Deb Yarian

Gone from the shop on the 7th and the state on the 10th

Thank you Ursula! I have met James in Jacksonville and at State of Grace show--- last year we both got artwork from Ed Hardy and I think James wanted the piece I got(;

I've never tattooed at a convention and the last time I tattooed at someone else's shop (as a visitor) was 20 years ago , I was working in Georgia and traveled to Jacksonville to work at Inksmith and Rogers. Well I'm en route to Inksmith and Rogers ,again ,to sit in and visit with Mike Wilson and Angelo Miller--- and also the rest of the crew. I'm a little neurotic and anxious--- but I'm flattered that they'll have me. I'm not even comfortable working in a different station in my own shop so this is definitely out of my comfort zone. I'm considering this my 20-30 yr refresher course! Wish me luck

Ismael the thread is "Tattooers with little to no tattoos" You have tattoos!

And as a client I like to think that my tattooer is so committed to my project that they carry it around in a special brief case hand cuffed to their wrist till my tattoo appt------ but as a tattooer I find it interesting that clients assume that as soon as they make their appointment- i'll be working on their tattoo non stop - till they're in my chair- This isn't directed at anyone who posted--- just a side note.

Oh there aren't any girls on my son's high school football team:o

In defense of your tattooer I have done the same, many times. I take notes during my consultation with my customer--- but because I find that the closer to the appt time we get the more likely the client is to change their design. I do my final drawing just a day or so before the appt. At the start of each week though I start calling clients in my appt book to confirm their appt and a lot of times what they're getting isn't indicated in my appt book. So I might ask what they're getting or need a reminder

Ami James for influencing the middle aged lady that works at the convenience store down the street and all the girls in my son's high school football team and Ed Hardy for influencing me.

It is tv folks. Many of the tattoos that you see are done in sessions and the people are directed to wear the same clothes each time.

Actually the last place we worked had a time clock.From a business point of view he ran a very tight ship.

Tattooing came to Eric later in his life. He was close to forty years old and unlike the majority of other tattooers who become interested in the business and art of tattooing after collecting tattoos , his interest in the art, culture and history and especially the how's and whys of applying beautiful tattoos - came first. He does have only a couple of tattoos on his arms but on his legs are solid, bold, strong tattoos that he is known for - often as a result of his experimentation early in his career. Eric is a rarity.

So well put Stewart. I feel exactly what you said.

Hello Ursula, I guess we have met then and i will see you next week- I will be with Mike and Angelo. Debra

I think that someone might think that being on one of these shows might be like winning the lottery. That financial need might be taken out of the equation, leaving someone to do what they do and to choose their projects based on the enjoyment and satisfaction that they receive from them.

in the first line of your post you said " very cutesy, not my style" when you say not my style do you mean design or application? Eli's "style" is very masculine in my opinion. But no matter how beautiful or well applied it is if you don't like it, you don't like it. But who's to say you will like what you attempt to cover it with or change it. So for that reason I am agreement that you should leave it and live with it for a while. Get right with it. However if you are one of those people who finds themselves obsessing about what they don't like and you find you absolutely can't live with it, then I would suggest going to Eli first and explaining what it is that you don't like and see what he suggests.

Do you work at a chain shop? I have worked in shops that have dress codes. But none with uniforms. Seems like a uniform attempts to remove any display of individuality. No T-Shirts at one shop- only a shirt with a collar. No facial piercings or hats at another. At one time in San Diego , I remember seeing medical jackets. Barber type shirts. I can understand a dress code--- not a uniform. Although if you are an independent contractor I think the cost and upkeep of your uniform would be tax deductible. Check with your union rep. Just kidding

Today, the grieving mother and sister of one of my son's friends came in to my shop. The friend, a 17 year old, recently died as a result of alcohol consumption. They are returning tomorrow to get tattooed. Like so many customers before them, coming not only to memorialize their loved one- but I believe to experience a physical pain, a sacrifice for the one they lost. I mention this because after they left I was thinking that i was glad that we could help them. I have recently posted here in regards to the newest reality show, NY Ink and in regards to tattoo magazines in general. I was vocal about not wanting to watch , let alone read what led one to get tattooed and the drama and often gratuitous display of emotion that goes with the explanation. Didn't someone say " oh another dead child in the first episode". So after their visit today and thinking about it I realized what it is about the media and their focus on tattooing that bothers me, actually offends me. it's the intrusion in to my life, in to my business! It sensationalizes and trivializes at the same time. It turns a tattooer into a caricature of one -see Corey Miller in LA Ink prompting the character "oh, that must have been terrible, how did that make you feel?" (nothing against Corey) just tv Corey. It makes what was once private, public. What was once secret or mysterious- familiar. Really, I don't resent my clients and their need for meaning in their tattoos, and I'm more than a little honored that they choose me to help them preserve the memory of someone they lost. It just translates so differently on TV. Alright, I'm losing my train of thought. That's my two cents.

Funny i was at a bookstore yesterday and found myself standing in the magazine section. I was amazed at the selection of Tattoo Magazines, Urban Ink, Skin and Ink, Girls with Ink, Prison Ink and so forth. My initial reaction wasn't really amazement, as I stated earlier, more like disdain or disgust or annoyance. I did quickly browse through all of them. I didn't like any of them for one reason or another. But honestly, photo quality fell low on my list of what I found irritating. Some of the things I disliked---- If i wanted to look at pouty girls and buff boys with mediocre tattoos i'd watch Jersey Shore or taxicab confessions. I don't want to hear about the spiritual journey that lead you to your getting your tattoo on a reality show, having to read about it is even worse. Really EVERYTHING that Stewart said and more! I do agree Tattoo Life is better than the rest ( No U S artists though, correct? ) And, I really Like Tattoo Artist Magazine I am sort of ranting.

I posted my " theory" in "how long is your longest tattoo session" and i've gotten tattooed 3-4 times since then---- and it's proved to be true ( at least in my case)

Again , any criticism is often percieved as envy or jealousy. That being said this list and lists like these are bullshit- in my opinion. There will always be those that use these lists to gauge the ability or competence of one person against another. "Oh, your not on the list- well you must not be as good as whoever is!" And no offense to so many on that list but what some of them do and who some of them are have had absolutely no influence on my life, tattooing or otherwise.

Good luck!

It's my theory that the pain does intensify with each tattoo that we get. I'm a tattooer though, not a scientist.It's just a theory. When you experience pain , the body's instinctive reaction should be to remove itself from what is causing the pain. Since we willingly submit to the pain the bodies reaction, when it experiences the same pain - is to increase the intensity of the pain - as a warning or a survival mechanism, whatever---- so that you remove yourself from what is causing the pain. So I think whether you get many tattoos in a short time or over a period of years- the last one will hurt way more than the first one or two. I don't enjoy getting tattooed at all and since coming up with this idea - and believing it- it's difficult for me "to get away" from the pain. The only thing that helps lately is to get in a sort of meditative state and to change my perception of the sensation.

There is an old Chinese proverb "that a blind man feels the warmth of the sun just as well as one who can also experience it's brilliance!" -- l Ha ha! No there's not-

______________________ Perfect quote! You're just a tourist........ And everybody hates a tourist.

The original post was. Tattooers with little or no tattoos. I AM SPEAKING FROM A TATTOOER'S STANDPOINT ONLY. If someone was unable to get tattoos because of a medical condition - of course I would not have less "respect" for them as a tattooer . But, from a tattooer point of view, CHOOSING not to get tattooed - is what I would question. What acceptable answer could their be when posed with the question, " Why as a tattooer have you chosen not to get tattooed?" I can't make up my mind, my girlfriend won't let me, I might regret it in the future. Certainly choosing to wait, planning out work, saving money etc. Are all perfectly acceptable answers, in my opinion. And again, not having tattoos does not make a person any less capable of doing amazing tattoos.