How do I look?: Jimi Crayon, Illustrator, age 24

I got my nose pierced when I was 17. I was young and naïve. I wanted to be different, so I thought I'd put a bit of metal in my face. Originally I wanted my eyebrow pierced, but people at college said I'd look like a fool. Not many men have their nose pierced, so I did that instead. I went alone and had it done in the North Laine in Brighton. It didn't feel like being tickled with a feather, but it didn't hurt either. It's not doing any harm. I don't notice it any more.

You can be a murderer in a leotard or an angel in a hoodie. This hoodie is from a shop below my studio, which is an old tube train on a roof top in east London. The shop wraps around the corner of two streets below. It's called A Child of Jago, after the name given to this area when it was a slum. The hoodie is cashmere and costs £600, but I got it for free because my mate Joe Corre owns the label, Terrorist.

Printing T-shirts is a way of getting my artwork out there. My T-shirt is made by me: I recently started a label called Pretty All City. I like seeing my illustrations change from something in a sketchbook to a physical product. It brings it to life. It's like a stamp; it's official. I like a bit of panic and riotous behaviour. The Smiths are one of my favourite bands and I'm living in London, so the lyrics "Panic on the streets of London" felt relevant to my situation.

I'm not into spending money on things I might destroy. My jeans are from Uniqlo, a cheap option so I can get ink stains all over them. They're not skinny-trendy but not baggy either. They just fit. These stains are from Secret Wars. Secret Wars is an illustration battle where you have to out-draw your opponent. This usually takes place in a bar at night. People get drunk and watch two artists humiliating each other in the form of a drawing on a massive wall. The way to win is by winning over the crowd.

It bores me when people have issues about keeping clothes box-fresh. These battered Reebok Classics were free. I got them when painting at the Bread and Butter trade show in Barcelona. It doesn't matter if I mash them up. I like that they're white but you put them on and get them scruffy. I customised the same model for Thierry Henry. You don't need to keep trainers fresh, but if you do want to, that's great as well. Don't worry about these things; save your energy. Draw a picture or something instead.