Lifestyle

Lifestyle

The problem is that thanks to television and most tattoo magazines
everyone thinks that being a tattoo artist is like being a rock star without the
guitars. Sorry to tell you the truth, but here it is. There will always be the
biker tattoo shops that give ink for blow jobs. It's sad but true. These guys are
a joke to the industry. These are the guys that everyone is laughing at and
making fun of, often to there face. These are the same people that tattoo for
drugs, or are only concerned with there bank account. Yes you can make a lot
of money tattooing. If you cut corners on supplies and equipment, and you
rob every client that walks in your door. If you do that then your clients will
only walk in and back out once in their life. There are too many real artist out
there these days that will take your clients and treat them right.
What does it take to be a real tattoo artist? It takes dedication. This
means no drugs or alcohol. This means bed by ten every night. Bars, clubs,
and strip joints all off limits. You have to be able to push yourself to a higher
level. As you progress, everyone will praise your work and tell you how great
you are. You have to be able to say, "I’m not where I want to be yet." You
can't give up. You aren't allowed to say, "I know well enough." There is no
good enough. This is hard work. You will ruin relationships. Marriages will
come and go. You have a slim and none chance of finding a significant other
that will understand what you do. Most will just get jealous and fight with
you, or just leave. You will see the worst of people and you have to look for
the best. You will want to quit. After all the stress, and frustration, you still
have to say no to drugs and alcohol. You have to dedicate your mind, your
heart, soul, and your body to the one thing you want most. Professional
athletes don't have shit on us.
Sounds shitty, why would anyone ever want this job? Tattooing is the
greatest job on earth. You get to do things that most people would die just
watching. You get to leave your mark on life. Tattooing is true life after
death. Every person you tattoo on will remember who you are if you treat
them right. They will tell your story to there grandchildren after you are long
gone. Your artwork will live, walk, and talk to hundreds of people long after
your death. This isn't a painting. It's not paper. You’re marking someone’s skin
in a way that they will carry a piece of you with them for the rest of their
life, and they thank you for it. You get to build something and watch it grow
larger than life. Unlike a building, it can never be torn down, unlike music, it
can never be forgotten. You will truly help people. These days in a world
with so much pain and so many problems, we all need help coping. Tattooing
is addictive more so than any drug. The reason is that it makes it all better.
When you’re getting tattooed the world fades away. Your major problems
seem dull in comparison. The ones that get work on a regular basis are what
we call collectors.

To a collector you are their family. You get to know them so well that
you will become friends with many of your clients. Several of my clients have
asked to attend my upcoming wedding, and I will be honored if they attend.
You will truly make an impact on the lives of everyone you touch. Through
conversation and hard work, tattooing to a collector is better than any
therapy they could ever have. Done the right way, and for the right reasons,
you will be a part of something that is so much bigger than you. Tattoo
conventions are gatherings where hundreds of people flock to show off their
work and to get new work. When you walk through the door, it feels like a
paradise. Herds of people that think and feel just the way you do and all of
them welcoming you like a long lost relative. So what does the hard work do,
you get to be something that only five or ten percent of the world will ever
be, whole. You find your place in life and truly belong somewhere. Once
achieved, you can never have that taken away from you.
The ones that just tattoo for money, fame, or just to be the cool kid
will never know the true meaning of the term "Tattoo Artist". This to me
translates to respect, loyalty, and appreciated by many. All the while getting
to do exactly what you really want to do with your life. You won't get rich,
but if done right you will be able to support your family and not have to do
anything else but tattoo for the rest of your life if you so choose. Here are the
rules and code of a true tattoo artist. Following these rules is the difference
between a Scratcher and an artist.