Jessica: Hello friends! Jessica here today practicing community and social distancing with Gigi.

Gigi: Hello!

Getting to know Gigi 

Jessica: I first met Gigi in January when you came into the studio to have your nostril pierced by the very talented guest piercer we had, Ursula Thompson. So I guess to start, why don't you just tell me a little bit about yourself?

Gigi: I am a college student at University of Oregon, currently studying art and journalism. I love body modifications body piercings tattoos. I got one actually after my nose piercing. It's very cute. It's a cat on my arm.

Jessica: Oh, I love that!

Gigi: Right?

Jessica: That's so cool. Where did you go?

Gigi: Tattoo 34. It's my favorite shop with my favorite artists.

Jessica: They are in Hawthorne Portland, aren't they?

Gigi: Yes. Awesome!

Jessica: Yes! One of my favorite restaurants. Now, I can't remember what it's called, but I have really good french toast is on that street and I passed them a couple of times.

Gigi: You should go! They're amazing

Jessica: Oh and awesome!

Jessica: So tell me a little bit more about why you love body modification so much.

Why do Gigi love body modifications so much?

Gigi: So, I've always been very self-expressive with my body. I've dyed my hair all through middle school, all through high school. My natural hair color. This is my natural hair color. It was pink and I think it really comes down to like, it depends on what kind of body modification. When it comes to tattoos, I love tattoos because for me, art has always been such a soul food. And I went a couple years without creating art. I was going insane. It was terrible two years and so like being able to put something I love on my body and then knowing that it's permanent because being an artist, being human being in this world, there's constant change. No matter how hard you try to create an anchor, things will always change. And I mean, it's good because we need growth but it's also kind of nice to have a constant and you yourself, you are constant with yourself throughout your whole life and so I think you can change how you look and those can be different but I think with tattoos, it's very much like okay, this is with me forever, and it's kind of safe, you know?

Jessica: Yeah.

Gigi: When it comes to piercings, I love piercings because it is jewelry and it's a more intimate form of jewelry that is very self-expressive. I've had my tongue pierced, I've had my nose pierced twice. I've had my ears pierced and I don't wear my jewelry all the time. When I do, it exemplifies myself and my features so that's why I really like tattoos and piercings.

Jessica: I love it, that's awesome! I agree. I'm also an artist, and I also went through a really dark two year period where I didn't create anything but I got a lot of things created on me.

Jessica: Like I hear you -

Gigi: Yeah right!

Jessica: I dyed my hair yesterday, so my [inaudible 3:47-3:48]

Gigi: Oh my! I love it so much. I did it with my roots.

Jessica: I put my mask on and went to Albertsons and bought some box of dye.

Gigi: I like it so much. I know, I am like, wear my gloves, wear my mask, we're getting some hair dye.

Jessica: It's necessity, it's like it is.

Gigi: It is.

Jessica: It is. Yeah. Well, especially coming from, one modified person to another modified person and an artist to another artist. There is that part of your soul that almost starves without being fed and I went through that two to three year period where I didn't create anything and it was almost me and my soul were not one.

Jessica: You know what I mean?

Gigi: I do 100%.

Jessica: Right.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: It's like the next and I was very much feeling that when the pandemic happened, because everything shuts down.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: And you go from in the zone and busy, busy, busy and you were going to art classes and all of this stuff, and then it's quiet. And that quietness is so almost triggering I think for a lot of people.

Gigi: Yeah. No, I completely agree. I mean, I haven't been able to go out and get more canvases. I've painted all of these.

Jessica: It is beautiful.

Gigi: Thank you. Yeah, I don't know if you can see them that well, they're all on my Instagram anyway.

Jessica: I like it.

What does painting do to Gigi?

Gigi: Yeah and so I've been trying my best focusing more on drawing but painting has been a very good outlet for me of my emotions and how to express myself and so I feel like I'm bottling it up, and it does feel like that starvation that kind of almost deadly silence that you're just falling into a black hole again and it's terrifying, because those were the worst two years of my life, you know?

Jessica: Right!

Gigi: But I think as artists it's our responsibility to adapt in our world right now. It needs us more than ever before. We need hope, that's how the human race survives, unfortunately.

Jessica: I agree. I'm also thinking back and maybe this is true for you but when I started to get sucked in, I remembered, I just needed to feel more like myself so I dyed my hair at three in the morning and I did a zoom call with my best friend and we both dyed our hair at three in the morning, and it just made everything feel like me again.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: And it was like that deadly quiet, just kind of you could hear the hum of life again.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: Because I feel like as artists, I think that everyone has a specific role in society and I am not a scientist, I can't speak to being a scientist and I'm not a mathematician, so I can't speak to being a mathematician but as an artist, what I see is feelings.

Gigi: Yeah,

Jessica: A lot of that is if you're not right and centered in yourself, then you can't translate anything that you see. It's just all of this raw emotion that just pours through you and you can't channel it anywhere.

Gigi: Exactly! And I think it's really important that it becomes a universal language that people can start feeling like they can do it. I have tons of friends that are like, oh, all I do is doodle and I'm like, that's great. You don't have to be good at art. You don't have to be the masters to channel your feelings into something because I think a lot of times people just bottle it up and we've gotten better as this generation has been moving forward, about therapy and mental health and being able to talk about all these things but it's still important that we allow this kind of, I guess what I'm trying to say is we create that bridge that is needed for people to cross into our world because it's something we need to share and that's another thing too is a lot of previous artists and a lot of great artists are very Lone Wolf's and that's what I'm learning about is very egocentric, very narcissistic. Artists that would not work with people, but I'm also learning about great artists like Sol Lewitt, who would create blueprints that anybody can make and it's just as authentic as if he hadn't done it.

Gigi: Human is completely flawed.

Jessica: Yes, I agree!

Gigi: Because otherwise, then you're just a robot.

Jessica: Exactly!

Gigi: You're not human.

Jessica: And I would almost say that flaws are a lie from society on what is not true because if you think of what I like to do bringing it back to modification.

Gigi: Yeah, for sure.

Jessica: I love to pierced or tattoo parts of my body that I'm almost afraid to bring attention to because it makes you feel brave and then it also you feel like you and then it also almost feels like this big like, you know, FU to society kind of like. I am me and my flaws aren't flaws. They actually make me unique and I would almost go as far as to say that your flaws are just learning curves in which you're growing as a person.

Gigi: We agree! Yeah, flaws, human society just deemed flaws but I completely agree with that. So that's so awesome because a lot of people don't like, can't wrap their head around that when -  I feel like they kind of understand it, but I think on a different depth we understand what we're both like kind of saying, you know?

Jessica: Yeah.

Gigi: I think it's really funny is like, the people that are most attracted to, and I think are the most attractive people are the people that society deem as imperfect or ugly, right? Yeah, I'm like, I call myself something beautiful. It's like, I can't remember but anyways, it's like just, we're all beautiful in our own ways and I just really love human beings. I have a huge part for them in my soul.

Jessica: Me too. So I used to be a customer at Avanti and actually came into the studio when I was in the middle of that really dark time and when I had actually just scratched I have I graduated from George Fox with my Bachelors of Arts. And I just graduated and I just gone through my senior thesis and I'm not sure where you are in Art, but the senior thesis kicks everyone's butt.

Gigi: Good to know!

Jessica: And that's normal and it's okay.

Gigi: Yeah, Okay!

What happens after Arts School? 

Jessica: But it's very much a growing experience because you'll enter or at least I did, I don't want to speak for you but I graduated and then I was like, now what? Because what do you do with an Art degree?

Gigi: Right? that's why I'm like also journalism because I think it has something with that.

Jessica: It's my second interest, too.

Gigi: It's like I can't use something without at least to make money in the meantime.

Jessica: Well and so what I learned is, so I went straight from Art School to working in a restaurant and from working in a restaurant, I thenI worked at a Coffee shop and then I worked at a bank and then I worked at Avanti and everything I wanted to do in Art School went into Avanti.

Gigi: That's awesome!

Jessica: Which was not at all what I was expecting because it is a piercing studio and a jewelry store and I was like, I didn't want to work at a restaurant anymore and I really liked my experience at Avanti and it have been such a transformative time for me. I got my septum pierced which disapproves like-

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: -society like No-No piercing, my dad was always like, " You're gonna look like a cow"

Gigi: Oh my god. My dad said that too.

Jessica: Every guy I'd ever been with was like, why would you do that?

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: And I was like, why wouldn't I? Right?

Gigi: It's not for you. It's for me.

Tattoos in the eyes of society

Jessica: Right? And I'm like this, and so that was the first thing I actually did for me was getting that because I've gotten tattoos but I feel like tattoos are kind of like your parents don't like them, but everyone else is okay with them.

Gigi: Yeah, I know right.

Jessica: Like, "Oh, why would you do that?" And everyone's like, "Oh, sick tattoo that!"

Gigi: I like your tattoo, man.

Gigi: I would never. You know? Yeah, no like, well, the thing is my dad, my parents are artists as well.

Jessica: Oh, great.

Gigi: My dad is very particular. The only way he'd ever get a tattoo is if he had been-if he tattooed himself. He'd been studying the tattoo, the art of tattooing for many years and became perfection at it, it just needs it to be perfect otherwise, he'll hate it. My mom just doesn't like permanent things.

Jessica: Oh, that's awesome!

Gigi: Which I think is really funny because that's what I love about tattoos is that they are permanent but I know it's not going to change.

Jessica: Me too, kinda fact.

Gigi: Right?

Jessica: Growing up, I was obsessed with shadow boxes and [inaudible 22: 18] in the shadow boxes. And so when I started getting tattoos, I felt like I was collecting memories and my body was becoming the shadow box.

Gigi: That's so awesome. I love that!

Jessica: And so that's what I like, what I love so much is because I'm collecting pieces of, everyone's like, "Oh, what do your tattoos mean?" I never tell anybody.

Gigi: Yeah, no, right.

Jessica: But each piece of it is a reflection of who I was in that time.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: And then I get to hold on to that memory because I feel like you will either go two ways in life. You'll either become someone who continually grows and continually changes and continue to nurtures or you'll become someone who implodes.

Gigi: Yeah. And that's like-

Jessica: It becomes all about either victimizing yourself or forgetting who you were and losing your humility.

Gigi: Yeah, and just being able to like, I can sleep with myself at the end of the day.

Jessica: Yes, exactly. I'm like, when I look at the mirror, I want to see who I am.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: I don't want to see anyone else. And, you know, like, I had to take out my lip piercing and I didn't even realize how much of that changed how I felt about myself removing it.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: It was like, almost cried in my car. And then I went and I came into work the next day, there's a guy that removes it and one of our sales associates, I think it was Gigi also she wanted to cry with me because it's such a part of you, you know?

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: Was that the same with your nostril piercing or-

Gigi: It was difficult. The first, okay so last time I got pierced like a year prior or whatever. That was devastating for me to take out because it was infected and I had to clean it in and I couldn't get it was like a whole thing. And I was also going through really tough times. So I felt I was losing another piece of myself and so, because I was in such a bad place at that time, it was very devastating. But right now because I knew like, Okay, I know I can get this repierced, it's not the end of the world. I have the jewelry like this sucks but I was in a much better place so I was very okay with putting it on pause and  being able to be to say like, I can come back to this. It's a temporary thing.

Jessica: Yeah!

Gigi: But it was very difficult. I think if I had to get a tattoo removed, I would cry because I love it. I think about how it's like I get into like an accident or something and like skin burns off or something or like-

Jessica: I do too.

Gigi: Right? And I was like "No, [inaudible 25:04]"

Jessica: You have to get stitches and they stitch it crooked.

Piercings are temporary

Gigi: Right? Or it's like you have surgery and they have to ruin or they mess it up and I'm like, "Oh, that's terrifying." Like, that's my biggest fear. When it comes to my body modifications, I think what I love about piercings is that they can be temporary. You can put them back in like it's, but like, anything happens to my tattoo and I'm like, okay, like I'm devastated.

Jessica: Yes, no, I would be yeah, that's true. Piercings are almost like temporary permanence.

Gigi: Yeah!

Jessica: You can have it as long as you want but it also like you can remove it and do it again, you know?

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: Sometimes there's limitations. You can really only pierce scar tissue so many times before it becomes a problem.

Gigi: It's so true.

Jessica: Those are probably good, you're fine.

Gigi: I know, right? well, I've had my ears pierced 14 times throughout my life in the same spot because let me tell you. Growing up, I'd always go, it was before like tattoo guns were illegal. I always would get it with a tattoo gun, it always get infected and always close up. Where I came to, I went to a shop, a tattoo piercing shop and they pierce it properly, and I had no issues and I was so ecstatic because I've had my ears pierced for three years now and they haven't closed up and for me, that was the best thing, the best day ever was like knowing that like okay, it's not gonna close up again because I wanted my ears pierced so bad. You could just never sick. It always get infected like super super infected like have to be on antibiotics.

Jessica: Ohh!

Gigi: It was just like, I think that was one of the most frustrating things for me--growing up was because I just like I wanted it so bad.

Jessica: I understand. Were you pierced with the piercing guns before?

Gigi: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The first 13 times were piercing gun and then when I did it with the needle, out of piercing shop, amazing.

Jessica: Yeah.

Gigi: Idiots.

Jessica: So that's one of the things we're doing at Avanti is mostly we cut, so when I came on to Avanti, I knew nothing about piercing, other than like I've been pierced.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: And so we're like, whoever customers also know nothing and I'm like it's probably everybody. So I'm like really realistically like at least 90% probably don't necessarily know why piercing- I didn't know why piercing guns were bad.

Gigi: Yeah, me neither.

Jessica: Right? I was 22 and got my second stun with a piercing gun.

Gigi: Yeah, just like [inaudible 27:52] and you're done

Jessica: And then I start working at Avanti and I learned why you don't do use piercing guns and like it does blunt force trauma and that's actually why they tell you to twist your earrings? Piercing guns because the trauma causes the tissue to grow over the earring. When you're pierced with a needle, that doesn't happen.

Gigi: That's insane.

What are we doing here in Avanti?

Jessica: Yeah and so it's a whole new world to me and I am like "Oh, so that's one of the things we're doing at Avanti." And actually one of the reasons why we're doing all these interviews is to bring, first off bring hope to everybody, because everybody needs a little hope, especially today.

Gigi: Yeah.

Jessica: Also to empower everybody to just continue to be themselves, check in with our regulars and be like, "Hey, how you doing? We're still here." And to also educate everybody because I know better and I've been tempted to pierce myself like -

Gigi: Right? Yeah.

Jessica: Other people are out there feeling the same way and we just got to bond together. It'll be over soon.

Gigi: We just gotta hold it in. Breathe.

Jessica: We gotta hold it in.

Gigi: I know because like, man. I think when I was kid like four, I wanted my ears pierced so bad and my older sister was eight and we were like, let's just do it so she put pierce on my ear and then took the earring and it's bleeding and my mom was like, "What are you doing?!"

Gigi: Yeah, lots of fun experiences. I'm sure people are trying to pierce themselves through this time.

Jessica: I know. I've seen it on TikTok.

Gigi: Oh, really? I've been seeing all the  cutting hair videos and like dyeing your hair video and I'm like, that's a mood, that's a mood right? I'm like, don't shave your head, Gigi. It wants you but don't do it.

Jessica: I did. I like my razors actually out like my buds cutter? Yeah, you can hold up you don't need it because I've been growing my hair out -

Gigi: Yeah, me too.

Jessica: -this year sometime. No,  it's up in the air because of the pandemic but I've been growing my hair out for the wedding and I'm like, I could be a bald bride.

Gigi: Literally, right?

Jessica: You've been growing your hair out for a year, you got to hold on to it.

Gigi: Right? I shaved my head sophomore year of high school and then this is what this is since then, this is what's grown.

Jessica: Oh, that's awesome!

Gigi: I know and I'm like, don't, don't do it. Just get through this part of your life where you need the long hair and then you can do whatever afterwards.

Jessica: Well, I think I will wrap it up here.

Gigi: Yes.

Jessica: But I have enjoyed talking to you so much.

Gigi: I know, I concur. It's been wonderful.

Jessica: I'm really excited to see you when this is all over so we can get your nostril repierced.