What if the future of healthcare didn't rely on technology from the past?

ArtiFax #17 the pen holder

Formerly known for halting productivity and putting patient data at risk daily, this former fax machine has moved on to pursue a new and more useful relationship—one with pens. That’s right, with an ‘s,’ a whole bunch of them. After leaving the hard knock life of a fax machine in the year 2020, this one-time office frustration finally discovered its true calling in life—pen organization and containment. Now incredibly helpful to its owner, this useful desk receptacle was specifically designed to thrive in that all-too-familiar moment when the seemingly durable fingers of a human hand … simply can’t hold on any longer.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #163 the stethoscope

Born in the tech boom of the 1840s, this recently retired fax machine spent the majority of its life disrupting the daily workflow and delaying patients’ prescriptions with its snail-like reflexes. After decades of being exceptionally adept at performing unhelpful tasks, this nearing-extinction dinosaur heard something different and unlike the ear-piercing noises it had enjoyed for the better part of its adult life. And wouldn’t you know it, it was that sound, that steady and dependable rhythm, led this withering fax machine out of the business of frustrating healthcare professionals and towards its true calling—pretending to listen to the heartbeat of humans. And now, doing nothing more than patiently waiting for someone to play with it … this former fax machine has purpose again.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #91 keychain

Shunned by all things seamless and productive for the better part of the last century, this repurposed fax machine grew tired of the disparaging remarks hurled its way around the office. So what did it do? Well, it hung up its treadless e-cleats and traded in its penchant for paper jams for a new and much more useful purpose on earth—holding keys. In its 177 years on this earth, this former fax machine credited its drastic transformation with some wisdom gleaned on a thankless job—humans absolutely hate the unexpected, but boy do they love finding their keys, still together, and hanging exactly where they left them.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #23 the front end loader

Constantly ridiculed for its unplanned errors and delay-causing antics, this former fax machine couldn’t really keep pace with the healthcare communication demands of the 21st century. Worn out and defeated, this unwanted relic finally called it quits and set out in search of a new gig. It no longer wanted to be the cause of human’s chaos, but rather the solution to it. All it took for this ole junker to find its new purpose was one look at a group of scattered paper clips to realize its path toward a more useful future. Now, with messy office spaces as its work site and organized stationary its mission, this shiny new piece of machinery has fully embraced its new life as a desk-worthy Front End Loader. Office clutter has met its match.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #66 the clock

After doing its thing for well over a century—letting sensitive patient data sit exposed to unauthorized humans for hours in its fax tray—this ex-fax machine thought it was beginning to go cuckoo. Not fully grasping the growing e-trend that seemed to come out of nowhere, this old fax dog was being asked to learn new tricks, yet it could barely even walk. Not able to keep up with all the fast transmissions and fancy e-prescribing mumbo jumbo, its days as a cornerstone of healthcare communications were numbered. It wanted to do something useful, something humans relied on, appreciated even. It longed to be something so dependable you could set your watch by it. It wanted to be … a clock. Today, you can find it sitting in the living room of its human’s house, patiently waiting for that next glancing opportunity to impart timely knowledge throughout the day, and confirming … yes, I am useful. I am good enough.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #44 the robot

Before its second life as a monopod rolling robot, this one-time fax machine was struggling to find purpose. Blamed for disrupting productivity on an hourly basis, it didn’t understand how itself—an innovation of the 40s (1840s that is)—was going to succeed in the fast-paced environment of today. But then one day, its friend, the free-spirited ‘Roomba’ with a mind of its own, inspired a new lease on life. This once-oversized paperweight knew it would no longer allow faxing to limit its future. It would become a robot, too. With a new spring in its step—due to the actual spring used to construct the Robot’s rolling feet—it set forth on its new purpose to deliver smiles to every face it encounters. Now THAT’S useful.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #8 the jewelry

You may be asking yourself, how in the world does an old fax machine turn into pieces of chic and modern jewelry. Well it’s quite the story. It starts way back in the mid 1800s, when a perfectly useful and shiny new object was born. Through its formative years it outperformed its peers. But as time passed, its aesthetic started to fade as did its usefulness—encumbering productivity and putting patients at risk. After a moment of self-reflection, this once-bedazzled technology found a new way to show its luster. Earrings, necklace, bracelet and tie clips are now safely housed in its box. It’s amazing what we can find when we look within (especially if you’re repurposing a circuit board or two).

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #104 the F.A.X. Wing 3000

Ye ole F.A.X. Wing 3000 … If the inspiration for this fax transformation isn’t immediately obvious, then my name isn’t Leorge Gucas. Putting the dark days of prescription delays and high-risk behavior behind it, this once-ancient brick of technology decided that the sky was its rightful home and ruling it … its American dream. Today, as it sits patiently atop its owner’s desk awaiting the needed wind beneath its fax-made wings, there’s something different about it. Sure, it has a snazzy new name and doesn’t look the same anymore, but there’s something even bigger going on … it has purpose again. It looks cool, and that’s enough.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #158 the plant holder

Ahh … the non-ink-like aroma of fresh cut greenery and the feel of potting soil between your toe-like thingies. That must have been what this washed-up fax machine was saying when it finally left the angst-ridden world of telecommunications behind for a life of dirty fingernails and green thumbs. Undoubtedly anxious at first due to the whole no thumbs thing, the tiny fax bots that had formerly worked together to disrupt all things fast and easy now have a new purpose in life, and it’s a lofty one. Wanting to be useful enough to get back into the office they had called home for over 15 decades, they saw plants are their ticket back in. Not only did they team up to engineer a system that harnesses the plant’s power and build a facility to hold it for their human, the plants increased ability to turn used air back into usable oxygen proved to be even more than they needed. So what’d they do with all this extra power? Oh not much—just added in a few upper deck offices for the facility’s C-suite executive bots, installed a blinking lighting package via a repurposed battery pack, and to top it all off … they dropped a fully-loaded lift kit equipped with hydraulic legs on that bad boy. No biggie.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

ArtiFax #212 the picture frame

It’s actually pretty ironic if you think about it. This former head of communications security has always been responsible for ‘guarding’ things humans deem important like patrolling the health information beat, but sadly it couldn’t have cared less. It was constantly out of order, sleeping on the job and even letting unchecked strangers peruse incredibly sensitive patient data. But now, by focusing on only one task, it’s true purpose can be seen. No more soliciting the fax repairman to the office with its multi-tasking errors. Constructed from the impenetrable steel and razor-like circuit board teeth that were going to waste inside its former body, this new and insanely useful fax-made picture frame serves as a protector of human happiness. Memories protected and preserved at any cost.

Behind the scenes of this ArtiFax transformation

Meet the maker Josh A. Weston

Artist, Creative Director, Art Director, UX Designer and Maker, Josh has been making things as a professional creative for over 20 years and his skills span a broad spectrum in the world of art and design.

After finding a small Swiss Army knife on one of those long walks as a kid, Josh’s fascination with the blade took root, and in 2008 he finally jumped into the fire. Focusing on swords, knives and metal structures initially, he realized that this art form was the ultimate combination of his skills and experiences.

In 2015, Josh’s talent led him into the world of reality TV. Starting on the History Channel, Josh was crowned Fan Favorite Champion on the knife-making show, “Forged in Fire,” and later made the Grand Champion blade on the final season of “Knife or Death.” His knives have also been used on Discovery Channel’s, “Naked & Afraid XL.”

Today, you can find Josh at one of his multiple workshop locations in South Carolina and Michigan, during one of his weekend shops stationed at Renaissance faires or in Charleston, where he calls home. Follow Josh on Instagram and YouTube to see his latest creative endeavors.