First round of a sleeve I did on @just.josh.black a while back; I somehow never posted anything on my page about this; now it’s on TV and he’s sending me Reddit threads of people wondering who/what/where… 🦑📍
I haven’t watched much reality tv at all; but watching the kick-off of #marriedatfirstsight at Josh’s watch party, I saw others light up at a glimpse of someone I’m grateful to have as a friend.
I’ve known Josh since early high school; we’d walk to my house and play World of Warcraft. It sounds silly, but this was a game (IYKYK) where there was a deep sense of community and looking after each other, but to the outside world, it’s just a bunch of dorks (can confirm); but I think Josh and I were sharing that same energy with each other and, like many, escaping reality we didn’t quite know had a place for us.
Years later, Josh built a business from the ground up, got a few mentions in a little publication called Forbes, and has helped people in every direction find a place they belong. I’ve seen him help others when he had a government job, to taking care of his employees in his empire of a business. Sharing a laugh along the way.
He asked me to start a sleeve on him with a loose concept, and we picked up where we left off; old times and new success. I remember the second session he challenged me with a statement, “James, I think I’m about to do the craziest thing in my life…” and he shredded that he’d be off the following week to get married and put himself in front of the world; the same world we had escaped in World of Warcraft, found community, and later a sense of self that built him up to face fears and be him.
Knowing Josh, I saw the first episode and instantly saw the charisma and charm that he carries so little. It’s a nervous confidence (followed by an “absolutely”), that shows a self-awareness that as he leaps into what is in front of him at a meeting, a challenge, a festival, or getting sent into a new relationship and in a whirlwind of experiences he’d probably never dreamt of…
So here is the beginning of Josh’s epic sleeve; I’ll post more of it and a full healed sleeve reveal, or catch it on #marriedatfirstsight 😱💍📺
