Here's to 300

It’s been 2 years since I last sat down to write a blog post like this, and wow, so much has changed. 2 years ago I was celebrating my 200th blog post, and today we celebrate 300. Three Hundred. That number feels so….surreal. So impossible. How can I have written 300 blog posts, how is there possibly so much to say and keep saying on one subject? At the risk of sounding repetitive to my 200 celebration post…somewhere out there is a young Lynn that can not even believe the scale and scope of this blog and what it has become.

The Lynn that started this blog was in the midst of their apprenticeship. I was in charge of social media for the studio, and this was the summer of snake eyes- requests for the dangerous horizontal tongue piercing were over the time. We got nearly a message every single day about them. And I was tired of typing out the same response over and over about how unsafe they are. Plus, wasn’t I always hearing work smarter, not harder? I decided to listen- and I wrote my first blog post. It was an in-depth deep dive into why these piercings were unsafe, citing dental studies and including photos of what happens when they go wrong. I wrote it, selfishly, so I could link clients to a single post and not have to keep typing out the same thing over and over. It was always intended just to make my life easier at the studio. What I was unprepared for was that other piercers liked the concept. Enough that they started sharing the link with their clients. I decided to write a follow-up about surface anchor placement, also a popular request in my area. And again- other piercers liked it. I found myself standing at the start of something I would never have anticipated.

When I wrote my first ever blog post, I was in a not-so-great situation where I was not permitted to have much contact with other piercers or others in the industry. I was told other studios were competition no matter where in the world they were. I was told other piercers would never support me. My social media and my phone were monitored as part of my apprenticeship- no contact with other piercers was strict. And while much of this blog was designed for education and answering clients’ questions, it was also my lifeline for a long time. My blog posts were an excuse, a reason to talk to other piercers and interact with the community. When people were sharing my blogs or asking me questions about them it was one of the few times I was allowed to communicate with other piercers. I had grown up around the industry, going to my local piercing studio, interacting with piercers online. Having that taken away in my apprenticeship was isolating and lonely. The blog was a reason, however small, to remember there was an amazing community out there. One I might someday be able to rejoin. It was a small window into the world I missed being a part of terribly much. Over time, I felt like my blog posts were little letters in a bottle to the peers in this community I longed to talk to again. I hoped they would see them, see how hard I was working, and be proud of me for sticking it out in an industry notorious for people dropping out and quitting. I couldn’t text my old friends and ask for critique on a piercing or tell them how I was doing. But I could write the blog posts. And I could hope they would see them.

When I finally left that situation and came forward about the abuse, my blog took on new meaning. I used it to tell my story and to begin to share education and resources with others who may be in situations like mine. Through my blog, I was able to get out information about fair pay laws, sexual assault and harassment in the workplace, and ethical workplace conditions. Writing about this was healing for me too- every blog was a letter to the version of myself who didn’t have those resources. Who didn’t know it wasn’t normal to be working 7 days a week, unpaid, and be emotionally and physically abused at work. Eventually, I would get messages from other apprentices and piercers in similar situations who told me how my blog helped them. Inspired them to leave, and made them realize they were worth more.

I keep every single one of those messages, and I have cried over them more times than I can count. I am endlessly proud of every single person in this industry who leaves their shitty studios and bad situations and stands up for themselves. That is exactly why I write some of the things I do, and if even one person ends up in a better situation because of it, then everything was worth it. These messages give me hope, warm my soul, and heal a little part of me every time, knowing that others are safe.

As the blog has grown, there have been ups and downs. I’ve written blog posts that I look back and cringe at (my first cheek piercing blog post was lackluster at best, and possibly harmful at worst. I skimmed over so much essential information, and didn’t explain well enough everything that goes into those piercings. I worry I may have inspired a number of folks to go into them ill-prepared for the reality of them, and I hate that.) I’ve had coauthors and started doing interviews, learned that I love sitting down and talking with others, even if I hate transcription. The blog has grown into a community, into a beautiful collage of different voices, different thoughts, and so many messages about spelling errors (oops).

And that’s the direction I want to see it move in more. So as I sit here, writing my 300th post, I am so excited to say that going forward, I want to write less and read more. I am lining up some interviews for the blog I am very excited about, and also have a few folks working on guest blog posts. If you’ve ever had a topic you want to speak on, if you think you have some important things to say and an interview feels right for you- reach out! My DM’s are always open at @lynnloheide and I want to uplift your voice, and share your story and your thoughts.

Thank you all for 300, and heres to another incredible chapter at the blog.

<3 Lynn