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IN THE EARLY NINETIES,
I WENT QUITE INSANE [AND ALMOST BLIND].
IT WAS A DRUG CALLED D.M.T. THAT SPARKED IT OFF.
I HAD HEARD AMAZING STORIES ABOUT THIS ONE AND OF COURSE,
BEING A COMPLETE DRUG-PIG, I SOUGHT IT OUT.
IT IS SMOKED IN A PIPE AND IS INSTANTANEOUS:
IT'S LIKE COMPRESSING A 24 HOUR ACID TRIP INTO 15 MINUTES.
THE MOMENT I EXHALED, EVERY INANIMATE OBJECT CAME ALIVE
AND THE ENTIRE ROOM DANCED AROUND ME:
I LOOKED AT MY FAVOURITE PAINTING OF A BEACH
SCENE
AND I COULD FEEL THE WATER ON MY FEET.
THE CLOUDS IN THE PICTURE SCUDDED OFF ACROSS
THE WALLS
TOWARDS MY SOUND SYSTEM WHICH WAS DANCING WITH THE TELLY.
HOWEVER, A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WAS IN STORE IF ONE CLOSED ONE'S EYES:
EVERYONE'S DESCRIPTION DIFFERED, BUT THE
COMMON FACTORS WERE
BEING TAKEN ON A JOURNEY AT INCREDIBLE SPEED BY SOME BENIGN SPIRIT,
TOWARDS ENLIGHTENMENT AT THE FINAL DESTINATION.
SOME SPOKE OF INTER-STELLA TRAVEL AT WARP FACTOR TWELVE,
PAST SUPER-NOVAE AND RADIO GALAXIES;
OTHERS OF WHOOSHING THROUGH TUNNELS OF GEOMETRIC ELECTRICITY AT THE
SPEED OF LIGHT;
MY OLDEST FRIEND TOOK A TOKE, LOOKED OVER BOTH SHOULDERS THEN FELL
FLAT ON THE FLOOR. TWENTY MINUTES LATER HE AWOKE AND TOLD OF TWO ANGELS
WHO HAD GRABBED HIS ARMS AND FLOWN HIM AWAY INTO SPACE.
ANOTHER SPOKE OF LEGO BRICKS, BUT I JUST THOUGHT HE WAS LACKING IN
IMAGINATION.
DOCKY SPOKE OF ALMOST ARRIVING AT THE FINAL DESTINATION AND JUST MANAGING
TO OPEN HIS EYES IN TIME TO PULL AWAY.
HE IMAGINED HIS FINAL DESTINATION WAS DEATH.
I SCORED A GRAM SO THAT ALL MY FRIENDS AND I COULD TRY IT TOGETHER.
IT DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY AS ONLY A FEW TURNED UP THAT FIRST NIGHT.
BUT ONCE WORD GOT AROUND THE OTHERS TURNED UP
A FEW AT A TIME AND
WANTED A GO.
SO, OF COURSE, I HAD ANOTHER GO. AND ANOTHER. AND THEN, I THINK, I
HAD ANOTHER.
IF
THAT MAKES YOU SALIVATE, OR MY DRUG-PIG BEHAVIOUR STRIKES A CHORD
WITH YOU, CLICK HERE
WHILE MY FRIENDS HAD DONE IT ONCE OR TWICE, I DID IT ABOUT
A DOZEN TIMES
AND MY WHOLE PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE HAD CHANGED.
I THOUGHT I WAS ENLIGHTENED, BUT ACTUALLY I WAS TWO STEPS AWAY FROM
RUNNING DOWN PORTOBELLO ROAD, WEARING NOTHING BUT A PIN-WHEEL HAT!
IT WAS, HOWEVER, A VERY CREATIVE TIME FOR ME:
I CHUCKLED AND WHISPERED INTO MY MICRO-CASSETTE RECORDER CONSTANTLY
ABOUT WAYS OF IMPROVING THE WORLD.
WHEN I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THESE CONCEPTS TO MY FRIENDS
THEY WOULD NOD AND SMILE POLITELY,
ONLY UNDERSTANDING A SMALL AMOUNT OF WHAT I WAS ON ABOUT.
THIS IS THE WHEN 'ART IS FREE' WAS BORN AND IT WAS THE ONE IDEA
THAT MADE SENSE TO MY NEAREST AND DEAREST.
BELOW IS THE FIRST SHEET OF ARTWORK I SENT OUT
TO MY FRIENDS AND LOYALIST
FANS:
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER
IMAGE
 
THE BASIC IDEA WAS:
IF I JUST DRAW FOR THE PLEASURE OF IT,
(AS OPPOSED TO DOING IT FOR MONEY)
MY ART WILL BE BETTER;
AND IF YOU VIEW MY ART FOR FREE,
YOUR REACTION WILL BE MORE HONEST.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, IT COST YOU NOTHING.
IF YOU DO LIKE IT, REWARD ME BY PASSING IT ON.
THUS IT SPREADS THROUGH RECOMMENDATION.
IT SORT OF WORKED TOO, WITH MY MOST AVID FANS
PHOTOCOPYING MY ART AND PASSING IT ONTO THEIR FRIENDS.
WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED
IF I HADN'T ALMOST GONE BLIND?
IT MAKES EVEN MORE SENSE
NOW THOUGH, DOESN'T IT?
SINCE THE EXPLOSION OF THE INTERNET.
THIS WAS ALSO THE STARTING
POINT FOR
NITRO RALLY
I SLOWLY RETURNED TO (RELATIVE)
SANITY,
BUT MY EYESIGHT WAS NEVER THE SAME:
EVERY TIME I SMOKED A JOINT
THEY WOULD FUCK UP ALL OVER AGAIN.
IT WAS ONLY WHEN I GAVE UP SMOKING SPLIFF
(AND ALL OTHER MOOD ALTERING SUBSTANCES)
THAT THEY ALMOST COMPLETELY RECOVERED.
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