First : History

Know the history. Cavemen drew pictures on walls, but the Egyptians were the first language artists, then came the Romans, the Greeks, Incans, and Native Americans. All got with the program of communication. It's important to know how graff developed in your area code and how it developed in general, so consult local experts, and remember, everybody lies.


Second : The Rules

Know the rules of the game,...they are:

1. You suck until further notice.
2. It's gonna take a long time before we even acknowledge your existence, even longer before we can look at the scribble you call your name...to help, you can: a) Choose a clever name, a name that looks good when written, sounds good when spoken,and conveys a combative attitude. b) Use paint, gain knowledge of supplies, experiment with stickers, permission walls, tags, etc,...every time you go out, be bold, learn a new style and do your name bigger.
3. Jealousy is a disease for the weak.
4. Your heart is your greatest possession, don't let it get taken from you.
5. Don't write on houses of worship, people's houses in general, other writers names, and tombstones. Writing on memorial walls and cars is not cool.

These are the five fingers of your right hand. Know them,...use them..


Third : Developing Style

Work hard at being good, or at least try to be decent. When you start out you can bite all you want. Steal that dope style, take that color scheme, snatch that 3-d. Don't worry about giving credit, people will know. Learn to understand why that connection you stole flows, or why that color scheme works. Style is the process to an appealing end. Once you are done ripping styles off, then you can reinvent letterforms to suit yourself. Soon others will be taking your ideas and styles and the cycle will continue ...Graffiti is the language of the ignored. If someone stole your style , someone heard you speaking, you got what you wanted ...attention.


Fourth : The Law

Go solo as much as possible. Don't write with someone that won't fight for you, don't be paranoid, but be careful. Know the local laws, stay informed. Know your territory,...if they didn't see you do it, it's almost impossible to prove you did. Most importantly...Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!


Fifth : Ego Trippin'

You're good,but not that good. There's nothing wrong with knowing you're hella tight as long as you are. Once you do get there though you risk falling off. There is always a crowd of people that want your spot. There are artists that have been writing for 20 years, and you look silly to them. So have perspective. Get back to work, there is always somebody better than you.


These Five Laws of Graffiti although existing in their own right, were transcribed from text in a book by Stephen Powers - "The Art of Getting Over"