 00:31:36:20 Austin Spencer You're selling yourself. You know what.

00:31:36:20 - 00:32:00:05 Blaze Ben Brooks You're I think I think when you do get to sit there and like draw a quick picture for someone, you just wowed that person, especially if you're good at it. And yeah, and do it quickly. You also just gained so much trust with that person that you can change something on the fly or, if something's not exactly how you pictured it or how you want it, but you're working with the client to get it there.

00:32:00:06 - 00:32:20:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And you're doing it intentionally, and and you're, you're willing to just make that quick change or, just slightly, alter it to fit that perfect spot on. You know, I've gone into spots where, you know, I have, like, a really weird, blank spot that they broken up, and.

00:32:20:08 - 00:32:23:21 Austin Spencer Yeah, which is so fun to try to. Yeah. Still and problem solve, you know?

00:32:23:22 - 00:32:44:06 Blaze Ben Brooks See. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see it as a problem. And I think I brought those spaces to some artists and some are like. Yeah, like we can just do this really quick. But then I've also brought it to others where they're like, oh, dude, we got to like, you know, I'm gonna put a mermaid there, but we're going to have it look like the tail goes underneath the into the water, and then I'm back out the other side.

00:32:44:07 - 00:33:06:12 Blaze Ben Brooks I'm going to snip this off there. So I like that way more open to a collaboration. And of course that comes with like extra funds and get it. Or if you're not charging enough, charge the right amount to where like that collaboration is worth it to you. Yeah. I've been in certain jobs where it's just like, oh man, you're like doing the least to like, work with me.

00:33:06:12 - 00:33:16:07 Blaze Ben Brooks And maybe that's just also a sign where it's like, hey, this isn't like the right fit. And maybe I'm looking for something. Yeah, or with someone else. But what.

00:33:16:07 - 00:33:35:08 Austin Spencer Kind of go off on, like, I just like the idea of, how in common we have with all artists essentially have to sell themselves at some point in time. Tattooers are doing it too. Well. We were just talking about your you've had to do it in your career. And if you're just willing and open and ready to to share, especially if you have the fucking time.

00:33:35:08 - 00:33:45:21 Austin Spencer If you're a newer artist, like, can you just put in more time, just put in as much as you can, even if unfortunately, they might ghost you or not like your image, at least you like tried.

00:33:45:21 - 00:33:46:17 Blaze Ben Brooks You know.

00:33:46:19 - 00:33:47:13 Austin Spencer Learn something new.

00:33:47:13 - 00:34:12:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Trying is not going to hurt you like you're you're you're like, yeah, your space and you being in this industry, in this space that, you want to be in. Yeah, it's going to take your effort and somewhere rejecting that collaboration with you shouldn't affect how much you're going to try with each and every person or the next person.

00:34:12:04 - 00:34:24:12 Austin Spencer Yeah. Because you take that time that you put into that illustration and, and essentially apply it to the future to sell to somebody else, just put it on the wall behind you, put it, you know, use it as a pitch for your next client for, you know, illustration or whatever.

00:34:24:14 - 00:34:43:20 Blaze Ben Brooks I think that was another aspect of like, tattoo artists that I was, or just like being in the tattooing industry that I was kind of jealous. I was like, gaining, like, reuse artwork, like. Yeah, that was something that it was very like. Oh, yeah. Because you heard of. Yeah, I like I don't get to really do that as a.

00:34:43:20 - 00:35:03:05 Blaze Ben Brooks That's true. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Like I think if, if I reuse something unless, unless it is in the tattoo industry like even that, like if it's, if it's something that's like an old piece of flash, like that's always great. Yeah. I'll maybe reuse it. Also be a delay. I'm not going to sell. I'm not going to sell it as my own.

00:35:03:07 - 00:35:08:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, yeah, there always felt like, there's certain rules that apply to tattooing.

00:35:08:10 - 00:35:10:18 Austin Spencer Yeah. There's a lot of gray area in tattooing, you know.

00:35:10:20 - 00:35:12:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, people are in legality.

00:35:12:16 - 00:35:24:01 Austin Spencer You know, just like a tattooing, like a Mickey mouse logo on somebody you could get away with, but you can't know the mouse logo in any of your words, like, you know, so that's that's kind of fascinating.

00:35:24:01 - 00:35:42:18 Blaze Ben Brooks But I also like the punk aspect to that. Like, I feel like I'm breaking the rules either way. I don't. Camera. Yeah, whatever. And I'm going to put it on whoever's body, but I do take it out their skin. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But I don't have that privilege. But it was, it was cool to see that that that was happening.

00:35:42:18 - 00:35:53:03 Blaze Ben Brooks And so that's another I think that's another aspect of tattooing that I really appreciated, I guess was jealous of. Oh, man, I wish I could do that. That's that's sweet.

00:35:53:07 - 00:35:56:11 Austin Spencer Let's go back to like you started getting tattooed by was Ian. Yeah.

00:35:56:11 - 00:35:59:00 Blaze Ben Brooks And then Ian at, Ally Tattoo and.

00:35:59:00 - 00:36:01:09 Austin Spencer Then other tattooers you kind of started, buddy. And.

00:36:01:10 - 00:36:20:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So I think after, going to Allied for a little bit, I think I started, like, looking for a lot of, like, guest spots coming to town. I think being in Brooke, being in Brooklyn, I knew there were a ton of artists coming to New York just to take the trip and then would probably do like 4 or 5 tattoos, while they're here to make some money to travel to the next spot.

00:36:20:16 - 00:36:42:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I just started following a lot of those that a lot of the people that I really admired and like, there was, I do is still I am a big fan, Gary mentioned. So I was big, big Henry was, already working at Greenpoint Tattoo. That was probably the next place that I remembered. I wanted to get my stomach tattooed, like, so bad because I was like, I'm like, young.

00:36:42:19 - 00:37:00:23 Blaze Ben Brooks I'm like, in my prime. I'm ready to like. And not like I had a if I were more so like, I'm ready to, like, take any pain. Like I was so into. Yeah, I was like, what are like the more painful spots on my body though. Let's like, knock it out. Yeah, yeah, because I didn't. Now I do not want I have like my ribs left and I'm like, I you that's the last thing I want to do.

00:37:00:23 - 00:37:10:14 Austin Spencer Oh, dude. I didn't do my back when I was younger and I saved it, you know, for some back. And then I just was so busy in my career that I'm like, fuck. Now I'm like,

00:37:10:16 - 00:37:33:10 Blaze Ben Brooks No, it it sucks. I just had, Ryan fellows over at Downtown Tattoo doing back, I guess, like last year, the year before, and we just kind of, like, pieced it out. Yeah, but no, dude, I have a whole new respect for people who get tramp stamps. Oh, dude. Yeah, that was so much worse than I expected it.

00:37:33:10 - 00:37:37:03 Austin Spencer Yeah. Yeah. Only thing I have on my backside, ironically, is my butt cheeks.

00:37:37:06 - 00:37:39:20 Blaze Ben Brooks I remember, like, that's got to be pretty bad to the.

00:37:39:22 - 00:37:54:21 Austin Spencer Barrel, dude. Yeah, my ass just clenched up. Like, as soon as it's up to them, like. And it didn't help that my sister tattooed me. And she doesn't tattoo, so. And then here's another one. Was a drunken girlfriend back in the day. So dude, I just got a few bumper stickers. Oh, butt cheeks.

00:37:54:21 - 00:38:05:15 Blaze Ben Brooks And hey, bumper stickers. Probably better than like, I think I saw I was doing my back tattoo. I saw someone getting like two huge, like, flowers on each. Yeah, but a chick. And I was like.

00:38:05:17 - 00:38:07:22 Austin Spencer Oh, murder dude. Like, man.

00:38:07:23 - 00:38:12:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh yeah. Full color. Yeah. Bullshitting. I was like, dude, this is serious.

00:38:12:12 - 00:38:16:05 Austin Spencer I know, I'm like, I'm I'm trying to like, regain the steam. Yeah.

00:38:16:05 - 00:38:33:13 Blaze Ben Brooks So that's all I, I want to get my stomach down. I had drawn up this, like, piece to, like, bring to him. And so I, I went to Greenpoint Tattoo. All those guys there. So great girls and guys, the whole crew. There they are. So like.

00:38:33:15 - 00:38:36:21 Austin Spencer Art forward all focus on, like, American traditional stuff.

00:38:36:21 - 00:38:58:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah, but but but also like the even stuff adjacent like I feel like that's the quote though, like the cool thing about that shop, I didn't just feel like you had to do traditional style tattoos, like, I think they have, they have maybe like 4 or 5, like traditional people in there, but then they got a few people who I haven't been there a while too, but they've got a little bit of everything.

00:38:58:20 - 00:39:23:22 Blaze Ben Brooks And people just who have very, unique personalities, especially when it comes to their art, and very varied. So sometimes kind of niche. There's this guy like David English who worked out there who, like he would just do this really crazy, almost like gory medieval, like the only black and gray ibis stuff.

00:39:23:22 - 00:39:26:22 Austin Spencer The kind of 90s biker ish almost. Or like.

00:39:26:23 - 00:39:51:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah, I the kind of but like, also had its own. It was his own. Yeah. And that's I think like they really at that shop promote individuality. Yeah. And like, there's a guy, Ryan Metz there who also does, like, a ton of sick paintings. And his, his artwork in general, like, it just is like a he does a little bit of everything.

00:39:51:14 - 00:40:12:13 Blaze Ben Brooks And I do like, that's the person that's a great fit for, Greenpoint for one out. From what I'm seen, like, anyone there is just they're on their own path, and it's more like a collective than, like, a shop that you had to adhere to their rules. Yeah. That's cool. But Henry was, his name's Enrico.

00:40:12:13 - 00:40:24:03 Blaze Ben Brooks But, I think everyone just calls him Big Henry. I brought my drawing to him, and he was like, hey, do you want me to do it exactly like this? Or do you want me to do it my way? I was like, I'll do it. I'm coming to you. I want you to do it your way. Of course.

00:40:24:05 - 00:40:59:13 Blaze Ben Brooks And that kind of just became our thing. And so I. We knocked out my stomach in, like, two separate sessions. Hurt. But it was also like, it got me, like, fired up to do, Now I'll do my chest. I like how I want to, I want him to start. He did my cuffs next. And I think what I loved about going to Henry was every time I'd come down with an idea, he had this very, direct translation and his own way of drawing things, and it felt traditional, but it also, it felt like it was just Henry.

00:40:59:13 - 00:41:18:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Traditional. Yeah. He felt like a machine where, like, I had the. If I had this idea, bring it to him. It's going to come out the other side completely like Henry five. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The filter on each time it was, it was almost like better until I get it. It also like, inspired me. Of course, I'd like, go to him.

00:41:18:13 - 00:41:38:05 Blaze Ben Brooks There are certain things on the wall where I was like, oh, dude, that's like perfectly his. His own work in general is just so solid. And I think he's another one of those people who I feel like his body of work is so cohesive. Working with him on anything has always been great. And even, though the last time I went in there, I think it was after I had moved away.

00:41:38:11 - 00:42:07:04 Blaze Ben Brooks We hadn't talked in a long time, but, he just always makes sure to take care of me. And he's one of those people that I feel like after being in, you know, tons of shops and going and getting tattooing and playing around cities, he was someone that I feel like most tattoo artists should strive to be like, yeah, yeah, and put in that extra effort, and you'll, you'll build a clientele that you can trust, you can love and, they'll love you back.

00:42:07:04 - 00:42:30:14 Austin Spencer I like the idea of just not being afraid to push the limits on adjusting your style to things like if you're not putting in, like, whatever, just kind of naturally comes out of you into whatever you're doing. I feel like you'll never really stand out, you know, and you got to push the boundaries a little bit, and you do have to break the rules and, and to really come up with something that's super unique and, and stick with it consistently.

00:42:30:17 - 00:42:48:03 Blaze Ben Brooks I think if you don't do that, you're not leaving your mark. You're leaving. You're leaving someone else's. You're leaving someone else's mark. Or like if you look back in time, it's like, oh, like I, you know, if you see something that reminds you so much of someone else. Okay, so that guy was just doing a version of that stuff.

00:42:48:03 - 00:42:52:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's it's also tough. It's it's tough to be original nowadays.

00:42:53:04 - 00:43:12:11 Austin Spencer Well, yeah. And especially two if, if you're concerned about what your peers think, you know, like it's if you're smart, if you're around a bunch of people that are constantly telling you that you can't do this or you can't be like that, and I don't know me, and that's why I kind of sometimes I've always like, just did my own thing because I couldn't don't like fucking anybody telling me what I'm not allowed to do.

00:43:12:13 - 00:43:13:19 Blaze Ben Brooks I think.

00:43:13:21 - 00:43:18:11 Austin Spencer Especially if I know my intentions are good and healthy. You know, it's like I just want to create something like the.

00:43:18:11 - 00:43:40:19 Blaze Ben Brooks People who have listened to others or haven't, broken out of the rules. They didn't last long or they didn't. Yeah, they they didn't make anything that really mattered or. Yeah. That's probably a little harsh, but, just. Yeah, just just just didn't make anything that stood the test of time. I think.

00:43:40:19 - 00:43:44:15 Austin Spencer And sometimes time takes you a long time to pick up on your style or.

00:43:44:15 - 00:43:51:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Whatever. Finding yourself takes your whole life. Yeah. And I don't think you ever truly find the. I don't think to be the exact. Yeah. You.

00:43:51:22 - 00:44:04:03 Austin Spencer Yeah. There's this old tattooer, Diamanti, and he said, he did these, like, really odd skulls that people talked a lot of shit about. And he goes, well, you do it wrong for long enough. It's going to turn out right. Someone's going to get on.

00:44:04:03 - 00:44:05:15 Blaze Ben Brooks No, it's, you know, okay, well.

00:44:05:15 - 00:44:20:05 Austin Spencer It's great because I remember, like, getting so much shit for the way that I drew my skulls in the beginning. Like, people are, like, vulgarly, like shit talking, you know, like, I fucking whatever, but, like, I don't know, that's just what comes out of me. So I'm just trying, you know? So I stick with it, and.

00:44:20:08 - 00:44:33:19 Blaze Ben Brooks It's so much better to just be doing what naturally comes from your brain or your perspective. And it's all hard to say, oh, I don't like that. Okay. You don't like that, but that.

00:44:33:21 - 00:44:34:22 Austin Spencer Doesn't mean it's terrible.

00:44:35:00 - 00:44:50:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Also doesn't mean that. Who knows? I don't know if I even like, you know, totally like, it's just what I'm making. Like also when it comes from someone who's not making anything. Yes. That's where it's like, yeah, everyone's got an opinion. Everyone's got. Yeah. It's all as we don't want to spoil everyone's. You know.

00:44:50:15 - 00:45:08:06 Austin Spencer I learned that in art class one day I was I caught myself, I was young, I was like 16 or 17. I was kind of making kind of poking fun at what this kid was doing. And he looked at me and goes, where's your version of it? And I just was like, fuck, you're fucking right. Like, I'm sorry.

00:45:08:08 - 00:45:18:23 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I'm making fun of you for doing something that I think I could do, but I've never done it like. And I still remember that kid's name, Steve Haven, to this day. Like he was.

00:45:19:05 - 00:45:20:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Steve.

00:45:20:05 - 00:45:40:09 Austin Spencer Yeah. He was doing these mini truck in being the 90s. Like mini truck graphics from the back windows were like a big thing for your car club. Like you should. I don't know if you ever looked into a barrel reference like a mini truck, hand-painted graphics. They're super 90s and fine and shit. And, like, I messed around with airbrush and everything and painted in the garage, but I just.

00:45:40:11 - 00:45:54:22 Austin Spencer I never did it. I also never had the balls to get a mini truck, and I wanted one, but I just, I don't know, I just didn't do it. And he had a fucking mini truck and he'd hand painted that shit and it was like pretty rough. But he fucking did it and he did it himself. So I don't know, there's just little things like that.

00:45:54:22 - 00:46:01:05 Austin Spencer Like, yeah, like you said, like, don't be fucking poking fun at people that they're doing shit that you don't. You can't fucking do or you know.

00:46:01:07 - 00:46:11:03 Blaze Ben Brooks You're gonna like, try to do or certain, critiques, you know, you just they gotta come from the right place or or just or don't listen to them.

00:46:11:08 - 00:46:33:22 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, it's it's not easy, you know, it's art. It's so sometimes I get so frustrated with art community because we are all or most of us are very vocal about what other people are doing. And like, I feel like the second you just fucking get rid of all of that, just focus on yourself and I don't know, you're also not going to say anything that's going to piss people off to where it closes doors and opportunities for you in the future, you know?

00:46:33:22 - 00:46:49:23 Blaze Ben Brooks And it all comes down to just like your self-expression. And it's like, that's what people are doing. They're just expressing themselves and they're expressing themselves without hurting anyone. Let it be. If you don't, if you don't connect to it, don't connect to it. Like just continue to express yourself your way.

00:46:49:23 - 00:46:55:02 Austin Spencer And yeah, cause hopefully they're working through getting to the point to where something starts to click for them.

00:46:55:02 - 00:47:12:14 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, it almost sounds like, they just need to be more open. Like, I think, yeah, people who want to hate or have issues with other artists or other people like creating. It's like, did you have some learning to do? And you just. Yeah, like close your mouth and listen more. Yeah. Yeah.

00:47:12:14 - 00:47:31:17 Austin Spencer Right. My wife and I love this quote. Be, be curious, not judgmental. Yeah. It's just a simple thing is from a Ted Lasso show. I've never, ever seen it. But yeah, this whole scene about it and it just if it if you just think about a simple way like that, the second you catch yourself starting to be negative or poker prime, why don't you ask instead?

00:47:31:19 - 00:47:41:09 Austin Spencer Why is that like that? Like, why is it that I'd feel this way and then hopefully you can learn from it and maybe that person's fucking awesome. They're just doing their own, their own, their own weird wavelength thing.

00:47:41:09 - 00:48:25:14 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, I, I was talking to my friend yesterday. I said, the person who is quickest to say some things is probably the last person to be listening. Yeah. And the person who's in the corner not saying anything the whole time, that's probably the perspective that you want to hear. Yeah, yeah. When it comes to like reacting so quickly and the first person to say something and the first person who has something to say usually didn't listen to what was going on, you know, or they had they have the, emotional capacity just to react immediately to whatever was said instead of, you know, really taking everything in.

00:48:25:14 - 00:48:26:02 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah.

00:48:26:04 - 00:48:51:13 Austin Spencer Yeah, some wise shit. What's it? Yeah. We were dropping knowledge. Do you have anybody that over the years like that you do you guys I don't know. Yeah. I feel like you're, I feel like you're definitely a, like, a tastemaker. And what you do and, over the years, I think sometimes artists get offended if they see other artists, like, kind of copy or whatever.

00:48:51:13 - 00:48:59:05 Austin Spencer I mean, is that something that, like, you've learned? It's I don't ever pick that up off you. Like, you would take it as super offensive or anything.

00:48:59:05 - 00:49:01:10 Blaze Ben Brooks But that someone has picked up on me. Yeah.

00:49:01:12 - 00:49:21:22 Austin Spencer Yeah. Not necessarily like that person, but just like those moments where, like, it hits you, you're like, oh, dang. Like, okay, that was my stuff that you're doing now. Is that maybe more instead of continuing to do that? Like, I feel like you're the type of person like motivate you to change direction and just reinvent the wheel, almost like instead of being sour about it.

00:49:21:22 - 00:49:33:14 Blaze Ben Brooks I don't know if I see someone maybe like, encroaching or like, or like my style is starting to be or whatever. I'm doing it. I don't, I want, I don't want to call it my style. Yeah, it's.

00:49:33:19 - 00:49:35:14 Austin Spencer Whatever you're doing currently.

00:49:35:14 - 00:49:59:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Working on starts to do like, others are doing a similar thing. That feels like an immediate challenge to push it. Pivot like, yo, plant that foot. Next. Next thing I think I had, I just had the confidence. And I know in myself that, like, there's so much more I can do and there's so many other different looks, esthetic styles,

00:50:00:00 - 00:50:02:10 Austin Spencer That you can pull inspiration from and art forms.

00:50:02:11 - 00:50:23:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Me yeah, that like there's enough out there to, to switch it up. Yeah. And I believe in myself that like, I can learn something new. I think I think you're great at that as well. Like, you're you're someone who, if you don't know it, it learning it is. Yeah. Is like the only logical next step to doing the next thing.

00:50:23:19 - 00:50:50:17 Blaze Ben Brooks And seeing you take that on in business. Respect, art, respect. Relationship respect like. Yeah, I think I, I look at it a bit similarly. Yeah. If I, if it's not me learning something new, it's me maybe even picking up a different version of what I have already done in the past and, adding to it in a way that feels brand new.

00:50:50:21 - 00:51:13:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So, yeah, I think sitting there and, trying to create some legal battle over it or trying to like, yeah, start some, start some drama around someone coming for my design or something. The amount of energy that I put into fighting it, you could be. I could just be putting it into, like, the next thing. Yeah.

00:51:13:05 - 00:51:24:21 Blaze Ben Brooks And already be 2 or 3 steps ahead of whoever that person is trying to like, use what I've done to bring them up. I'm like, yeah, I'm the dude.

00:51:24:23 - 00:51:27:14 Austin Spencer They'll always be behind you no matter what. Like if you if.

00:51:27:17 - 00:51:28:10 Blaze Ben Brooks You long as you.

00:51:28:12 - 00:51:34:09 Austin Spencer Focus on that mindset, that person will always those people whatever. And who gives a fuck honestly and.

00:51:34:11 - 00:51:41:01 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah. You know and if anything, I probably like be really good friends with whoever's doing that. If they dig, I'm like, yo.

00:51:41:01 - 00:51:44:18 Austin Spencer Like, they obviously genuinely have a lot of respect for what you do. They just don't know how to.

00:51:45:00 - 00:52:10:13 Blaze Ben Brooks When I was like, when I was like 18, 19, I was such a huge fan of this artist. Diego Ziegler. Still in here is literally like, he is the artist for me. She's, he's a fine artist, is a painter. He's a sculptor. And for the longest time, like when I was like, kind of. I was in this space of, like, not knowing how to be, an artist or how I was going to make money doing art.

00:52:10:13 - 00:52:28:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I was ripping his stuff so hard. Yeah, like I was just drawing the way he drew, and I was even, like, publishing on Instagram to the point where he was probably like to get this kid. I think you're like, yeah, he's like, what is going on? Yeah. And so the admiration really does fall into a place. Sorry, Ezio.

00:52:28:14 - 00:53:07:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. It falls into a place where you learn your own way by recreating others. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so half the stuff I was BuzzFeed professor, you had been posted more so just like it was for me to learn how to do my own. Yeah, way. Like how? Like. And then try by recreating you find your hand or your brain, moves in its own way or to shit shows you this other route or forks off, you know, at certain points in recreating others.

00:53:07:06 - 00:53:17:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. That eventually if you keep following those forks, you usually have now found your complete own original original spot.

00:53:17:17 - 00:53:35:23 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. It's just super true, you know, you look, but the problem is that you got in that problem. But the key is to keep going and never look back. That's what I think, you know, was like, if we're looking back on somebody that maybe like in copied us or whatever, like, I, I don't know, I just it's like you're just wasting your fucking time.

00:53:35:23 - 00:53:48:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah. Like if you stay there, like, there's no way that's positive energy. Yeah. And so if you're just sitting in that negative space for however long it's going to like debilitate you from even being able to create anything new.

00:53:48:14 - 00:53:51:18 Austin Spencer Yeah. It makes you sour and sad or some shit or like, but.

00:53:51:20 - 00:53:56:02 Blaze Ben Brooks It also ends up looking like you weren't creative enough to make.

00:53:56:04 - 00:53:56:14 Austin Spencer More.

00:53:56:19 - 00:54:16:01 Blaze Ben Brooks But you're screwed. You're so tied to that one thing you made. Yeah, yeah, yeah that you. Well, you can't make anything newer better like the. No, JP, it should be a challenge. Like go make the next best thing. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. When, when they, when the person who didn't take that route show them that you that this is a way you can do it.

00:54:16:02 - 00:54:18:01 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Lead by example.

00:54:18:01 - 00:54:34:06 Austin Spencer You know Jay-Z has some quote too I like I always love like I always refer back to hip hop. But he said something like, somebody I can't even fucking remember the quote, right now, but it's like basically along the lines of like, oh, you you like what I do. You copy me? Like, oh, you think you can do what I do?

00:54:34:06 - 00:54:38:15 Austin Spencer Then go make a new Jay-Z or something like, I butchered the fuck out of it. But it's like.

00:54:38:18 - 00:54:40:00 Blaze Ben Brooks He's just basically saying.

00:54:40:02 - 00:55:00:00 Austin Spencer Okay, you said you could do it and then go fucking do it. Like, but I'll be over here doing new shit. And I don't know, I just feel like that's the super power that artist has is like, it is this beautiful thing that we can wake up every day and make something from absolutely nothing. Take the blank white piece of paper and make it valuable, or, you know, and make it, attractive to people or.

00:55:00:05 - 00:55:21:09 Austin Spencer And that's like, it's just a cool ass fucking thing that I feel like, I think all of us have it in us when we're young, but most of us just are trained or choose not to just keep going because it's fucking hard. It's like being an entrepreneur. It's fucking hard. Not everybody's built for it. Being an artist and constantly being like having to recreate yourself.

00:55:21:11 - 00:55:30:20 Austin Spencer You don't have to, but you should and you should be driven and motivated to constantly be just fucking throwing shit out there, you know, and just see what sticks and have fun with it, like you said, and choose the forks from there.

00:55:30:20 - 00:55:57:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I think continuously throughout your life whether, it's monthly, weekly, daily, like asking yourself who you are and then answering that question, whether it be through your art or through your journal or through through your actions in the way you like, treat others in your relationships or every aspect of your life like that should be done often enough to the point.

00:55:57:17 - 00:56:23:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Like you, you know, these different versions of yourself. I feel like there's there's some people in my life that like, don't ask that question off here. And, it makes me sad as like, yeah, I it bums me out when, I not that they, I don't think, I don't think the answer is ever super clear and I because I don't think it's supposed to, but, it can be clearer when you do ask.

00:56:23:21 - 00:56:29:23 Austin Spencer Keep an open mind and. Yeah. Do you read do you read much like self-help type stuff or anything like that, or is it.

00:56:29:23 - 00:56:30:23 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, I know not.

00:56:30:23 - 00:56:32:16 Austin Spencer You seem like an old man and.

00:56:32:18 - 00:56:33:23 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, you know, you're like.

00:56:34:01 - 00:56:36:01 Austin Spencer 16 years younger than me, but, like, you know.

00:56:36:04 - 00:56:58:19 Blaze Ben Brooks I think, so I lost my dad way. So I was the reason I moved back from Brooklyn in 2021, after five years in Brooklyn, my dad passed away. Yeah. And him and I were super close. We didn't get to, like, reconnect after he had moved away. And, like, was kind of on his own journey for a bit.

00:56:58:21 - 00:57:19:17 Blaze Ben Brooks And I saw him, like, once again, before he passed away, after, like, maybe we had, like, way 4 or 5 years there. We were only FaceTiming like once every few months. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I, finally got to go see him for, like, a little bit. And then, I think, like, the next year, around the same time he passed away randomly.

00:57:19:17 - 00:57:41:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Hard time. Yeah. Shattered my world. I moved back from New York, and, it was like a it was a kind of an I was like, just defining moments for me that, like, my life, my life motto went from like, I just want to have fun and, like, be a fun guy in this life to that's not enough anymore.

00:57:41:14 - 00:58:07:07 Blaze Ben Brooks And what else? What? Like, what do I do? I think when you when you lose something like that or you lose someone like that, who, was part of your creation. Yeah. It really just opened up my, my brain and my, curiosity to, like, my purpose. And, I guess searching for a bit more of, like, these self-help.

00:58:07:07 - 00:58:08:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Ideas.

00:58:08:16 - 00:58:09:17 Austin Spencer Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

00:58:09:19 - 00:58:44:05 Blaze Ben Brooks And so, like, tons of podcasts. Yeah. And listening to others cover, you know, ideas of grief or ideas of time. Ideas of how to spend, your, your your time, your energy. And be in a place that helps you and others as one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, the the whole spectrum of self-help, but also like the, the whole, idea of all of us, you know, kind of.

00:58:44:07 - 00:58:45:13 Austin Spencer Being kind and just.

00:58:45:16 - 00:58:47:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Being kind and open.

00:58:47:03 - 00:59:09:06 Austin Spencer And it's really not that complicated. You can just boil it all down. It is right. I'm just fucking being open minded, kind person and patient with others, you know? And like you, you were kind of talking about earlier, the reaction is there's the kind of like a true sign of some people, and this is the way that we deal with these problems, is kind of ends up being who we are.

00:59:09:06 - 00:59:12:04 Austin Spencer And how that makes much sense, you know?

00:59:12:05 - 00:59:13:09 Blaze Ben Brooks But like it does, it.

00:59:13:09 - 00:59:37:13 Austin Spencer Means like a true sign of like who you are is when you really, like, get down to these like rough and tough times and how you treat yourself and others around you through those times makes you who you are, and hopefully you look at it in a more positive light. Take something that's that tough and help it like, I don't know, take time to heal and everything else.

00:59:37:14 - 00:59:59:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I, I think that process of grief for me, it took me away from her and oh, almost like I felt paralyzed because I was like, yeah, I got like the I always tell people, well, a weird way to say it, but I got like the head of, like of drawing, like I couldn't sit down and draw anymore.

00:59:59:18 - 01:00:15:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Like it just was like a full on mental block. And I think I see it as, my, my brain was more and like a survival mode. Yeah. I think being in a survival mode, you really they did you you can't tap into that creative the part of your brain comfort.

01:00:15:20 - 01:00:17:12 Austin Spencer Of being free, you know.

01:00:17:12 - 01:00:38:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yes. Yeah. There's there's no sitting down and feeling like, oh like like everything's all right I can. And so now, now I can draw. And so for a long time that I was actually really worried about my, my work out. I remember, like, distinctly wanting like, 9 to 5, or I could just go clock in and just like, oh, let me do, like, the very cool stuff I want to do.

01:00:38:15 - 01:01:08:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Just so. Yeah. So, a equals B type stuff, like it was getting through that really taught me to like, okay, like you need to you need to learn and go through this because if it happens again is you need to know how to, like, continue to work. Yeah. While this is going on or take the time, like, know what kind of time and what kind of, process this is because you're going to this is just the first loss.

01:01:08:06 - 01:01:27:01 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Of, of of many. Yeah. And I don't think it was even my first. It was just my probably just like the most significant. Yeah. And I guess I coming out of that, I was like, okay, now I'm living back in my hometown. It doesn't feel as inspiring as Brooklyn. Okay. What can you do about that?

01:01:27:02 - 01:01:28:14 Austin Spencer And I fucking yeah.

01:01:28:18 - 01:01:56:22 Blaze Ben Brooks I think that was that was my next motivation was like, okay, I'm going to like I want to beautify Las Vegas. I want, I want when I walk into businesses here, I want to have a hand. And whether it's my hand or the next person, I just I want the standard of design and illustration and merchandise and logos branding to be up there with New York.

01:01:57:00 - 01:02:22:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, or with LA, because I think the city has the means to do that. But also like it falls in the hands of designers and, creative companies and, yeah, creative people, willing to bump that standard up. And I think, like, I was like, you know what? I'm going to take it on myself for as much as I can.

01:02:22:10 - 01:02:37:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And I think if I, if I do enough businesses, they're not going to resort back to an artist who isn't doing it right. Yeah. If anything, it's going to it's in a bump the standard up to where like those designers or those artists have to like.

01:02:37:15 - 01:02:39:02 Austin Spencer Raise the bar. Yo, yo, let's, you.

01:02:39:03 - 01:02:56:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Know, guys, we're we're lifting it and I, I like looking at it that way. I think there's probably people out there who really like, like that's a maybe a selfish way of looking at or selfish way of doing it. And it's not the show. It's it's it's the design in Las Vegas show. I want that to be elevate up there.

01:02:56:14 - 01:03:14:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I want to live in a place that is pretty. Yeah. I want to live in a in a beautiful space. I want to go to a coffee shop that looks beautiful. I want to buy a t shirt from my favorite bar and wear with pride and, take it to somewhere like Brooklyn. Or take it to somewhere like L.A..

01:03:14:09 - 01:03:39:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Or take it to somewhere cool and have them be like, damn, what? Where is that? That's in Vegas. Where, like, I, I, I want it to feel that way. And I think, to bring it back to tattooing. I think that's the cool thing about, traveling and collecting is a lot of tattooers all over the world kind of also do that, but like world wide.

01:03:39:22 - 01:04:03:00 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. It's kind of crazy that, like, there's someone in Indiana, there's someone in, like, upstate New York, and places are super hard to get to that like, are probably doing like out of this world next level raising the bar tattoos. They're beautifying their little their little space, their little city, their little town. And as much as you know, Vegas is not one of the larger cities.

01:04:03:01 - 01:04:25:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. To me, being from here and being raised here still feels at least socially like the small town. And it I mean, we still have a small town vibe. You got at least when it comes to our peers and the people who have been here for, you know, ten, 20, 30 plus years. I have pride here. I'm right in the city and I have pride in being from here.

01:04:25:15 - 01:04:45:07 Blaze Ben Brooks I think coming back from Brooklyn, it was like I was really upset to leave Brooklyn. But then I also could shift gears or shift my perspective and say, yo, you're going back to a place that you get to, like, actually, like take pride in and own. Like when people say, where are you from? Vegas. I'm from, I am from Las Vegas.

01:04:45:09 - 01:05:16:13 Blaze Ben Brooks And I guess I'm really from Henderson, but that's even not even even cooler. Like, oh yeah, that's a good little talk. Yeah. I guess with that it also feels like gained aware that on my chest or wallet on my back, I feel even closer to the design work and the artwork I'm putting out for, my peers, my friends, my family, my, community that, serves me and the people I care about.

01:05:16:15 - 01:05:34:19 Austin Spencer I love it, dude. It's, I was like, teared up almost, because, like, I just fucking love. I feel the same way about this fucking city. And I get so tired of, like, back in the day traveling around. And I remember standing in line in Portland at this donut shop. Voodoo donuts, the original one. Yeah, yeah. This girl, we just started talking and it was late at night and she's like, oh, where are you from?

01:05:34:19 - 01:05:48:12 Austin Spencer As I go from Vegas? And she goes, oh, you poor soul. And I was just like, oh fuck you, dude. Like, I know I threw a donut at her head. Later that night, she asked me to. She just didn't know I was gonna throw it extra hard.

01:05:48:14 - 01:05:50:09 Blaze Ben Brooks But I just I hated that energy.

01:05:50:09 - 01:06:06:12 Austin Spencer And I had friends, too, from, like, Chicago, New York. And they would kind of always talk shit about Vegas. And I'm like, this place is fucking rad, dude. And like summit, there is a culture of people here in a small community, like they are the most some of the most creative people in the world. You look at like the Cirque community, they.

01:06:06:12 - 01:06:08:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Come from here. God, you know what you started?

01:06:08:20 - 01:06:09:19 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. Like we.

01:06:09:19 - 01:06:22:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Performers. Yeah, yeah. I have some performer friends who are just the talent and blows my mind. What they can do with their bodies is, yeah, an art form unlike any other.

01:06:22:11 - 01:06:40:04 Austin Spencer And then they'll turn around and, like, play the drums too, or fucking you, you know, paint. And you're like, what the fuck? Like, dude. Yeah. And so I just have I've always been I don't get offended easily, but I definitely do take offense to shit talking my city, which I think everyone should have that level of pride where they're from, I get it.

01:06:40:04 - 01:06:42:08 Austin Spencer But don't bash other people's cities. You know.

01:06:42:10 - 01:06:49:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Sir, I think coming up I don't understand. But it was like it was just like, they probably what, we're here for a second or a trade show. And they were like.

01:06:49:20 - 01:06:51:20 Austin Spencer Between one, you didn't see you.

01:06:51:20 - 01:06:57:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. You saw the trade show version? Yeah. Of you do that anywhere? Yeah.

01:06:57:08 - 01:07:12:14 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. Man. Woken up in a fucking hot car in the desert after a long party and hearing the birds and smell of the sage and the fucking sweat running down. You see, these are just like, you know, coming out of a strip club at five in the morning or just all these different little fun things that I've like experience in the hikes, in the fucking.

01:07:12:16 - 01:07:33:14 Austin Spencer It's just it's a gorgeous fucking city and it's wild. And yes, it grew very fast and it was very cookie cutter, you know, and all of our shopping centers. So yeah, I'll give it that. I it was like also it's like I've always just looked at it as like okay, well that was like it's teenagers, you know, it's like when I moved here in 89, I was in fourth grade and rainbows, the walls, the.

01:07:33:16 - 01:07:56:17 Austin Spencer That was it. Oh, yeah. Yeah. The road, you know, but it was, it's just grown so much and it's so cool to see it come. But it's, it's more importantly, like, it's cool to see someone like you take the pride in that simple approach to putting your all in on your community, instead of being an artist that sits around and just like there's no culture here, I'm moving to Portland and you're like, well, that's how it bro.

01:07:56:18 - 01:08:21:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Like when I was young, I was about to move to Brooklyn or I mean, even before that, in high school, new middle school. I do remember the feeling of like, again, that small town vibe of like, I'm going to get out of here and make something of myself. Yeah, yeah. And that, like, stayed with me even, like till I was about 20 when I moved to Brooklyn, I was like, I, I, I'm going to get out of here.

01:08:21:18 - 01:08:46:10 Blaze Ben Brooks I'm going to go make myself something on myself. Yeah. Somewhere else. Because this place doesn't have what it what it what I need yet. Yeah. And I think coming back to it second, I think I was, I was worried that my, my, my perspective hadn't changed, or that I would feel the same going back. I was like, oh, maybe I just hop in for a little bit and I go to the next spot, but yeah, no.

01:08:46:10 - 01:09:09:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Instead it was, oh, this now has enough for me. Or maybe now I have enough to to give it. Yeah. And stop expecting of it. And like hey if you, if, if you see something wrong go. You can do something about it to make it to change it. Don't sit there and complain about what it does it have for you.

01:09:09:16 - 01:09:17:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So add to it. Yeah. Or just be in there. Get in there. Do. Yeah. Do something. Yeah. Instead of.

01:09:17:06 - 01:09:17:23 Austin Spencer Point fingers.

01:09:18:01 - 01:09:37:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yes. It's like oh it's not cool because they're not doing anything or they're. Yeah it's it, it needs more of all this. And it's like I think to with age it, it really shows you like you, you have to do that or no one's going to. Yeah, yeah. You need to be the inspiration for the next or else it's always going to stay.

01:09:37:12 - 01:09:46:19 Blaze Ben Brooks How how it felt when I was, you know, in middle school or high school saying to myself like, dang, I wish this place had more of this, or more murals.

01:09:46:19 - 01:09:47:12 Austin Spencer Or more fucking.

01:09:47:12 - 01:09:53:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, dude, now I now I am in a position to be able to do that. So like, let's do it. Let's do it.

01:09:53:20 - 01:10:02:21 Austin Spencer Yeah, I love drive. I like I drive around town now, you know, I've been following you for a long time, so it's cool to see and I'll literally find myself go to businesses because I've seen you do the branding.

01:10:02:23 - 01:10:04:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, like, I literally like.

01:10:04:15 - 01:10:19:05 Austin Spencer Learned about silver stamp, you know, by going, I'm not downtown a whole lot. I got little kids. But then, like, with love always, you know, I haven't got to go there yet, but I want to go there. And the ice cream spot I gotta take my kids to ice was ice cream. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Not sorry. Yeah, yeah.

01:10:19:07 - 01:10:39:04 Austin Spencer But just, I don't know, it's just fun to see you, like, do that and put your mark on it, like so. I grew up, my mom did the logo for Meadows Mall. Like, Yeah, she did a lot of logos that are still running around town and I remember seeing that. So it's like it's a very special thing to me to to know it's a you're tattooing the city essentially.

01:10:39:04 - 01:10:40:11 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, it's like, yeah, you're.

01:10:40:16 - 01:10:42:01 Austin Spencer On your mark on the city.

01:10:42:04 - 01:11:00:20 Blaze Ben Brooks That was that was another way of maybe seeing or, you know, seeing the, commonalities in the tattoo industry was like, businesses are my clients. So as, as people getting tattooed are a tattoo artist. Yeah. I it's it's.

01:11:00:22 - 01:11:21:00 Austin Spencer A responsibility to them. It is their business. Look good because it's I mean, especially your business too. You know, it's like branding can help carry a business to an extent, you know, and like and and get people to remember a, get people to feel a certain way when they go inside and they see the colors in the fucking logos in the illustrations that make them remember that brand.

01:11:21:05 - 01:11:30:10 Austin Spencer I mean, literally, my buddy was like, I had lunch with him the other day and he had this shirt on and I was like, with love. It was like when they very first opened. I think you did their very first shirt too.

01:11:30:10 - 01:11:34:01 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh did I yeah, yeah, yeah, I did their branding. Yeah. They're like, that's.

01:11:34:01 - 01:11:47:01 Austin Spencer A fucking handsome ass shirt. I'm like, I'm pretty sure blaze did that, dude. But yeah, it's just fun to see that. And I grew up seeing that my mom did billboards and stuff all around, and she would just always be like, oh, I did that. You know, just driving.

01:11:47:02 - 01:11:50:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Along like, I see your mom's, like, catalog of work I would.

01:11:50:14 - 01:11:51:12 Austin Spencer Love. Yeah. You got to come on.

01:11:51:13 - 01:11:54:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Got it. Like, check it out. Barbecued sounds legendary.

01:11:54:09 - 01:12:13:01 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, she's she's dope dude. She's like, so I, I just have this even more like, kind of special relationship with, like, designers and stuff, you know, like I grew up like, looking through books of paper from paper shows and stuff and like, just learning about textures and colors and everything. And although I didn't go that direction myself, I definitely am aware of it.

01:12:13:01 - 01:12:22:10 Austin Spencer And I know that I can look at something and know, like why it makes me feel a certain way, you know, and and you're just so good at, like, translating that. It's fun.

01:12:22:12 - 01:12:47:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So cool. I think that's a that's a big part of what I get to do. And what I like to do within design is, really get to know what, like vibe or energy or feeling or emotion that someone wants to convey in their space. Yeah. And trying to get that out of someone is actually really hard.

01:12:47:22 - 01:13:03:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. I feel like for the most part, a lot of people, when they're starting a business or a brand, they don't know what they want, but a good question, when they don't know what they want is asking what they don't want.

01:13:03:12 - 01:13:05:21 Austin Spencer Yeah. That's great. That's that's like hard no's.

01:13:05:21 - 01:13:22:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Yes. And that usually leads me so much closer to what they are. That's really good edging towards or getting at because the hard no's I'm able to like almost find like the antonyms of that. Yes.

01:13:22:21 - 01:13:24:19 Austin Spencer Like your gutters and your lane. You just stay in.

01:13:24:19 - 01:13:41:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Yo. Hey, hey, we're we're staying clear of these things now we've got though we're at least building a road somewhere. And so now in this road, do we like this, this, this, and with those, you know, I get this feeling. I get this feeling. I have this feeling.

01:13:41:18 - 01:13:45:16 Austin Spencer Do you have, like, a structure like that? You kind of go through that process, like, not.

01:13:45:16 - 01:14:05:02 Blaze Ben Brooks As, like, cookie cutter as you would think or like. Yeah. Not like I have it all right now. I have, I have my process down a little bit. I have, I have this little, you know, the, you know, the, the gambling, hotline pamphlets that you guys as one of the ones on the fun stuff.

01:14:05:02 - 01:14:27:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah, yeah, I, I took that rather that I took my own photos and I remade it as one. The fun starts. Oh, okay. Cool. And when you open it, it's my process of like, for my commissions. Yeah, yeah. So I put that on it. If you go on my Instagram it's, it's it's in my highlights. It's called when the fun starts and it's commissions.

01:14:27:15 - 01:14:41:21 Blaze Ben Brooks And then when you go you can check that out. But that was another little ode to. That's cool being in Vegas you know. But yeah. Yeah. If you're if you're sitting at the, you set the bar and there's a little video poker spot, look up in the corner. Yeah, I'm one of the.

01:14:41:23 - 01:14:50:18 Austin Spencer That's so funny. So when we do and I have so many more things I want to ask, you know, but, yeah, no, I fucking I, I lived in the Arizona Charlie's when I first moved here. No way.

01:14:50:19 - 01:14:54:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, so you live in a casino? Which was what they always said from.

01:14:54:14 - 01:14:59:12 Austin Spencer We moved here from Houston, and everybody's like, what are you going to do? Is your mom going to be a hooker and your dad going to be a a dealer?

01:14:59:12 - 01:15:08:06 Blaze Ben Brooks You know? Yeah, I don't know. I'm that was the big one when I moved to Brooklyn. Tell one from Vegas or, like you live in the Luxor. I'm like, why did you pick that one?

01:15:08:08 - 01:15:23:22 Austin Spencer I remember getting walked out in the middle of the night because they were testing the fire alarms, and it was all smoky, and everybody's fucking, and I'm walking my pajamas out of the casino, wait for like 20 minutes and then come back in and, we eat at the sourdough cafe downstairs, and 99 cent all you can eat pancakes and a glass of milk.

01:15:24:00 - 01:15:26:21 Austin Spencer So my dad is like. We just smell like so.

01:15:26:21 - 01:15:27:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Long for.

01:15:27:22 - 01:15:33:02 Austin Spencer Only like, two weeks. But it was like, because our house wasn't ready when we were supposed to be. We were renting.

01:15:33:04 - 01:15:35:04 Blaze Ben Brooks A little vacation staycation.

01:15:35:07 - 01:15:44:09 Austin Spencer But I always want to get an Arizona Charlie's, old Arizona. I hate that they rebranded. It's so bad and like. But I want to get that. Maybe, like, on my chest, like some. I don't know if.

01:15:44:14 - 01:15:51:06 Blaze Ben Brooks That's a sick one. Yeah. Just reminds me of, like, it's like Western. The male version of that, Danny Trejo tattoo that he has. Exactly.

01:15:51:06 - 01:15:53:14 Austin Spencer That's how I was trying to remember his name while saying that to.

01:15:53:16 - 01:15:54:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Go.

01:15:54:09 - 01:15:57:09 Austin Spencer With my. With the big hat. Yeah, I just got this badass chest.

01:15:57:14 - 01:16:00:10 Blaze Ben Brooks But, dude, there is sick one.

01:16:00:10 - 01:16:13:11 Austin Spencer Yeah. So. Yeah. Anyway. Oh, also, I want to get I want to know, like, it seems like you're obviously really good about putting yourself in these creative spaces. You know, you've got this cool space downtown called Fourth Street Casino or.

01:16:13:11 - 01:16:38:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, Fourth Street Hotel, casino and Resort. Yeah. So it's it's a little Adobe style building on fourth Street. It's in the Arts District just south of Charleston on fourth. You probably haven't driven down it because there's a one way street. Yeah. And it's like it just breaks off of Las Vegas Boulevard. Yeah. And, we found the spot, actually, from, Nico Rosen.

01:16:38:19 - 01:16:41:22 Austin Spencer Okay. Yeah. Tattooer and, awesome. I don't it's like.

01:16:42:00 - 01:17:01:21 Blaze Ben Brooks He doesn't like your rules kind of geometric pattern. I want to totally him. I'm like, yeah, yeah, you should be on here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. She is also one of the kindest people I've ever met. Yeah. Really cool dude from. I think he's from France. Yeah, he's he's for sure. French. Yeah. Him and his wife's,

01:17:01:23 - 01:17:27:05 Blaze Ben Brooks LOL. And er, it's a piercing. A tattoo shop. Yeah. It's that one's on. Like, I think it's also on Colorado and Commerce. Our friends from the Good Wolf, Lisa and, Sean, I reached out to them because I was looking for a space. I think it was like it was my. It was my second birthday after living back in town, and I was like, I can't I can't keep working at these coffee shops.

01:17:27:05 - 01:17:47:22 Blaze Ben Brooks I just I need my own space to, to work. Had just got our relationship to I was like, down in the dumps. And I was actually like, we had we had the two days prior, I had searched for a spot on my own, couldn't find anything. And some of the, some of the people who were like, who we were dealing with were also, like, not too kind.

01:17:47:22 - 01:18:05:06 Blaze Ben Brooks And so I was just like, not having a great birthday. Lisa and Chantal's check out where Miko was working. And she has a tattoo, spot. He actually just redid it with, linear pastel she used. Oh, yeah.

01:18:05:06 - 01:18:06:15 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. Left downtown. Yes.

01:18:06:15 - 01:18:42:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really cool spot. I haven't been up there. Yes, I did it, but it looks sweet. And Nico was like, yeah, dude. Here. Just my landlord. I hit them up. Me and my two best friends went and checked it out, and, it was just it was such a big spot. Like, it was also like it used to be like, it looks like it used to be like a a doctor's office, like they had the the front waiting room, and then the middle room was kind of like a break room just to, like, eat or something, or like, have, like a receptionist back there and then, the back room

01:18:42:16 - 01:19:02:07 Blaze Ben Brooks was like the doctor's office, okay? Had, like, all these shelves or where there's a doctor or like a lawyer or something like that. And so when we were checking it out, I think this is like a lot of space for one person. And my two best friends, Jane Cole, were like, dude, let's do it together. Yeah. Like jail.

01:19:02:07 - 01:19:23:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Take the smaller room because he just needs more of, like, a recording space. He's a singer songwriter. Yeah, I just met the other guy was here. Yeah, he's. He's. I have too many words. He's an incredible artists and incredible friend. And then shameless Cole Curtis, he is a photographer here in town. She was going to take the front room to.

01:19:23:22 - 01:19:49:12 Blaze Ben Brooks And we're, we're going to make that, photo studio. And so we, like, demolished the whole, like, front, counter and, like, completely redid the space to feel just more like a blank white slate. Yeah. Or a studio. I took the back room and it is now, and then. And then it's it's our studio. So once we once we kind of set it up to, to work there.

01:19:49:14 - 01:20:07:20 Blaze Ben Brooks In my head, I had my, my branding head goes, we need to, like, call this place something. We need to, like, make it. We need to give it some lore. And we love the idea of like, because the building is like this, like, full on Adobe style building. Like it looks. It looks like it's straight out of, like, Arizona.

01:20:07:21 - 01:20:33:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Which also kind of gives it this, like cheeky, like, like California culture, like just it's it's a weird little spot. So I was like, this is probably was at one point some like weird casino. Yeah. That like had its own like Adobe theme to it. Yeah. So I was like, let's call it four Street hotel, casino resort.

01:20:33:09 - 01:20:54:11 Blaze Ben Brooks We'll tell everyone that this place used to be an old hotel and casino. Like Aztec themed or inspired or Adobe themed inspired. And I think it was a little bit of a brand, like a 70s style branding. We have a bunch of like, so great. We have a bunch of different, like, like, walnut and wood, 70s style stuff.

01:20:54:13 - 01:21:10:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Decorated. Yeah. Throughout the whole space. And yeah, it just kind of like, turned into it and transformed with our vibes throughout the past, like three and a half years, like in November. It's going to be four years at that spot.

01:21:10:11 - 01:21:16:11 Austin Spencer It's cool. And so you guys are just all creatives in one place. And dude, does you feel that energy?

01:21:16:12 - 01:21:18:00 Blaze Ben Brooks I mean, yeah, it's definitely a.

01:21:18:01 - 01:21:21:13 Austin Spencer Tography and you get to help him with graphics and then music coming into.

01:21:21:14 - 01:21:44:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, like we all get to, collaborate when, we get time to. Yeah, plan different events or, you know, it's colonies help like setting something up graphic wise, like he's he's so photo that like, there's there's some comments or like, hey, do I need to type on this? Can you like, you know, work your magic on this.

01:21:44:12 - 01:22:21:15 Blaze Ben Brooks And there's a lot of times where like, hey, I get like, I knew I heard that comes out. I want to like, I want some good photos of it. And he comes in, we set it up and we knock it out and it's cool. Yeah, too is one of those people that, you know, if I need some type of music or sound, worked into a video that I'm working on with or, if I, you know, need him to, be in a video, like, he's also such a high energy, super talented and, singer and that he gig and he can make it work for whatever we're.

01:22:21:18 - 01:22:23:20 Blaze Ben Brooks That's fine. Whatever project we're working on. Yeah, just.

01:22:23:22 - 01:22:25:02 Austin Spencer Add some individuality.

01:22:25:02 - 01:22:39:19 Blaze Ben Brooks To it. And I get to work on his show posters whenever he does a show. So it's also like, we, we, we all get to, like, intertwine and, when that, when the time strikes, it's not all the time, but when we do, we really soak it up. Yeah. That's it. It's it's it's really fun.

01:22:39:22 - 01:22:43:17 Austin Spencer And that's where you run your design studio. Great. Six.

01:22:43:19 - 01:22:46:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Yeah. Great. Great. Great Segue Studios.

01:22:46:05 - 01:22:48:22 Austin Spencer I love that name because that's like the best fucking name. Like.

01:22:49:00 - 01:23:10:04 Blaze Ben Brooks I, I think I did a really big job and like, it was like coming right, like right out of Covid. And I had all this, like, extra money laying around, and I was like, I feel like now with this chunk of change, I can, like, actually start something new or start like a business that, you know, inside of me.

01:23:10:05 - 01:23:34:18 Blaze Ben Brooks And I guess, the advertisement guru in my head. So, like, what sells. Yeah. Creates, who doesn't like it? And I was like, I'm sure this is gonna, like, come back and bite me in the ass one way or the other. And when I want to do your, your bank account like, that was, like, really crazy, like Bank of America was like, we're not like we we can't we can't give you a bank account with that name.

01:23:34:18 - 01:23:37:20 Blaze Ben Brooks We that's really that's crazy. And or or or, but.

01:23:38:02 - 01:23:40:00 Austin Spencer But it's a your registered LLC or whatever.

01:23:40:00 - 01:24:05:17 Blaze Ben Brooks It is so. Yeah. So but my registered LLC is great. Great sex. I think it's great sex Studios LLC. Yeah. And with that, their whole thing is they won't get bank accounts to, like, anything in the pot industry. Anything in, like, the porn industry. Okay. Anything that's high risk for them, they, like, won't give yards or accounts, too.

01:24:05:17 - 01:24:30:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Okay. So I had to, like, kind of like, I was like, well, this is just graphic design. And also within that graphic design, like on our store, like, we're not selling anything. That's any risk. There's no risk. Any anything. Yeah. I think with that name also, I knew that going into it was like, we can't do anything that's like crossing a line or you almost everything needs to be like, PG.

01:24:31:00 - 01:24:32:16 Austin Spencer Yeah, I like that. Yeah, yeah.

01:24:32:18 - 01:24:53:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Because with that name, if you, if you, if you lean into that, it just, it loses its, it loses it the fact cheekiness. Yeah I yeah like I think I think with that name people immediately assume that like I wanted to break the assumption that like it's going to be anything like it's like it's written on the walls.

01:24:53:11 - 01:25:21:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And so yeah, I first it started out as this full blown like I wanted it to be like a clothing brand. I wanted to be, like, I, I, I wanted to have, like, a brick and mortar store and then, as the for the further I got into it, the more I realized that, my design career was suffering and my, with the things that I was already good at or doing were like, I, they weren't the forefront anymore.

01:25:21:18 - 01:25:48:18 Blaze Ben Brooks And I was diving into this and to be immoral. Yeah. Like I was like a fashion art clothing designer. Yeah. Then a, you know, artist. Illustrator. Yeah. And kind of had to dial it back and. Yeah, let's, let's, let's, let's reconfigure this so that it works. I'm still working and being and doing the things that I, like and want to do.

01:25:48:18 - 01:25:54:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And not just focusing on this thing that is outside of my scope.

01:25:54:12 - 01:26:06:13 Austin Spencer Yeah. I think it's easy to get into that too, where everyone on Instagram or stuff, you know, we see everybody just builds their own brands out of every single thing they're doing. And then it becomes this whole entire business and it really does. I mean, I'm fall victim to it all the time.

01:26:06:14 - 01:26:29:01 Blaze Ben Brooks I fucking yeah, I felt it. I felt it diluting me. Yeah. And it was like, okay, are we just going to do this or are we just going to do me? And then I kind of just had to find this nice, fine line of, like, stupid symbolism. Yeah. If anything, I just, I now I just use, I use the LLC as, like that is my that is my business.

01:26:29:03 - 01:26:34:21 Blaze Ben Brooks My yeah, I was me but a great learning.

01:26:34:23 - 01:26:57:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Experience. I feel like I learned so much about myself doing that. I learned so much about the whole process of starting a business and doing it legitimately, especially here in Vegas. And, yeah, now it, is also just, I guess, kind of synonymous with me. Yeah. And, yeah, I'll probably be like doing a few more releases with.

01:26:57:15 - 01:27:19:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, here and there. But yeah, just try to also find time for it, I think. Yeah. I think since moving back, I've been very busy and working with a lot of these, like, new businesses that open up here to the point where any extra time I do have, I try and, give it to myself, give it to my friends, give it to my girlfriend, my family.

01:27:19:20 - 01:27:21:08 Austin Spencer Finding some level.

01:27:21:08 - 01:27:22:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah. You know, it's it's.

01:27:22:22 - 01:27:27:18 Austin Spencer We actually stop and smell the fucking roses. Like, enjoy life for a minute. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

01:27:27:18 - 01:27:33:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Because it it's a little bit more. I still have a lot of travel to do. Yeah, yeah, it's something I've been to Europe, dude.

01:27:33:04 - 01:27:36:03 Austin Spencer Oh, yeah. You gotta go. Yeah. That's that's some crazy fucking.

01:27:36:03 - 01:27:42:13 Blaze Ben Brooks And I went to Japan and, January, February and that was. Yeah, nine once.

01:27:42:17 - 01:27:46:21 Austin Spencer My 40th birthday, I was supposed to go to Japan. We had the trip and Covid hit.

01:27:47:03 - 01:27:49:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Dude. Yeah. No. Yeah. You gotta go.

01:27:49:17 - 01:27:53:09 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, we went to China last year, so. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, that was awesome.

01:27:53:11 - 01:27:56:12 Blaze Ben Brooks I feel like I'm just like, I only want to travel to Asia for sure.

01:27:56:13 - 01:28:11:17 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. Like that. Japan right now is awesome. I think we're gonna try to go. My mother, in-laws from the Philippines. So we're going to go over there, too. And then maybe we want my wife and I want to go get tattooed in South Korea, because there's, like, a ton of fantastic tattooers over there doing some super wild shit.

01:28:11:17 - 01:28:32:18 Austin Spencer But, and, yeah, you got to, got to travel. I was super land and got this that Lars Lu guy. Yeah. He's like, yeah, fucking godfather of, like, neo trad, essentially. I don't think these days too many people even know who he is, you know? Then how much influence he had on all of Europe, Australia and the States, like all of their neo kind of trad style stuff.

01:28:32:18 - 01:28:41:02 Austin Spencer Dude. That's legendary. That dude was all wild humans. Yeah. Wildest human I've ever met die. I could go on. I could do a whole podcast. Just about all the stuff.

01:28:41:02 - 01:28:42:19 Blaze Ben Brooks You get him over here? Yeah.

01:28:42:21 - 01:29:04:14 Austin Spencer He is a really fascinating do or bring this untamable human like, really. I've, like, hands down the wildest person I've ever met. Like, I had such a good time, I spent to. I fucking flew over there with the appointment to get tattooed by him, and then he just kind of looked at me like, oh, yeah, well, we could talk and see if we want to do it.

01:29:04:16 - 01:29:20:11 Austin Spencer And I was like, luckily I didn't react, you know? Yeah, I was just like, okay, cool, man. I would love to take you to coffee and see if we could come up with something. You know, I already had like a full description of everything I thought he was going to do. I went there to get a giant skull and some flowers.

01:29:20:13 - 01:29:40:02 Austin Spencer I collect, like different skulls from different people. And he was like, no, I coffee? Yeah. Two days after my appointment, which I still didn't get tattooed, went to coffee with him. He was like, talk to me. And we just sat down like this at lunch and had coffee and fucking chilled. And he was like, you're a bird, you're going to get a bird.

01:29:40:03 - 01:29:41:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Wow. Which is a rat. It is like.

01:29:41:13 - 01:29:49:13 Austin Spencer Energy. Yeah. And then he was like, we're gonna get along with your mother looking up at you and keeping an eye on you and all this stuff. And I was like.

01:29:49:15 - 01:29:51:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, he okay, you did a reading?

01:29:51:05 - 01:30:01:20 Austin Spencer Yeah, you did in full on, like, then there's like the German, like, what do you call it? It was like a, like a thread or something that went around the brooch and held the brooch on. I was like.

01:30:01:20 - 01:30:02:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Wow.

01:30:02:10 - 01:30:06:19 Austin Spencer Okay. And I just fucking did. It was awesome. His best tattoo experience I've ever had.

01:30:06:19 - 01:30:21:06 Blaze Ben Brooks That's so sick. I think like that. Like like you couldn't come up with that yourself either. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like that. That's one of those things where, like, someone had to bring that back. He had to bring that to you and say, yo, this is what I'm feeling you need right now. I talked to him for, like, being open to.

01:30:21:07 - 01:30:29:23 Austin Spencer Almost two hours, like just there, just. And he was just telling you about my life and everything. I'm like, I don't know. I was like, that's the craziest tattoo. Extra hits forever.

01:30:29:23 - 01:30:35:10 Blaze Ben Brooks I kind of wanted to be like me so much more than just they, hey, can you do a scroll on me?

01:30:35:10 - 01:30:37:07 Austin Spencer Yeah. There's it's there's so much more. I'll tell you.

01:30:37:07 - 01:30:39:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Later. What? Oh, my God, it's really wild.

01:30:39:19 - 01:30:59:06 Austin Spencer But, Yeah. So, I just kind of want to touch base to like, some of the cool. These, my family is a huge Tom petty family, so I grew up like, I smoked weed with my dad for the first time at a Tom petty concert, and, so I just thought it was so cool when I saw you do some work.

01:30:59:06 - 01:31:02:05 Austin Spencer You were. What was it you were doing? Like rebranding of something so new.

01:31:02:10 - 01:31:22:14 Blaze Ben Brooks That was actually the big job that gave me some of that extra cash to start. Yeah. It's like studios when it comes to Tom petty. I've always been a fan, but also was not like a, like, super fan. I was it was. Yeah. Yeah. But was, you know, in the rotation with all my other stuff.

01:31:22:15 - 01:31:59:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. With that I think. Oh, well, I guess we'll just start from the beginning. In 2019, Adria Petty, his daughter, took over, the like a state and was with our, our family. And they wanted to rerelease wildflowers the album. Yeah. The way her dad wanted it to be released. So the whole story with that album was there was an extra 15 songs left off the record because.

01:31:59:21 - 01:32:24:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, because the record company didn't want, they didn't want, they weren't willing to take the chance on a double record. Oh, okay. It was going to be too much money. Who's going to be too much to like, get out? And they were worried that with all that content it would just kind of fall into. Yeah, oblivion. But Tom was very adamant like dude, like, I stand by these 25 songs.

01:32:24:14 - 01:32:51:05 Blaze Ben Brooks I want it like this. And they will. They weren't willing to make it happen. So, before he passed away, you, told Adria like, this is my dying wishes. I hope wildflowers will be released the way it was supposed to. And so she took that project on headfirst and was like, we're going to make it happen. Or for the record company, I think it was.

01:32:51:09 - 01:33:00:12 Blaze Ben Brooks It was through Warner. Yeah. To get that whole project going. So it was pulling all those songs out of.

01:33:00:14 - 01:33:01:08 Austin Spencer Okay. Yeah.

01:33:01:08 - 01:33:28:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Wherever it wherever they were. Yeah. Because I know, in the beginning or when they first were cutting the record, Rick Rubin helped him dial it back. Oh, okay. So they hired him to, like, work with. Yeah. And work with the band, to, you know, what can we take away without taking away the album?

01:33:28:17 - 01:33:49:15 Blaze Ben Brooks And that's what the first release is. So the second, or what with the rerelease, it was going to be all the bonus features. It was going to be all the demos. And AJ was looking for someone to illustrate, a piece for each song. Oh, shit.

01:33:49:15 - 01:33:51:18 Austin Spencer So which is like 30 fucking.

01:33:51:20 - 01:34:16:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. They came to me and they were like, we need to at least from, like, just bare bones. We need 25 illustrated pieces for my cat. And they loved it. And so, so they love all the design work I was doing for tattoo artists and for tattoo cards. Yeah. And they loved, like, the, the, the paper textures that were on there.

01:34:16:19 - 01:34:27:03 Blaze Ben Brooks And all that kind of came at like the perfect time aside from Covid hitting. So Covid hit like while I was making that deal. And thank God I like took the deal.

01:34:27:03 - 01:34:29:06 Austin Spencer Oh yeah. Because that just.

01:34:29:08 - 01:34:46:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Because it was all set up and everything was like, we did like a couple test illustrations just to make sure that they liked it. And after two they were like, all right, let's, let's run it. And so I signed up for 25 and then whatever else was going to be, actually, we were gonna figure out along that way.

01:34:46:18 - 01:34:59:20 Blaze Ben Brooks And so I was busy during all of Covid. Yeah. I was like, I was so blessed and lucky and thankful to like, be able to I know a lot of friends, like, were not doing well during that. Yeah, yeah.

01:34:59:20 - 01:35:01:22 Austin Spencer A lot of people were not fully got shut down like.

01:35:01:22 - 01:35:04:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And I had a newborn. I know it was.

01:35:04:21 - 01:35:06:00 Austin Spencer When we started Maverick.

01:35:06:02 - 01:35:07:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, yeah.

01:35:07:15 - 01:35:11:10 Austin Spencer Two months before Covid. So all the fuck. And then you just were.

01:35:11:10 - 01:35:18:21 Blaze Ben Brooks So busy all the way through. Yeah. Dude, I did like I did. I did the whole, like I did the illustrations for each song.

01:35:18:23 - 01:35:20:22 Austin Spencer No distractions either, really.

01:35:20:22 - 01:35:30:04 Blaze Ben Brooks I mean, I social media or I feel like I feel like it was more of a distraction to stay home with my roommates and like.

01:35:30:06 - 01:35:31:10 Austin Spencer Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay.

01:35:31:10 - 01:35:32:22 Blaze Ben Brooks There was a lot of, like, drinking.

01:35:32:22 - 01:35:34:11 Austin Spencer And in my head I'm living alone.

01:35:34:14 - 01:35:44:06 Blaze Ben Brooks So. Yeah, yeah, I'm like, oh my God. If anything, it was like more distraction of like, where's the world going like this is kind of scary. Instead of being able to, like, hunker down okay.

01:35:44:07 - 01:35:45:00 Austin Spencer Yeah.

01:35:45:02 - 01:35:50:17 Blaze Ben Brooks I got to put my head down. But yeah, again too. Yeah, there was a lot of that. Like just being like, hey, I have nothing else to do.

01:35:50:19 - 01:35:51:17 Austin Spencer Like, I'm going to work.

01:35:51:18 - 01:36:14:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I'm just going to crank this up. And so yeah, then after the after the 25 were done, it was okay. Now we got to put together the box, and we want you to, do this and this and that, and, it was, it turned into even more huge projects. Yeah, yeah.

01:36:14:15 - 01:36:18:03 Austin Spencer And probably your biggest project ever or, you know, like, I would collectively.

01:36:18:03 - 01:36:30:03 Blaze Ben Brooks I think so like, I think when if we're talking like in regards to one project, having the most amount of pieces and like, yeah, separate art works within one, it was probably what it probably is that.

01:36:30:06 - 01:36:31:15 Austin Spencer Yeah, I would think so, yeah.

01:36:31:19 - 01:36:46:03 Blaze Ben Brooks Because we even did I worked with the animator, Aaron Himes, to do we did a video for the demo. I saw that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. What's a song? You don't know how it feels.

01:36:46:03 - 01:36:48:01 Austin Spencer Yeah. Dude, that's so.

01:36:48:01 - 01:37:05:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Cool. And the demo, like, it got to the point to where I was listening to all this. A lot of the music for the first time. I was more of like a like a like a hit of Tom petty. You can you have listener versus. Yeah. Full albums. Yeah. And I think that also helped me in the artwork.

01:37:05:08 - 01:37:27:15 Blaze Ben Brooks I remember there was there was cabin down below is one of the songs. Yeah. And because there's two songs on the album with the word cabin in it. Okay, so there's cabin in the Woods and Cabin down below, and not knowing some of the context. I remember, like for the first like version of Cabin Down Below, I drew like another cabin, like in the woods.

01:37:27:19 - 01:38:00:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, sorry. A cabin like an actual, like log cabin. Yeah, yeah. And so, like, I got, like Adria rifts upon me. Like, this is actually like like the A camera boat. Oh, oh I like like there were things like, oh yeah. That's where I didn't know exactly what she was writing about or singing about, but. Oh yeah. And I think that also helped have like a just a fresh take or a fresh instead of someone who was super like Tom petty super fan.

01:38:00:11 - 01:38:07:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And coming from maybe like, like get more of a tattoo. Yeah. Background.

01:38:07:15 - 01:38:09:23 Austin Spencer Like they might take it too literal or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:38:09:23 - 01:38:17:00 Blaze Ben Brooks So yeah, it was, it was nice to be able to. And there it sounds like go through my filter I guess.

01:38:17:02 - 01:38:19:10 Austin Spencer And sound like they were awesome to work with and stuff too.

01:38:19:10 - 01:38:39:20 Blaze Ben Brooks So so cool. Yeah, it's a whole other set. Me and me and Adrian actually became, very close songs. It's fucking cool. In, that time and towards the end of the project, she invited me out to her house in Connecticut, and we had this day together. It was so special. It was like we had we had just finished the house.

01:38:39:21 - 01:39:10:22 Blaze Ben Brooks We had witnessed the project, and all that had rolled out the rollout. Like when better than planned. Everything was so solid. And she had, like, talk about a new project. And she was a car to the house. We drove out to Connecticut, and, it was so cool to, like, actually meet her in person. Yeah. Even crazier to, like, walk through a house and see, like, family photos.

01:39:10:22 - 01:39:36:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I'm done with, petty in, like. That's why I like, with everyone. She's a daddy's girl, too. She has. She has this, jukebox in her pool. There's usually a pool room with a pool table. I remember we walk into this room, she's like, hey, let's have a couple beers. This being a Budweiser. Yeah. We crack unbreakable Budweiser's.

01:39:36:16 - 01:40:04:02 Blaze Ben Brooks It starts down pouring rain like, so hard I'd never seen it. Yeah, we're seeing that hard in New York. Are we? W were in Connecticut. Then she starts playing these unreleased, records of her dad playing at the Fillmore. Wow. Over like these sick, like, high end speakers. Oh, I bet we're playing pool, drinking beers, and then she just.

01:40:04:04 - 01:40:28:08 Blaze Ben Brooks She points out this jukebox in the corner of the room. She's like, this was like a gift from my dad to me before he passed away. I want I'd like to show you. She put all the songs that remind me or remind him of me. Oh, or he wrote in their handwritten. Yeah, on the bottom of the jukebox, where you click the buttons.

01:40:28:10 - 01:40:55:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Dude, it was one of those experiences, like, kind of out-of-body, where you're just like, am I seriously? Yeah. Drinking beer, playing pool, listening to unreleased records. Yeah. Of Tom petty with his daughter right now and her. Oh, cool. And then, so her and her daughter comes in the room while American Girl is playing and asks, hey, mom, what was grandpa talking about in the song?

01:40:55:06 - 01:41:27:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And Adria gives the full background of how he had given to his girlfriend. Oh so cool. You know, dude. Yeah, I was losing my mind. Yeah. It's happening. It really felt like the the cornerstone moment of the whole project. It was like, this is like the perfect, like, tie off. Yeah. To like, this whole experience. And I've done work with them set and there's some new stuff coming out, but like, yeah that was like the cool, project.

01:41:27:11 - 01:41:57:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Man. That's incredible moments getting to hang out there and then so and so another part of that was, you know, horribly expressing, like, her grief with losing her dad. And yeah, it it really like when I lost mine, she was like one of the first people I texted her called. Yeah, yeah. There's other than call, call has also lost his dad and lost him around, like, the same time as me.

01:41:57:17 - 01:42:20:14 Blaze Ben Brooks And so I had, you know, thank God I had that as, like, a best friend to, like, you know. Yeah. Talk to about that. And just live that with I think so it's not even about the talking. It was more so knowing that someone else has been through something similar or some of the similar feelings. Yeah. I remember Andrew gave me one of the, like, best little pieces of advice when, like, I felt like the most paralyzed.

01:42:20:14 - 01:42:45:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Like waking up every day, just like, with nothing to do. Can't I don't I don't know what to do. I can't like, I can't figure this out. And to just to do one thing right, wake up, wake up and do one thing. That's all you do. Yeah. And you did that today small. And then you can maybe add to it, but just find that one thing and it became the gym.

01:42:45:11 - 01:43:02:08 Blaze Ben Brooks So it's like good. Yeah. It was like it was like that was that was that one thing. Because lay on the couch and just being numb is not drinking or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or even if it's any of do I do the drinking and have that one drink and then move to the next.

01:43:02:08 - 01:43:04:03 Austin Spencer Yes. Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

01:43:04:03 - 01:43:23:19 Blaze Ben Brooks But like she is someone to me that is so special that I did not expect to be such a large part of my life, my career is so cool and was really. Yeah, it's. So when I was a Tom petty, I can't thank him enough, I really don't. I never got to meet him. But yeah, I got to meet a version of him through her.

01:43:23:19 - 01:43:29:03 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah. I have this huge Tom petty painting I did for my sister. She's a big fan. It still hangs in her house.

01:43:29:05 - 01:43:30:16 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, you got to show.

01:43:30:16 - 01:43:52:19 Austin Spencer Me. It was cool. It's a weird time when I didn't have any money. And we just started the shop, and, there was a furniture store next to us, and they would fill up the dumpster and we'd get kind of irritated at it. But then I started with, cardboard. Yeah. So I was like, fuck it. I took all the cardboard out and I started cutting it really nice and layering it, and then hand painting on it, and then building these three dimensional cardboard sculptures that were wall hanging pieces.

01:43:52:21 - 01:44:03:20 Austin Spencer And then I would paint on them with, like, watered down black ink and then black, and then it would like, run down and, and tear away the top layer of the cardboard and create these like, crazy textures.

01:44:03:20 - 01:44:06:07 Blaze Ben Brooks As I say, the texture on the sounds like, and then.

01:44:06:07 - 01:44:21:20 Austin Spencer Even do stamping with the texture, like with the black ink. And I just, I was like, I have a bunch of black ink and I have free cardboard and a hot glue gun. And my whole living room turned into this fucking phase where I went through making these giant fucking sculpture. I just gave some of them away actually, recently.

01:44:21:20 - 01:44:23:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, oh, I got to see these. Yeah, you got a.

01:44:23:22 - 01:44:24:15 Austin Spencer Friend so.

01:44:24:15 - 01:44:24:23 Blaze Ben Brooks Sick.

01:44:24:23 - 01:44:33:13 Austin Spencer But yeah. So anyway, Tom petty is like, definitely like, that's cool. And even weirder. My wife's boss grew up in a house next door to his parents.

01:44:33:17 - 01:44:35:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Oh, no way. In Florida.

01:44:35:20 - 01:44:51:09 Austin Spencer I guess they had a house. It was maybe a vacation house in Wyoming. Okay. Yeah, so I'm sure. I'm sure. Yes, you have to ask her about that. But anyway, he's like, yeah, I read a time out. Tom petty would roll up in his tour bus and get out and go into the house, and all the kids, neighborhood kids would run around.

01:44:51:11 - 01:44:58:00 Austin Spencer We remember him smelling funny. I was like, Maybe I'll get weed.

01:44:58:02 - 01:45:00:06 Blaze Ben Brooks To unfamiliar smell.

01:45:00:08 - 01:45:02:06 Austin Spencer I know that's funny, but yeah.

01:45:02:08 - 01:45:11:20 Blaze Ben Brooks That's another cool thing about, doing work for, you know, him and his estate is, everyone has a top story. Yeah, right. I mean, like, it was.

01:45:11:20 - 01:45:21:21 Austin Spencer Like, one of the greatest songwriters, like, ever in and, you know, and and I don't know what you call and it's just it was able to share that with so many people all over the world. It's really.

01:45:21:21 - 01:45:39:07 Blaze Ben Brooks Cool. Yeah. So just on a whole different scale, like, yeah, it's nuts. It reminds me of, when I was 16, my dad bought me a VW bus and we redid it together and driving around that thing, it was like, that was bad, but like, my dad's like, number one close. Like, dude, everyone has a story about a VW bus.

01:45:39:07 - 01:45:48:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, like, no matter what. Yeah. No matter where you pull up on a red light stop sign, you park it. Yeah, someone's got something to say about it.

01:45:48:19 - 01:46:02:01 Austin Spencer At some old Cadillacs. And I had some funny stories about, like, just all that. Like, here's this old lady at a gas station towing Toyota. Oh, I had a lot of fun in the back of one of those one time, I was like, oh, my God, lady was like an old lady, like, make you blush over here.

01:46:02:07 - 01:46:10:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Having a cool car is cool. Telling you start getting to me. Those stories are like, okay, I'm just trying to get from point A to point. Yeah, yeah.

01:46:10:09 - 01:46:32:14 Austin Spencer Yeah, totally. Oh, man. Right. I feel like I could talk to you all day long. I don't know how I know. You just don't even feel that you got to work on a lot of really cool projects. And it's just, I don't know, it was really, really impressive. And I just love your attitude and approach. I, I genuinely I'm like, so happy to have you in our city and leaving your mark, like you said.

01:46:32:14 - 01:46:53:10 Austin Spencer And I'm going to butcher another quote. I remember Dave Chappelle. He said something his dad said, you can't change the world, but you can sure as hell work on your block, you know? And it was beautifying your block and just basically putting your all into your community and where you are and including others. You just seem to be so good at that.

01:46:53:10 - 01:47:03:19 Austin Spencer And it's just it's just fun and it makes me feel good when I drive around our city. And I love the outlook on elevating the the esthetics of our city is really cool.

01:47:03:19 - 01:47:31:07 Blaze Ben Brooks So man, thank you so much for that. Good for you. Thank you man for saying all that you have and giving us here a platform to have these conversations. I don't think, a lot of us even, have the courage to start something like this or, even want to, like, take it on a station like this on a scale that is so public.

01:47:31:07 - 01:47:48:18 Blaze Ben Brooks But, like you were explaining to me, yesterday, not doing it is is just worse. Do you get it? Yeah. There's there's there's no, nothing's gonna happen unless you just take a step and hope for the best, you know?

01:47:48:18 - 01:48:01:18 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, just you got to put yourself out there. You got to have. And just try to have fun and not take yourself too seriously. You know, it's like I stress myself out sometimes in the mornings, even before this is like, you know, try to nail it, you know, be the way you want to. Do you want to do good?

01:48:01:18 - 01:48:09:00 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I do think that there is obviously that's a very important trait as a human, an artist or whatever. And.

01:48:09:01 - 01:48:10:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Quality controllers. Yeah.

01:48:10:14 - 01:48:15:21 Austin Spencer You should be pushing yourself and especially pushing yourself in an uncomfortable position, you know, like.

01:48:15:22 - 01:48:20:18 Blaze Ben Brooks Tattooing that that comes with practice, like. Yeah, quality only comes with the more you do it.

01:48:20:22 - 01:48:38:23 Austin Spencer So I was thinking about the other day too, is like, with tattooing is so odd because like, you learn a publicly like so I, I see a lot of tattooers hesitant to put their selves out there, you know, with video and through social media and everything. But I'm like, bro, your whole career, you're learning and you're putting it on somebody.

01:48:39:03 - 01:49:06:13 Austin Spencer They're leaving and showing it to everyone. So you could look back, like, I look back at my tattoos and I'm like, oh, yo, you know, like I was going through this phase then, or I was trying this out and you have to. But that's kind of a even more extreme way of putting yourself out there. Like, these people are permanently showing your weird ass work, maybe because you got their more inspired for six months to do weird tattoos or something, you know?

01:49:06:15 - 01:49:23:15 Austin Spencer So why are you so concerned with putting yourself out there? Like, now? I feel like, also like, as tattoo tattooing taught me how to thicken my skin as an artist, you know, I could draw. We talked about, like, putting yourself out there and drawing in front of people and then then just going, nah, that's, you know, don't even say like that sucks.

01:49:23:15 - 01:49:41:11 Austin Spencer And you're like, oh, God, okay. Or, you know, you put all of your time and energy into building this portfolio back in the day. Reset portfolios, you know, and you look through a client would come in and just flip through like everything your heart and soul you put into and then go now and you're just like, shit.

01:49:41:12 - 01:49:51:17 Austin Spencer But you can't take it personally because it's just not for them, you know? And like, you just gotta keep putting it out there. You gotta keep speaking and singing or fucking taking pictures of dancing or whatever it is. Get it out of you.

01:49:51:18 - 01:49:52:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Keep expressing, you know.

01:49:52:23 - 01:50:07:03 Austin Spencer You have to and you'll get better. Like 1%. Like every time you do something, you get a little better. And I think that that's like, I just feel like I can't not do it. Like I can't not try something like, I just I have to, you know, it's. Yeah. And you have to.

01:50:07:03 - 01:50:13:09 Blaze Ben Brooks Not keep working, not following that inner voice is. Yeah. The start of dying.

01:50:13:11 - 01:50:27:08 Austin Spencer Dude is so intimidating, taking, cut back from tattooing and starting to just focus on these other projects. You know, I felt like a loser. But at the same time, I'm like, what? I'm trying. I'm, like, trying to do something new and put yourself out there. But I know it's I.

01:50:27:08 - 01:50:34:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Hear that I feel like, I do a lot less tattoo, related work nowadays. I know you.

01:50:34:06 - 01:50:36:04 Austin Spencer Got, like, a whole new, interesting direction.

01:50:36:09 - 01:51:03:06 Blaze Ben Brooks And there's times where I'm like, oh, man. Like, I, I hope people don't see it as like, I just went and did the cards, infiltrated and then dipped out. It's more so I see myself still following and getting to, what all my tattoo friends are doing. But for me, it's just like, I'm taking this step over here for a little bit, and, I yeah, I love it.

01:51:03:07 - 01:51:04:22 Blaze Ben Brooks I'll be back. I'll be. Yeah. I'm around.

01:51:05:04 - 01:51:14:08 Austin Spencer You're going very. That seems like a very just illustration heavy lady. You know, like, a lot of, like, really big, more intricate illustrations and stuff. It's cool to see you grow.

01:51:14:08 - 01:51:41:11 Blaze Ben Brooks And I think that's the challenge right now is just like doing heavy illustration and combating AI and like, trying to just like, do it in a way that the process feels unique and correct and like, therapeutic to me. And, doing it for the reasons I started it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:51:41:13 - 01:51:44:15 Austin Spencer Get the sketchbook out and just draw it. Yeah. Draw. Yeah.

01:51:44:15 - 01:52:08:10 Blaze Ben Brooks I'm like fighting boredom again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's also like, remind myself to, like, get bored. Sometimes it's harder as we get older because we have so much more responsibility. Yeah. As we and we started we gained spaces and we gained these things to take care of. But, I just, I think trying to remind yourself to get bored and then find ways to combat it.

01:52:08:10 - 01:52:24:23 Austin Spencer Like it's like sit down to and just sitting down to like, put yourself in the position to create is, sometimes difficult. But it's like one of those things, like going to the gym, you know? Yeah. Like once you're at the gym, you're like, okay, I'm fucking here. You know, once your feet hit the floor and you get out of bed, you're like, okay, I need to do this.

01:52:25:01 - 01:52:42:04 Austin Spencer I mean, and then you start to enjoy it. Yeah. I call a mental speed bump in our family. You know, it's like when you just kind of hit something and you're like, like, you got to shake that shit off, dude. And just, like, put one step forward, sit down, draw with your kids, paint, fucking go take photos at the park on a walk or whatever.

01:52:42:04 - 01:52:49:08 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, it's intentional about it, you know? Yeah. I don't I don't feel like something has to come out of that.

01:52:49:10 - 01:52:51:00 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:52:51:00 - 01:52:57:09 Blaze Ben Brooks The pressure of that, it can ruin the moment of it. That's another process of it.

01:52:57:09 - 01:53:16:01 Austin Spencer Yeah. Like an entrepreneurial spirit kind of sometimes is like I would constantly I'm like, am I wasting my time or yeah, yeah, yeah. But you, I, you just have to shut all that out. Like, I'm currently chasing these new, not new, but like, just yeah, just new paths and stuff. And I'm like, should I be doing this? And then I'm like, no, you know what?

01:53:16:01 - 01:53:19:07 Austin Spencer Fuck it. Just go for it. Dude. This is try it. Yeah.

01:53:19:09 - 01:53:36:11 Blaze Ben Brooks You know, do it for the sake of doing it. Yeah. Not for the sake of I need to sell this or. Yes, whatever comes out of it. It needs to do something for me. Yeah. Do you doing it is doing something for you. I think that's. Yeah, that's that's a big one. Yeah. The process is what's doing it for you.

01:53:36:12 - 01:54:07:08 Blaze Ben Brooks And I think that's what like a big reason why people have, you know, some I think a lot of us artists are like, we hate I really yeah, we hate this artificial intelligence, taking away our, our processes that are so therapeutic or so helpful to us because the process of creating or of making or of doing, like those processes are what is helping way more than the outcome.

01:54:07:12 - 01:54:37:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, the outcome or the, the art piece or whatever the finished thing is. I don't think people really realize that the process has just as much value as that, or even more value. Than we then we do now. I think they think especially with things that are just like creating the outcome. Yeah, it's really letting us reflect on how making the thing is the real kind of star of the show.

01:54:37:23 - 01:54:38:13 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah.

01:54:38:15 - 01:54:43:07 Austin Spencer Do you feel like the air and water, you know, how do you I don't want to open up the whole, I think, even more.

01:54:43:10 - 01:54:46:06 Blaze Ben Brooks But we could do a quick one. I do feel.

01:54:46:06 - 01:55:07:21 Austin Spencer Like I don't think that us as artists should be as afraid of it as we are, as a lot of people seem to think. I, I do feel that there is a there is something I feel like I is kind of like the guy who's emulating you, you know, they're behind you. They're only going to be able to be behind you.

01:55:07:21 - 01:55:24:01 Austin Spencer I, I feel, you know, if you're working your ass off to be creative, to really, truly find yourself and express yourself consistently and aggressively, you're all, you're gonna stand out and you will have this unique look and touch I like, I don't know you.

01:55:24:03 - 01:56:09:01 Blaze Ben Brooks I think people are worried about it beating them or. Yeah. Hey, at least timewise, like, yeah, the amount of time it takes. You try to, like, sit down and draw something. Yeah. Or make something or advertising purposes or anything in commerce. Yeah. People are worried that if a computer can generate something like that at 100 times the speed of you while they pick you, but I also see like there's there's tools within it, at least on the digital level or a coding level that like, you know, there's there's that I, I always see I like to be open to people's perspective on it.

01:56:09:04 - 01:56:21:14 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. But I think when it, when it starts to, take away from our, our processes and our, the value that we have in those things. Yeah. That's where I get a little.

01:56:21:16 - 01:56:23:19 Austin Spencer Like, nervous or angry.

01:56:23:19 - 01:56:50:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Or like, you know, afraid of the unknown. Yeah. And when you don't know how something you don't understand doesn't even works or you are worried that it's like, just taking from you without you knowing, like, yeah, that's that is scary. Yeah. Yeah. I think people are a lot like people should be afraid of that. I think it's, it's a even, like a privacy thing, but like, outside of that, it's just it's more.

01:56:50:08 - 01:57:00:13 Blaze Ben Brooks So is it. It's pulling us in a direction that is so far away from what progress really is.

01:57:00:15 - 01:57:13:06 Austin Spencer Yeah. You think it's just. I mean, do you think it's. Just like it'll create all of this slop and everybody will just be like, is that the term that everybody uses for it? Be like, it's polluting.

01:57:13:06 - 01:57:49:23 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, it's just for spaces that we go to for inspiration. And I think that really bums me out. Yeah. Like places that I feel or at once I felt, I could trust as being, a space for seeing artwork made by humans or I could trust that someone sat down and made that, or someone put their own ideas and thoughts into a process that was either made by hand, or they spent a lot of time on the software to work it out.

01:57:50:01 - 01:58:14:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. And, and solve the problems that are within it. Like, like I think I think when you take that little bit of, like, like I was saying earlier, my design process is so much around fitting and, working out the problems of all this text needs to fit in this space this way, and I want it to feel and evoke this emotion.

01:58:14:20 - 01:58:25:10 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, whatever is generating a piece that I am, if I were to write that out and it will prompt and making it, it's not thinking that way.

01:58:25:12 - 01:58:26:11 Austin Spencer No.

01:58:26:13 - 01:58:44:20 Blaze Ben Brooks It's just going to it's it's just it's taking that whole thought process out of it. And then in a way, yeah, I think that's why that's what we're calling it. Swap is yeah, there's no intention behind it other than the words that you were putting it putting into it.

01:58:44:22 - 01:58:54:07 Austin Spencer Yeah. I just feel like, I don't know, like it's never really is going to have soul, but I'm. I could be totally fucking wrong. I don't know, but I think.

01:58:54:09 - 01:58:59:16 Blaze Ben Brooks I think the, the issue there is you're, you're trying to convince people that it does.

01:58:59:20 - 01:59:00:23 Austin Spencer Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

01:59:00:23 - 01:59:23:08 Blaze Ben Brooks And when it starts to convince people that it does, that's where it that's where it's scary. Yeah. Because the like being able to go on to a space whether it be Instagram or gala, you know, like Tumblr or, Pinterest or these places, are known to be, inspiration.

01:59:23:10 - 01:59:25:13 Austin Spencer Yeah. Yeah. I, I yeah, if.

01:59:25:13 - 01:59:49:00 Blaze Ben Brooks You're going to these spaces with the trust that you're seeing things that other people are making or even Etsy, I've even heard that's a thing recently. Yeah, yeah. People like I go on these places for references sometimes. Yeah. And if I can't trust that, like, I, another human made it. Yeah. Or it came from the origin. Space is not a human.

01:59:49:00 - 01:59:50:00 Blaze Ben Brooks But I can't trust that.

01:59:50:01 - 01:59:51:12 Austin Spencer I've already seen a huge shift. And I'll go back.

01:59:51:12 - 01:59:52:20 Blaze Ben Brooks To books, man, I'm going.

01:59:52:22 - 02:00:13:10 Austin Spencer As that's what I was going to do too, is like, do you think that will just change direction? I mean, like, I don't know, like I grew up pre-internet, you know, like there was no inspiration on the internet at the time. It was. So I would go to the Sahara Library and literally like open books. And that's how I got the inspiration to draw my first tattoo on my, like, look at that library.

02:00:13:10 - 02:00:36:21 Austin Spencer But so maybe like younger people in my anybody Lego start going those directions or start. Yeah. Just finding other I fucking stopped using Pinterest because I go on there for like interior design inspiration. And I'm like, that fucking picture is not real. Like, I almost feel like when you go to Pinterest now and you type in what you're looking for, it generates images based off of what you're typing in.

02:00:36:23 - 02:00:48:15 Austin Spencer Like, I'm looking for modern desert landscaping, bungalow style and like very like particular with it. And then I'm like, I almost feel like it's like fucking making images live right there to fit.

02:00:48:15 - 02:00:52:05 Blaze Ben Brooks Naming me. Does that not feel like pollution to you? Does. Yeah. Which is.

02:00:52:05 - 02:00:52:16 Austin Spencer Why I.

02:00:52:16 - 02:01:01:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Shy away something I had to sift through. Yeah. To find the thing I want to trust. Yeah. The the or the real information.

02:01:01:08 - 02:01:14:20 Austin Spencer No, I yeah I totally agree I but then that's one of things to also like tangible things like the zine you gave me today. I'm like I used to collect, I still I mean, I have them all over, like I have books all over and I'm like, those are now so special. So there's this I'm.

02:01:14:21 - 02:01:17:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Adding value to tangible.

02:01:17:19 - 02:01:26:02 Austin Spencer I know that it keeps you. Yes, I know that. And the story of the printing and everything is like all just beautiful shit to me. So I think that they'll just this would be this huge analog boom, right?

02:01:26:02 - 02:01:29:05 Blaze Ben Brooks I agree. Yeah, I think it's it's going to push things like record sales are.

02:01:29:05 - 02:01:47:12 Austin Spencer Like tripling every year are getting bigger and bigger like younger kids are looking at 90s like you can't buy a fucking 90s boombox for less than a thousand bucks. There's some shit, you know, it's like all of those things. Like, I watch a video about a kid the other day. He buys fucking VCRs at garage sales and flip some for like 200 bucks on eBay.

02:01:47:15 - 02:01:51:10 Austin Spencer And I'm like, that's funny, because I need a fucking VCR. And I gave away all my fucking VCR.

02:01:51:12 - 02:01:54:17 Blaze Ben Brooks I have an extra one for you that actually, that's for. And like the,

02:01:54:19 - 02:02:01:10 Austin Spencer Little units with the tape and the TV in it, those are pretty fucking pricey, like on Facebook Marketplace, and they don't even work. And the hundred and 50 bucks, I'm.

02:02:01:10 - 02:02:01:20 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, yeah.

02:02:02:01 - 02:02:09:18 Austin Spencer But so I but I kind of like that. But then also it's like fucking expensive too. It's all makes all these analog stuff. And I'm like.

02:02:09:19 - 02:02:10:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Take some space that's.

02:02:10:21 - 02:02:14:09 Austin Spencer Getting that's kind of scary, you know, because I think to find something I would.

02:02:14:09 - 02:02:35:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Rather contribute to that than the opposite. Yeah, yeah, I mean, like, I think if you're artists out there, start thinking tangible, start thinking analog. Yeah. Because that's going to be what people can trust. Came from a source that is human. And well, I.

02:02:35:06 - 02:02:53:15 Austin Spencer Think also like more likely to find inspiration that's unique that everybody else isn't seeing on Instagram and stuff. So if you're digging through weird old books at garage sales and you see some weird, like I love fucking books printed in the 70s, there's a book, bookstore in Montana that has over 600,000 books in it, and they've been open since the 60s.

02:02:53:15 - 02:03:10:08 Austin Spencer And you could walk through that thing all fucking day and find, like, manuals from the 60s and 70s and, you know, all these just weird shit. And I just, I buy books just straight up and for, you know, the illustrations on the covers or, you know, so I think people will be more likely to kind of go that route.

02:03:10:12 - 02:03:12:17 Austin Spencer I don't know, I, I mean, I think it should be.

02:03:12:22 - 02:03:31:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, I, I hope, I hope that's the thing and I, I hope that direction are people starting to move that direction. We'll also wake these other like apps and companies and inspiration hubs to crack down on. Yeah. Yeah. Generated content like that.

02:03:31:17 - 02:03:38:03 Austin Spencer Yeah. Yeah. I noticed they start labeling it here and there. I don't know how they do that or whatever, but like on Pinterest it's not. It's just it's.

02:03:38:03 - 02:03:44:06 Blaze Ben Brooks Just like, no way to like go through all of it. Especially with that with the speed that it's coming out.

02:03:44:06 - 02:04:03:23 Austin Spencer But only weird thing I do kind of see is interesting on a, like the AI generated architecture through Pinterest is that you're seeing weird shit that humans wouldn't necessarily or I don't want to say humans, but like me, I've just never seen before. I'm like weird shapes and architecture and stuff that's like, well, that's kind of cool.

02:04:03:23 - 02:04:12:19 Austin Spencer So then. But that just inspires me personally to like, draw like weird shit that's like like that. So I kind I'm just try to think positive about it, you know?

02:04:12:21 - 02:04:27:10 Blaze Ben Brooks So I, we want to all like, say like, dude, screw I get out of here like, this is all lame. Like, if we're being honest, we've all seen a little bit of it. And been like, well, that's kind of cool. And then we realize that, say, I have to go, oh no, I'm not allowed. Like I'm not allowed to like that.

02:04:27:12 - 02:04:53:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. So I, I think, I think we can all admit in one way or another, we've seen something come from it that is new to us and. Yeah, or a little bit interested in it and go, well, like, yeah, that's kind of cool. But then I think, that after that, like quick little of inspiration, it's also kind of like, yeah, it still feels, it's still feels a little, disingenuous.

02:04:53:12 - 02:05:12:14 Austin Spencer Yeah. You know, but I, you know, like, this is kind of like my message lately that I've been thinking about and want to try to get artists to think about is don't even look at it as the picture in the general, the photo generator and all that shit don't get. I don't even use it for that. But I do use it for helping me understand how to build my website, how to make my website better, how to make it more effective.

02:05:12:19 - 02:05:31:22 Austin Spencer You know, so like if we are selling our prints and all this stuff, like it's now pretty awesome that you could go into like Shopify and use their AI, which is just like a personal professor at your fingertips. You know, I'm like, okay, well, how do I like how do I make this work? I, I don't know anything about coding.

02:05:31:22 - 02:05:40:09 Austin Spencer I don't know anything about fucking like, I don't know, you know, it just makes it to where you could use it to almost like, expand just your business side of your brain when.

02:05:40:09 - 02:05:41:08 Blaze Ben Brooks It comes to, like.

02:05:41:08 - 02:05:41:15 Austin Spencer

02:05:41:15 - 02:05:52:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Learning through data and numbers and, anything, I guess more computer related or, stats.

02:05:52:11 - 02:05:53:20 Austin Spencer Really strong suit.

02:05:53:22 - 02:06:16:22 Blaze Ben Brooks Is, is a, it can be a huge help. Yeah. I, I, it has its uses and then I also then on once I go through all of that and go, what kind of resources is this taking from our own like yeah. Environment. I'm like, is that is that worth it? Or like, do you like us as humans or as a collective as like a race?

02:06:17:00 - 02:06:27:21 Blaze Ben Brooks Like we could do this ourselves without and and and have way more water in our world and have. Yeah. And not have to take as a data centers. Can you find a different way to power yours up or like.

02:06:27:23 - 02:06:32:07 Austin Spencer Yeah, yeah, I it's really like I don't know much about all that complicated. You know, it's like a.

02:06:32:09 - 02:06:42:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Number two think that like, yeah, we could do this better. I think that was one of my big things about being in Japan was like, I feel like this place is doing a whole lot of shit way better than we are here in America.

02:06:42:16 - 02:07:04:01 Austin Spencer China too. Dude. Yeah. China was mind blowing. Like, I was like, they're living in the future over here, dude. Like, you don't go anywhere like, you could just walk around with your phone and get through your whole life. You just like I scanned my phone on a fucking bike. And at $0.25, I can ride this bike all the way across the city and then just drop it back off, and they, I can jump in a cab.

02:07:04:01 - 02:07:09:03 Austin Spencer I could jump on a train. Everybody's clean and kind. It's super weird there.

02:07:09:06 - 02:07:36:15 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah, the the intention. Yeah. Is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So spot on. Yeah. For, like, being efficient and taking our time and keeping things safe and, clean and just doing it the way that feels. The it feels good to do. Yeah. For ourselves and for others around us. Yeah.

02:07:36:17 - 02:07:48:00 Austin Spencer I definitely I definitely don't like the way it makes a lot of, like, artist friends and stuff. Feel insecure and like, we are almost like, oh, I'm going to give up because this, you know, and I'm like, no, I can't fucking give up. You've got to like, keep going.

02:07:48:00 - 02:08:09:17 Blaze Ben Brooks Like I think at the moment this week of like a little bit of discouragement and just like then there's because there's this whole idea of like, if you spend too much time on social media, you start to like, think that whatever the discourse is online is how it is actually in the real world. It's like even that is yeah, incorrect.

02:08:09:17 - 02:08:12:04 Austin Spencer Like I'm incredibly careful what I click on.

02:08:12:06 - 02:08:26:04 Blaze Ben Brooks Like, yeah. Or if you saw, you know, the same issue come up on like maybe 2 or 3 different posts and you go to the comment section, those three instances where you look through the comment section of a singular issue, you now think that.

02:08:26:06 - 02:08:27:05 Austin Spencer Everyone thinks that's.

02:08:27:05 - 02:08:38:02 Blaze Ben Brooks How everyone is seeing the world. And I think that that's what brought me back to the the person who is first to comment or first to say something is probably listening the least.

02:08:38:04 - 02:08:43:10 Austin Spencer Yeah, and those comments might be fucking fake to me. And I don't know what to believe. Yeah, it's super weird.

02:08:43:10 - 02:09:01:00 Blaze Ben Brooks And that's that's like sitting down and having it. I mean, it's also rare that we get to like, thought this long. Yeah, yeah. But talk to your friends, like, reach out to your friends. Talk to your. Talk to your block. Yeah. That's where it starts. And that's where it. It's okay. You're going to be. That's where you're going to be.

02:09:01:00 - 02:09:29:08 Blaze Ben Brooks Don't worry about how like what is going on in the whole entire world. You're not being unhealthy mentally. You're not going to do something about that. You, but you are going to do something as friends and gears and colleagues and in your circle. That's where you can make a difference, and that's where you can just keep it, keep it human, keep it personal and keep it real.

02:09:29:08 - 02:09:34:11 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Like that. That's that's my that's my send off. We're going to.

02:09:34:13 - 02:09:44:08 Austin Spencer That's a good send off. Fuck man. Yeah I think that's perfect ending to like, you talk forever. Yeah. We talked for like two hours yesterday. I got worried that.

02:09:44:10 - 02:09:46:22 Blaze Ben Brooks I don't know, man. We have a lot. We got a lot to cover.

02:09:46:23 - 02:10:01:16 Austin Spencer Yeah, we kind of went on a whole different direction, so. But, Fuck yeah. Dude. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Was really cool. It was really, really cool to work with you for so long and finally get to know you even more, you know? So you got to come over for barbecue.

02:10:01:16 - 02:10:03:23 Austin Spencer I'll show you. My mom's, like, portfolio.

02:10:04:01 - 02:10:04:16 Blaze Ben Brooks Hey, that's that's.

02:10:04:19 - 02:10:05:21 Austin Spencer Really impressive, dude.

02:10:05:23 - 02:10:07:17 Blaze Ben Brooks That's nice. Thank you.

02:10:07:19 - 02:10:10:05 Austin Spencer So obviously we know where to find you.

02:10:10:07 - 02:10:13:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Yeah. Blaze. Ben Brooks. Yeah, kind of everything.

02:10:13:21 - 02:10:15:01 Austin Spencer Great sex studios.

02:10:15:05 - 02:10:22:12 Blaze Ben Brooks Great sex studios, fourth street, Las Vegas. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You see me out and say hi.

02:10:22:15 - 02:10:45:12 Austin Spencer He's nice. Dude, he's very approachable. I know. So thank you guys for listening. I think I'm supposed to start asking you to subscribe or at least consider it. Think about the YouTube channel. We're trying to learn how to grow that and, just hopefully provide, like some fun, entertaining conversations and some shit we can learn from and and enjoy.

02:10:45:12 - 02:10:51:06 Austin Spencer Maybe. Yes, painting or tattooing or doing whatever, driving in the car on the train or whatever. So thank you guys.

02:10:51:06 - 02:10:51:22 Blaze Ben Brooks I appreciate you guys.

02:10:52:04 - 02:10:54:15 Austin Spencer Everything is awesome. I love you guys.

02:10:54:15 - 02:10:55:19 Blaze Ben Brooks Bye bye.