Virall.ink Tattooing has become a popular trend in the 20th and 21st centuries. People from all over the world choose to get tattoos to express themselves or to look cool. Many people work as tattoo artists, but few have the talent required to become successful in this field. Those that do are usually born with the talent required to excel in their field. Many famous people have tattoos, including Steven Jobs, Johnny Cash and Jack Nicholson. Tattooing is an artistic endeavor that requires talent and dedication.
My father used to draw on himself in traditional Japanese style. He also used to tattoo himself when he was younger; he even has a few tattoos from his childhood. He taught me how to draw on myself when I was young- but I never took it seriously enough to pursue it as a career. A few years ago, I saw a television show about a self-taught artist from New Zealand. The show highlighted the difficulties that artists like him faced when trying to make a living off of their artistry. It piqued my interest and led me to pursue a career in tattoos- so I could help people while pursuing my own artistic vision.
I decided to pursue a career in tattoos after seeing a television show about a self-taught artist from New Zealand. After that, I contacted one of my father’s friends who was a professional tattoo artist. He agreed to let me work for him for free if I would visit him in New Jersey frequently for training and observation. Training with an experienced tattoo artist is critical if you want to learn how to do tattoos professionally. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up wasting your time and money trying to become successful when someone with actual talent could teach you the same skills for free.
Training was hard, but rewarding. Watching my mentor do tattoos on people helped me learn the techniques necessary for tattooing myself. His patience and guidance helped me improve drastically during those months. Working everyday ensured I had enough experience working on clients’ bodies by the time they started showing up at my shop. I worked hard and learned from experience before applying for jobs at reputable tattoo studios across New Jersey. For months, I would wake up before dawn and travel back and forth between New Jersey and Los Jersey so I could apply at multiple shops at once. Eventually, one of those trips led me to where I am today: A full-time tattoo studio owner/operator with multiple apprentices under my command!
I moved into an old Harley Davidson dealership and hired several former employees as apprentices. My apprenticeship contract stated that they would help me learn all aspects of running my business so that I could eventually hand them jobs too. We worked hard every day and built our business up bit by bit over time. Eventually, we were able to move the shop into our own warehouse space so we could start offering more services besides tattoos. We now offer temporary makeups, hair dye, eyelashes, piercings and much more!
Becoming a tattoo artist is an extremely difficult career path that only very talented people should even consider pursuing! However, if you’re willing to put in the work necessary – and are willing to persevere – you CAN make it! You’ll need training from someone who actually knows what they’re doing first! But once you’re there – BE UNLIVABLE! Work hard every day toward your goals and don’t let anyone stand in your way!
I took the greatest risk of my life when I decided to become a tattoo artist. It was definitely not an easy decision, but it has paid off in more ways than one. Not only do I love what I do, but I also get to meet amazing people and create art that lasts a lifetime. If you’re thinking about making a big change in your life, don’t be afraid to take the leap – you never know where it might lead you.
