I am highly influenced by music. Trypnotik is a word that was a product of mid, to late 90’s underground music and art. There was a Moonshine Music compilation that came out in 1996 called Hard Hop + Trypno. I thought it was a cool word, and I gave it a spacy suffix. I have used the moniker for about a decade, and it’s what I’ve called my freelance business since I started trading Web sites in exchange for for tattoos in 2002.
I began exploring social media when I was throwing warehouse parties in Boston. There were two email lists; Boston Raves, and later Ian Scott started the Boston Parties mailing list. Boston Parties became wildly popular right out of the box, and the subscribers created a very strong, and loyal underground. All we had to do was send out one Boston Parties email with event details, and we had more guests then we knew what to do with… but those are stories for another blog.
I didn’t ever think that social networks were useful for anything besides keeping track of my friends in other states. I just got on board early, and really enjoyed it. Trypnotik was my first username, when I created my Friendster profile in February, 2003. Friendster didn’t go live until March 2003.
If you can be first person who can tell me what the Friendster Beta invitation code was, I will PayPal you five, lousy dollars!
I’m not the only one who thinks Trypnotik is the coolest word ever. Check out the endorsements here, or here. Google gave me those results, and a myriad of things with my name on them… most of them mine. Some I had forgotten about for years.
This is half an apology, and half a request. If you’re surfing around and you run into something with my name on it that..
- …offends your more delicate sensibilities; Please accept my most humble apology.
- …I might have missed, and should probably be taken off the Internet now; Please send me an email, right away.
Recently I heard the term “Social Equity” and it made me feel the same way that I did the first time I saw a jock wearing my favorite Green Day T-shirt. To think all this time I was doing what I liked, and people are actually talking about things like social branding espionage and strategic ways to get more followers. While this is all fine and good for those who are into it, I prefer a more personal approach to my online business identity.
Very soon now Trypnotik Visual will be once again open for business, and I will be attempting to supplement my unemployment check with real, live work. My brand has gone through as many changes as I have tattoos.
Just like tattoos, there are some that are nicer to look at then others; but I wouldn’t get rid of any of them, even if I could.
