Gearhead records revving up again
The kids have gone back to school and the next phase of the year arrives gently here in Northern California as the air takes on the tinge of fall. I love the fall. The rich colors of ripe tomatoes and ruby-tinted leaves are enhanced by the deepening hues of sunlight.
I have spent the better part of this year continuing to clear out the old, and searching for my authentic joy buried beneath dusty boxes of records and old posters. The light is starting to emerge as I let go of what once was and create space for what is coming. Thirteen years in the making, the Gearhead brand is evolving, changing, and maturing, but still full of that punk DIY attitude that allowed it to spring into existence back in 2000.
If I told you this had been an easy joyful task, you would know I’m lying. It has been a bigger challenge than I ever thought possible when I first started down this path three years ago, closing my store, and putting Gearhead Records on hiatus.
Searching for the passion that spurred me to create this company thirteen years ago has been a monumental task, and one that has taken me on a journey all the way back to my childhood as I searched for clues about who I am now, a woman almost fifty years old, and who I was then, and how the path unfolded leading me to many painful lessons and many exceptionally amazing experiences (I’ll write more about this in my blog).
Those of you still with me on this journey know of the many painful transitions that have accompanied Gearhead Records over the years. You know of the successes and the extreme failures. The fact that you’re still with me thirteen years later is a testament to your willingness to support the creative process, the ups and the downs, the highs and lows, the mistakes and the triumphs of running a small business.
There were many times these last few years when I thought I would throw it all away, and just close the company down. How relevant is a company like Gearhead in 2013? Built on old-school principles of great customer service, community, passion, entrepreneurship, and good old-fashioned elbow grease, in this day of instant visibility of You Tube and Facebook, do these traits even matter? Today, you can just choose a template and create an amazing looking website (myself include, check out the new Gearhead Records site!)
In less than five minutes, you can launch a new product (please enjoy our brand new limited edition Gearhead Hair Pomade) or t-shirt line (Fan-funded, please support us and buy one of our cool new shirts) worldwide and never leave the safety of your own home or even talk to another human being. You can find all the art and design templates you want to use for yourself simply by clicking a button, never having to tap into your own creative voice.
You turn on TV and the once secretive worlds of tattooing, record collecting, vintage housewares, building a hot rod or making moonshine is spread out before you, like a treasure map leading you to believe you can have the same life simply because there’s a reality show about it.
You don’t have to come by the information by living it; you simply copy what you see on TV and Voila, you’re a household phenomena, like the painfully tragic Honey Boo Boo.
Despite all this, I believe there is still a place for a company like Gearhead. There is still interest in supporting the way-showers who take a chance on something new, something previously unknown and unproven, that comes from the depths of one’s own creative imagination and authentic voice. There are still people that like to shop the independent boutique stores and support the artist or musician they see on the street corner. There is still relevance in creating a brand by putting out new records, t-shirts and other merchandise that may only see a fraction of sales world wide, but it’s enough to allow the creator to keep dreaming and creating.
Part of the fun of having your own business is the creative surge that comes with tapping into new ideas and then finding a way to bring them forth into the world, manifesting something brand new, out of the void of nothingness.
This newsletter sees Gearhead Productions, Inc., the parent company for all things Gearhead, celebrate its thirteenth year in the business of music, clothing and printed matter. Finally I see that yes, there’s still a reason to keep on going, there’s still lots of neat new music, clothing and stuff to write about to share with others. Closing the company down would be a disservice to the community that has supported it through thick and thin, believing in the vision that sometimes was foggy at best.
So please check out the first new products in over three years: Gearhead Hair Pomade, and the Wrench and Roses shirts in Black and in White, and the brand new website, and continue to give us your support by making a purchase.
The shirts are limited edition, only available until Sept. 23, 2013 so please buy them now. Done on a fan-funded website, if we don’t reach our goal, the shirts don’t get printed. It’s a simple way of testing out ideas now that is one of the blessings of the new internet-based market place. You like the shirt you buy it. Enough people buy it, we meet our goal and the shirts get printed. You don’t like the shirt, you don’t buy it, and Gearhead is out no money, so the problems of paying first to create have been eliminated, a miracle for someone like me who filed bankruptcy because of ideas that didn’t always hit the market the way I imagined they would!
I would like to personally thank my boyfriend, “Cuz’n” Bill Lorenz, tattoo artist at Sacramento Tattoo and Piercing, the oldest tattoo shop in Sacramento, CA. His custom artwork decorates the labels of the hair pomade and the new shirts. His watercolor paintings have adorned countless posters, record covers, t shirts and stickers for Gearhead in the past, and will continue to do so in the future, because he loved Gearhead first, before we became a couple. Please check out his website, follow him on Facebook and Instagram, and buy some of his art, go get a tattoo from him, or hire him to create a custom piece of artwork for you. Unlike those flaunted on the TV, this artist comes from a place of passion and authenticity, respect for those who came before and the art form, and the desire to create a wonderful experience for those that bear his work permanently on their bodies or adorn their walls with his creative vision.
I would also like to thank my long-time assistant Heather Klinger for helping bring all these changes into existence. She’s got her own company now, Klinger Creative, but she continues to be there to help me with all the graphic needs of Gearhead, and I’m grateful for her continued support and enthusiasm. Her creative talent and ability to bring my visions to life never cease to amaze me. If you have a product idea, like new buttons, website design, or custom material, paintings or graphic design, please get in touch with her!
And finally, thank you to all you who continue to love and support Gearhead and me. Without you, I could never have made it this far in such a tumultuous marketplace. Thank you for joining me for the ride of a lifetime!
Putting the rubber back on the road,
Hugs n’ kisses,
Michelle
