my journey... so far
Childhood memories
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, a four year old boy went to the movies with his Father to see Star Wars.
This was when it was just “Star Wars.” Not Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. This was in early June 1977. It’s my earliest vivid memory.
Back then, I was happiest when I was drawing. Creating stuff. I came home from that movie with my imagination absolutely ignited. From that point on, I drew Star Wars. Darth Vader, X-wings, Chewbacca, you name it. And I don’t mean I drew for that weekend, or a few days. I mean years.
There was no streaming, no cable, no Blockbuster video. If you wanted to see Star Wars, you begged your dad to take you again. And you drew. I remember the Christmas gift of the box with photos of action figures that would arrive when they were ready from the manufacturer.
And I was happy. I was making stuff, and my imagination was burning bright.
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Fast forward to 1993
Years later, I was in in college. I was a good student, taking my pre-med classes just as my parents expected. I was going to be a surgeon. Actually, an oral-maxillofacial surgeon. That was the plan. The problem was, I really didn’t love the pre-med curriculum. I was smart enough to handle it, but I was miserable…except for the Studio Art classes. I was also majoring in Studio Art with concentrations in Drawing, Sculpture, and Photography. Those classes made me happy.
So as the decision point neared about graduate school, I really struggled with what I was going to do next. I knew I’d be miserable in med school. But I’d never make a living with a degree in drawing. I asked my girlfriend* her opinion, and her summation was pretty damning. Basically, hanging out with me after a pre-med class was a chore, I was no fun to be around. But I was a god damned delight after studio art classes.
Right about the same time, we had a family trip to Disney World. My girlfriend was invited, and we drove Southeast for a couple of days to Orlando. Unbeknownst to me, there was little section of what is now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a ride called Star Tours. There was a huge AT-AT you could pose under, and a gift shop full of childhood memories.
I was so happy. Again.
Taking everything into account - I made the decision to continue with my art education, but mix in design. Gotta pay the bills. I graduated college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and I entered a Master of Fine Arts program where I could start figuring out how this new world of interactive design was just coming into being.
Long story short, I had a great graduate school experience. The Special Editions released in my final year super-charged me. I spent the next couple of decades living my best design and design education life. I’ve been working in design and education since the mid-nineties, and mostly loving every minute of it.
*I’ve been married to that same lovely woman for over 30 years now. We’ve raised two great kids and a handful of dogs.
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The Plague Years
The pandemic was not kind to me. Due to the nature of my job, I basically worked myself around the clock - supporting projects around the planet. Drank too much, ate too much, not enough exercise. I did real damage to my mental and physical health.
After getting a real wake up call from my physician, it was decided I needed to make some major lifestyle changes. Get in shape, eat right, and most importantly - manage my mental and emotional health.
He recommended a martial art “that doesn’t wreck your joints or give you concussions.” I looked around the Bay Area and discovered the School of Sword and Staff. A wonderful little place where I could basically learn how to be a modern Samurai. Iaido (the way of drawing the katana), Kenjutsu (fighting with the katana), Bojutsu (fighting with the bo staff), Naginatajutsu (fighting with the naginata), and tameshigiri (test cutting with the katana).
It was exactly the challenge I needed. Finding the right balance between mind, body, and spirit to advance in my studies still brings me immense joy. Along the way, I started to really enjoy the parallels between the mental and physical skills I was learning and the way of the Jedi.
Also, swords are cool. To celebrate earning my black belt, I commissioned a new iaito from Japan in the style of Date Masamune’s Kunikane katana. If you don’t already know - Date Masamune (1567-1636) is the Samurai that served as a source of inspiration for the design of Darth Vader.
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2025
In January 2025, I took the family to Disney World for a long overdue visit to Galaxy’s Edge. Because I’m the researching type of person, I’d already booked my lightsaber building experience at Savi’s. A friend at work clued me into how great an experience it was for him.
It was a pretty cool experience, and the hilt I built (Peace and Justice - really needed a dose of that to deal with 2025) was nice and hefty. But I was honestly let down by the quality of the electronics. The sounds played on a loop and barely reacted to swings and clashes. In a word, it was lame. The rest of Galaxy’s Edge was awesome, but I found the lightsaber quality deeply unsatisfying.
Once I got back I started down the path of researching different lightsaber technologies, and found the ProffieBoard. After diving into some technical details, I ordered my first Proffie lightsaber, and took huge delight in reprogramming it to do exactly what I wanted.
Another saber or two later, I discovered the world of DIY lightsaber building. And that brings us to the point of this web site.
I’ve learned a lot building sabers over the last year. I love sharing what I’ve learned, and helping others who want to learn. Got a technical question about a build? Hit me. Need help with a config file? I’ll give it a shot. Just want to look at some cool stuff?
Welcome to my little slice of nerdy happiness. This is Kylo Zen and the Art of Lightsaber Maintenance.
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One more thing...
2025 was the year I went all-in on living my best Star Wars life. I’ve wanted to join the 501st Legion since I learned of it’s existence. I decided to apply to the 501st as Kylo Ren: The Force Awakens. I’m now also known as DS-18514 in the Golden Gate Garrison of the 501st Legion. I'll add a new section soon full of photos and links.