03/24/2024
Wanna be a tattoo artist? Well first step is say goodbye to the majority of your friends and hope the closest ones don’t mind only seeing you once a month at most. Warn you s/o (if you have one) that you’ll be busy either tattooing or waiting on people to come in for a tattoo to do anything.
Be prepared to automatically be judged and critiqued by your peers on everything you do until you die. Be prepared to be glued to your phone promoting and trying to book appointments and shows.
Be prepared to be scoffed at when you ask to be paid reasonably for your work. Be prepared to have your art taken to someone else to be done cheaper. Be prepared to be disliked by local artist simply because you tattoo in the same area code. Be prepared to be only contacted by people you know wanting you to tattoo on them while trying to get it as cheap as possible.
Be prepared for people trying to tell you how they love your artwork only to be shown the same Pinterest picture that 17 other people came in wanting the same week. Be prepared to spend a decade or more honing your craft and working on your artistry only to be told you charge too much or simply to draw something up and they’ll be back to see if they like it.
Be prepared to only be able to talk about art and tattooing with others while trying to attend social events about every tattoo they ever wanted only in return to never see them in the shop you work in but catch glimpses of the cheaper quality version of the tattoo you were the person they wanted to do it. Be prepared to hear new rumors circulating simply because you exist in others boring existence. Be prepared to tattoo until you have to quit or die due to lack of retirement options for tattooers.
Be prepared to fully love your craft because if you don’t you won’t make it.
This is the BEST JOB in the world but it doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t come easy. You will lose relationships, miss out on events and give up partying for studying. I love this career but I didn’t choose it. It was the only thing for me and I truly believe that. If you want something, be prepared to sacrifice for it. Keep grinding and keep growing for this is the life we wake up craving more of. I’m a tattooer and I get to do rad s**t on people for money. Best job in the world.... for me at least. Only a few would understand…
Envy Lynn
Envious Empire Tattoo Studio
