Ian

[nrht]

I've been browsing and reading this forum for a few months now. I figured I'd get from behind the scenes, so to speak, and introduce myself.

My name is Ian. I am 22 years old and currently living in a small town in Pennsylvania. DIY and travel and trade have always been big interests of mine and I feel like I have learned a great deal in a small amount of time from everyone on this forum. I make very little money and want to keep life that way. Currently, I am working part-time teaching English to Korean's via telephone.

Musician by trade. I am some what of a multi-instrumentalist. Bass guitar being my main babe. (most recent band: www.myspace.com/theinformantdudes). I studied Audio Engineering in Phoenix, AZ (tempe/gilbert, AZ more accurately -- but fuck that place) and enjoy recording music, whether it be mine or the shitty punk band of preteens needing a demo. While in Arizona I started dumpster diving for food, for the first time, and realized how easily I could feed myself (and friends) with other people's waste. I lived in Chicago for a few years, worked in a recording studio for a bit, mostly not getting paid.

My brother runs an art gallery in this shitty town, which we started in Chicago as a collective project among many people. (http://www.weliveinnewyorkandla.com) As very few people in Tyrone, PA are interested in art, this mostly serves as a clusterfuck outlet for whatever project.

I dislike this state and prefer living in a city. I have two children who live in this area (5 year old son; Rainer and 1 yr old daughter; Sawyer), so I am always juggling 'doing what is right' and 'doing what will make me happy'. In trying to do both, I am currently working on obtaining a very large warehouse (125,00 sqft) I found for very cheap, to serve as a home base. The building currently only has electricity. All other utilities run to the building. I'd like to learn more about staying off the grid as much as possible. I want to use this space as a gallery, venue, skatepark, recording studio -- whatever else. I'd like to be able to host travelers, especially since Pennsylvania seems to be a bitch to make your way around. I'd like to make money unconventionally to fund projects to benefit the community and people who need it, as well as travel when money is needed. I want to use time and services as currency to build this space.

I'd like to introduce my children to this type of world/environment and have them experience travel with me. They can both fit in a large bookbag, haha.

I'd like to meet as many people as possible on here -- to be helped and help when I can.

Anything else, just ask.

 

[bryanpaul]

right on man...... seems like a bunch of folks in PA comin out of the woodwork lately......i just snooped on google maps and yeah, that is a tiny lil town....i love that part of PA tho...pretty country...just has that "past it's prime" decaying coal country feel though....but yeah.... welcome dood

 

[bryanpaul]

baaahahaha.... was snoopin on your website and seen the penn state "penistaste" sticker.....well played sir... i bet the locals around there love that one

 

[Cardboard]

Nice, sounds fucking rad Ian.
Thats actually how I got into this life, started a collective warehouse when I was 17, and met a lot of cool travelers that inspired the shit outta me.
I dont know whats around you, but maybe you should get out there and see some other places near by?
and read tons of zines from people that have made collectives and fucked up. Then you at least know what not to do. I will recommend some to you later, but take a lot of care when you get this project going. It is a fucking blast, and can be very successful, but it doesnt take a lot for it to fail, and more often than not, it will. And generally from the same mistakes as everyone else makes.
I'm always up for shooting the shit about making collectives, send me a pm if you want to kick ideas around. I have worked on forming probably 10-15 collectives in as many countries, and love to advise where I can.
Also your avatar is great. You look pissed/disgusted, but I couldnt take you seriously if I tried.

 

[nrht]

baaahahaha.... was snoopin on your website and seen the penn state "penistaste" sticker.....well played sir... i bet the locals around there love that one

Thanks man. The design is compliments of my brother (soledad on here) and my good friend Derk (dlbdlbdlb on here) just got 500 printed while he was in Lima and brought them to us. I want to put one on my car, but I don't have the money to pay for the smashed windows/windshield I shall receive. It's pretty discreet, though. The first few people I showed just thought they were PENNSTATE stickers (still, they were like.. "why do you have a rape sticker on your notebook?") and 30 seconds later gave the reaction of "oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh myyyy goooodd"

As for PA, I think you nailed this area very well. (Though, these parts are more of past-booming-railroad-towns-now-failing) It is very beautiful and peaceful here -- just not too progressive. The town where the warehouse is located, Huntingdon, is pretty progressive for the area, though. Juniata College, a good liberal arts school, is there. It's a quaint PA town with a decent amount of cool shops, old hippies and a constant intelligent youth influence. I think it could be promising. (The warehouse is also neighbors with the Amtrak stop and a river, not too bad)

Thanks for the warm welcome.

 

[nrht]

Nice, sounds fucking rad Ian.
Thats actually how I got into this life, started a collective warehouse when I was 17, and met a lot of cool travelers that inspired the shit outta me.
I dont know whats around you, but maybe you should get out there and see some other places near by?
and read tons of zines from people that have made collectives and fucked up. Then you at least know what not to do. I will recommend some to you later, but take a lot of care when you get this project going. It is a fucking blast, and can be very successful, but it doesnt take a lot for it to fail, and more often than not, it will. And generally from the same mistakes as everyone else makes.
I'm always up for shooting the shit about making collectives, send me a pm if you want to kick ideas around. I have worked on forming probably 10-15 collectives in as many countries, and love to advise where I can.
Also your avatar is great. You look pissed/disgusted, but I couldnt take you seriously if I tried.

Your help will be much appreciated, man. NY$LA has a zine collection (though none pertaining to collectives) and it would be great to get some to study and share. As far as fucking up, I am content with trial and error and failure and trial etc. I want this space, no matter what the idea of the project, and I have other people (with much more financial stability than myself) interested in helping, who are not looking for anything ($$) back in return. I want to be able to offer something to this area. I grew up around here and loathed this place because of all that it lacked. As far as my avatar is concerned and maybe me in general -- I have a hard time taking myself seriously.

I feel kind of scatter-brained at the moment, but I wanted to ask you:
How hard would it be to make your way around Europe with only being fluent in English?

 

[Earth]

we're doing something similar out here in CT as well with a huge wharehouse - actually industrial complex - which is to serve the art / music community; and I essentially live in a studio / gallery for over twenty years now. Yeah, the straight job in a factory is needed, but it allows me to do what I really want to do because I want to, not because I have to (there is a difference, trust me) including the whole music/art thing but more importantly my eco work. Since you posted some links about why you are about, if you go here www.facebook.com/otterwolf you can get an idea of what I'm up to these days....

Good Luck Brother, Much Respect...............