So, I finally bit the bullet on an apprenticeship opportunity I was presented with.
A few weeks ago, while attempting to fight social media scamming scumbags… I saw a post from a local shop that was pointing out they had people getting contacted by a scammer or two. I messaged to ask for details thinking I might be able to get some insights into the particular attacks they were seeing. Which did work out.
While discussing the scammer, the person running the page asked if I was trying to become a tattoo artist. They had seen my posts it would seem. They liked well enough what they were seeing and invited me to come to the shop to talk to the owner.
Now, real talk, I had to work up some nerve. As of yet, I had not been faced with the possibility of actually having any of the effort and energy I’d been putting out into the world turning into anything. I’d already tried to run myself off from the topic by going and getting tattooed and tattooing myself. Thinking either might have been enough to make me turn back. But, I fuckin’ loved it.
Disclaimer: don’t tattoo yourself until you’ve gone about learning the right way folks. Do as I say… then do what you gonna do anyway I guess but try to avoid it.
“I think you might have picked the wrong career”
Day 0:
I went in, talked to the owner. Met some of the other folks from around the shop. I received one compliment that I’ll probably hang onto the rest of my life: “I think you might have picked the wrong career”. This was in reference to the work I had in my portfolio. Yeah, worth the trip just for that alone. But the vibe felt good. Hell, the vibe felt really good. I knew I wanted to be back in here. Fortunately enough, I was offered to come back.
I’m working 50-60 hours a week currently. Despite that, the owner was willing to work with me. He and the other artist in the shop both came up from factory work and had a mentor that worked with them through it. One of the apprentices pointed out, there is probably nowhere else in the area that is more understanding of the grind and life balance aspect.
So, here’s the deal: 30 days of hanging at the shop and vibing. See if I vibe with the crew. See if the crew vibes with me. At the end of it, the crew gets a vote on if they wanna put up with me after that. If any one of them has concerns, I’m out. Pretty damned reasonable if you ask me. If all goes well and I haven’t stuck my foot in my mouth or gotten a foot stuck up my ass, I’ll start in on the minimal 2 years apprenticeship after that. Beyond that, if 2 years of vibing and learning hasn’t caused my welcome to run out, I’ll have a spot to stick around in the shop.
Day 0 – Lessons Learned:
Couldn’t say to be honest. I never dreamed any shop I talked to would be both willing to work with my situation AND also put in the time to do it right. So, I guess that is the lesson learned. 9/
Day 1:
Fast forward to this weekend. While the offer was open, I had yet to start in on the 30 days. Work was bad. Life was bad. Everything was bad. And I just knew if I waited a little longer, it’d get better. Guess what, it never does. Life doesn’t work like that. I had tried to stay in contact with the owner through out. He was good to go. Dude really gets it. I finally gave up waiting and trying to make things better and went in. Best time to plant a tree is today and all that.
The day started, I walked in right at shop open. The two artists were getting ready for clients. The apprentice welcomed me in, set me up a spot to chill. And we spent most of the time where I was showing him Procreate tricks I’d learned, sharing some books, and other files. Good kid.
We also talked about the available silicone skins. I let him throw some lines on a piece I had with one of my designs on it. Dude was real impressed with how it worked. He mentioned he’d buy a sheet or two off me. I promised to bring him a few things to try the next day, no payment needed. j
One dude showed up today asking about apprenticeship opportunities. Probably about my age. He said he was hoping to find a place to help him “finish his apprenticeship”. Ended up being a walking seminar on how not to approach getting into a shop. No portfolio. Had stuff on his phone. Already tattooing on people (and I’m gonna guess based on convo after, he was not doing well). Didn’t actually have any previous formal apprenticeship as mentioned. And when turned down initially, insisted on showing what he had. The owner took a smoke break and walked outside with him. Owner came back, dude did not…
The other apprentice showed up middle way through the day (he had work in the mornings). We vibed, had similar convos about procreate, shared some stuff back and forth and shot the shit.
The guys in getting work done that day were a trip. Lots of joking and shooting the shit while they were there. ALL THREE OF US apprentices/wanna-be-apprentices are maybe slightly socially inept. One of the clients offered to buy us some drinks if we wanted. I realized later what he was actually doing. Dude just wanted something to drink and was willing to throw extra in to get it.
Things got dead after the scheduled appointments, no walk-ins, so, that was that for the day. Not a terribly glorious send off to the Saturday. Just an honest one.
Day 1 – Lessons learned:
1) Eat before you get in. Or bring snacks. Either way, brain can’t work right if the body isn’t getting what it needs.
2) Always stand upwind during the smoke breaks if you don’t smoke. If number 1 was a fail, this one doubles its effects.
3) Don’t forget charging cables or paint.
4) If someone offers to buy you a drink or mentions being thirsty or hungry be the first up and out the door to go get ’em something.
Day 2:
This day, I brought charging cable AND paints. I had a flash sheet I’d put off for a bit because I had lined it on some paper that pills easy when spit shading. But, today was the day. I worked through it. Had some reference pulled up (I had previously taken a photo of the lining I did and colored and shaded the image in procreate). And worked right on through. Think the speed in which I had it turned around was noted as being “pretty fast”. And it garnered a couple of “that’s awesome” from the apprentice. Win win.
I had to leave early day two. Life beckoned. Of course it beckoned when the shop had picked up and there were many interesting things going on… Here’s hoping day 3 is as busy as day 2 was shaping up to be.
I did leave the apprentice with some silicone skins to try out and a motorcycle jacket (rather it be on his back than collecting dust in storage).
Day 2 Lessons Learned (Remembered?)
I have a 20+ year habit of observing and keeping my mouth shut in new situations. Once I get a handle on it, I usually lighten up some. With that said… a couple of items:
- It’s probably a good idea to let people know if you’re wearing glasses that are only good for close up so when you squint and mean mug them from across the shop floor on accident they don’t take it wrong.
- I’ll have to be proactive in going and looking at work in progress, asking questions, and seeing what I can do to help. The environment isn’t very “hey, come look at this”. But I want to make sure I balance that and don’t end up in “would you go away already” land
- Even though it was only the second day, some customer service experience started to bubble up. The apprentice that is already doing ink in skin did holler at me to come check out what he had going on. While there, I made sure to punch up how good the work was going (both for him and the client) and small talk with the client. Playing dumb about the meaning of one of the tattoos, even though the apprentice and I had talked about it the day before.
- Another simple thing that sticks: “take them to the milk”. From retail, we were hammered into our brains to not go waving your hands around “take two lefts and then if you get to dawn dish soap you’ve gone too far”. You don’t tell, you show. So when someone asks something like “where’s the mirror?” Or “where’s the bathroom?” You walk them at least to where it’s in eyesight and the directions are “go right there”.
What’s Next?
Saturday I have music to play in the morning and then hopefully another afternoon in the shop. I’m going to pack my paints, charger cables, some snacks, plenty of caffeine, and an open mind.
