Recon
In November of 2019 I left an 11-year career in law enforcement to pursue my passion and expand my prop-making activities at Mynock’s Den. To leave a life of financial stability and guaranteed paycheque/ benefits/ pension, and subject oneself to the fickle whims of the Muse as an artist is not for the faint of heart. It was the most difficult decision of my life, but I felt I needed a change, and my intuition told me this was the right move. With the blessings, support, and encouragement of my loving wife, I stepped away from a career that taught me discipline, responsibility, but most importantly, enabled me to do what I love both financially and by way of a great schedule. Despite my decision to leave, I’ll forever be grateful for having had the opportunity and privilege to be a part of that career path for almost a third of my life.
Part of the decision to leave my job had to do with the Recon helmet design, which I created and made available for sale as a resin kit through my Etsy shop in early fall of 2019. The helmet features my Modular Helmet Accessory System (MHAS) which allows for incorporation of detachable ear attachments like the Macrobinoculars seen below. The overwhelmingly positive response from the cosplay community made me become the busiest I’d ever been as a prop-maker. I took this for a sign that maybe it was time to reorient myself, and set my life along a trajectory that was better suited to my nature.
As I write this in late 2023, leaving my professional career was one of the best decisions of my life, and the White Recon - my very first casting from the very first silicone mold - sitting quietly atop a living room shelf, continues to remind me of how a single idea can change your life.