Be careful what you ask for, you might as well get it!
Since my last article, (again!) a lot has changed. There's much to share, so I'll keep it focused.
Creativity Remembered
Roughly a year ago, I saw the need to practice, learn, and build a tattoo design portfolio for a future apprenticeship. What I didn’t grasp then was a deeper need: my creativity, mostly dormant since childhood, had first to be reawakened.
During last summer's roadtrip, a book on a friend’s shelf caught my eye – The Artist's Way. Its significance wasn’t immediate, but the seed was planted. Throughout the summer, my idea of radically changing my environment to dive deep into art slowly took shape. My main goal became to go through the process in that intriguing book: a 12-week journey to reawaken creativity!
Conversations with a friend from India mostly settled my choice of destination. Long story short, I left Europe in late October and dedicated 3 months to this purpose while living in Goa. It was perfect: peaceful, beautiful nature, not too crowded, affordable... I was even amazed to discover a well-established international community of creatives there!
This process unexpectedly, led me to Bangkok (never part of the plan!) and sparked the complete rebirth of my project’s identity. With joy, I realized that everything I sought was already within me. I just needed courage to move on and time to allow earlier seeds to sprout.
Tattoo Certification
The biggest news? In March, I received my tattoo artist certification! This is very significant for me and for Heartkemy (you might notice the new name - previously "encralchimie" - more on that soon!).
My training happened at the renowned Bangkok Ink Tattoo Studio. My teacher, Aot, guided me through diverse styles and techniques. In four intense weeks, my skills improved a lot!
Yet, not all was bright. Bangkok’s concrete jungle starved my soul of nature’s serenity. More crucially, the language barrier with Aot (he spoke little English, I no Thai) proved deeply limiting. I longed for deep dives into tattooing’s nuances, but real conversation was difficult. Brief questions often left me with answers more confusing than helping. It was frustrating.
So, yes, I gained essential skills, but the path to professionalism stretches ahead. Thankfully, I now feel confident enough to start tattooing on my own. And the encouragement that I received there was vital: Aot, others at the studio, even clients, saw great potential in my work, sharing their genuine enthusiasm.
Shiva Shiva Shiva!
As you can imagine, the worship of Lord Shiva is hard to be missed in India. I believe it is not a meaningless coincidence that the first tattoo that I made after my training in Thailand was a design representing this deity! As an alchemist and explorer of Consciousness, I often get intrigued by the powerful meaning and symbolism that is associated with Shiva. The word "shiva" has been interpreted as meaning "that which is not." This is directly linked to the foundation of my artistic style: just as Shiva represents the unseen source of all form, my art reveals designs not by drawing them, but by defining their absence—leaving the skin of the actual shape untouched.
My journey led me to go to the Himalayas (Shiva's home) and visit Nepal. There, I had two main goals: discover the beautiful landscapes and spend 10 days in a Vipassana Meditation course. Yet, in the context of this article, what matters most is my encounter with Ram. This farmer, living near Pokhara with his family, runs a small storefront and chai shop from his home. Hearing about my tattooing skills, he shared his dream: a shoulder tattoo for his Baba (Lord Shiva). We agreed that after my meditation retreat, I'd come back to his village to live in his home for one week, and in exchange, I'd make his dream come true!
Executing this in his home was a real challenge! I needed special materials not easily found in Nepal. Thankfully, I found a tattoo studio in Pokhara that provided what I needed. Logistics settled, the tattoo turned out really great, and Ram is more than happy about it!
This became the first tattoo designed using the cocreative process I developed for Heartkemy. My approach is engineered to be a transformative experience rooted in alchemical principles. Seeing it work so beautifully, and Ram so happy, transformed theory into tangible confidence.
It is vital for me to recognize the significance of this project materialising, as it demonstrates the versatility of Sacred Exchange, which can take many forms, including resources, time, or energy. Sadly, scaling this model isn't realistic yet, but fundamentally, I believe we don't need money to live. Our current systems rely on it; we don't. I'm convinced that brick by brick, we can start today and build a new economy based on resources.
Ram captured the magic:
"I asked Shiva for a tattoo I couldn't afford... and here you are!"
I replied:
"I was looking for someone in Nepal who wanted to get tattooed. Looks like Shiva arranged things for both of us!"
Rebirth before birth
As mentioned earlier, "encralchimie" became Heartkemy. The original name, crafted from French "encre" (ink) and "alchimie" (alchemy), held charm... until its flaws became too obvious. Very few people could pronounce or remember this name. Also, using "encre" (ink) tied it too tightly just to tattooing, leaving little room for more. It felt limiting to my artistic spirit. Thankfully, encralchimie hadn't been truly kicked off yet.
Being open to change, the new name came to me during meditation. I decided spontaneously to adopt it. It just felt necessary and right. Immediately after, I knew that a deeper change was needed. I suddenly felt like Shiva (the destroyer) and dropped nearly everything: the logo, the slogan, the business card, the color palette, the website, and even most of my Instagram content... Most of it was transmuted rather than discarded as useless. I simply needed space for a new beginning.
Nothing was wasted. I didn't push anything. I allowed time for things to unfold naturally. Slowly, everything started to make sense! I was surprised by moments of clarity where unexpected beauty led to what you now see and read on this website. This rebirth was also the essential catalyst that led to the discovery of what is now my emerging artistic style.
Closing Gratitude
These past months came with multiple overwhelming challenges, inherently part of the path. With firm commitment and fundamental trust in my vision, I persevered despite the difficulties and uncertainties!
I want to close with immense gratitude to everyone with whom I shared these adventures through Asia (you will recognize yourselves 🤍). Without you, I have no idea where I would be today, but certainly not here, writing these lines. The guidance, the inspiration, the encouragement, the critical feedback, and the emotional support that I received are worth more than gold to me. From all my Heart, thank you 🙏🏻.
