5 Things I Learned During My Tattoo Apprenticeship (That Have Nothing and Everything To Do With Tattooing)

Nobody really prepares you for what a tattoo apprenticeship actually takes from you — or what it gives back. Sure, your mentor may start out with all the fresh warnings I’ve heard; that this job isn’t easy, that you will feel like you’re failing, that you’re going to have to make sacrifices and you will find yourself so painfully exhausted you’re questioning if it could possibly be worth it. Oftentimes when I hear people discuss a tattoo apprenticeship they speak more so on the technical side of learning: pulling lines, packing color, piece composition. But what I don’t hear enough conversation around is how much experiencing a tattoo apprenticeship can reshape you as a person.

Here are five things that my tattoo apprenticeship taught me that go way beyond tattooing itself.

1: We Are Our Own Worst Critics

There’s something so deeply exhausting about always knowing you could do better. As artists, we constantly live inside our own head, and learning a new skill within the art world is a special kind of ego death. You constantly find yourself comparing to the artists around you, to what you see online, or even your own work from last week.

One of the biggest lessons in my apprenticeship was genuinely learning how to fuck up.

Because learning how to fuck up is the only way you grow.

Nobody wants to talk about that part. Everyone expects clean lines and perfectly healed photos, but nobody wants to post the ugly middle. Even artists who have been tattooing for decades will tell you they would have done something differently if they could redo a piece. Unfortunately that never goes away, and sometimes it’s crushing to see work come back that you know isn’t your best — but it was your best, at that time. And the fact that you can recognize that means you’re growing. That’s the luxury we forget to give ourselves.

2. Sacrifice Is Necessary

This career comes at a cost, and a brutal one at that. Your sleep. Your meals. Your mental health. Your relationships. Your free time. Sometimes your clients come first, and that’s just the reality of it, because if they don’t then you don’t get to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.

As a woman in her twenties, this was by far one of the hardest lessons for me. This is the age where you witness everybody move through drastically different stages in your life and wonder if you’re too far forward to dragging behind the rest of the crowd. That one guy from college just backpacked around Europe for three months, and that girl you were friends with in high school just got engaged. Your one ex just had a baby and your other one just checked into rehab. The world is screaming at you to “find yourself”.

Growing up, I didn’t have much access to that kind of freedom. When I finally moved out on my own, I promised myself I’d become the best version of me no matter what it took, and in turn my time became sacred. Tattooing doesn’t allow you to clock out mentally. You’re always drawing, answering messages, thinking about your next piece or having dreams about that one line you pulled a week ago that was a millimeter off center. I had to learn how to build a life around tattooing instead of trying to squeeze tattooing into my life. The burnout hit hard, and I lost myself for a while wondering if I’d ever be anything more than just another cog in the industry.

Finding balance is key, while also recognizing how insanely lucky I am I get to do this for a living. Both things can be true at the same time, and don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise.

3: Imposter Syndrome is Very Real

The moment I realized that “apprentice” title was dropped, I panicked. Suddenly there were no training wheels on my bike and no buffers at the bowling alley that guaranteed you’d at least hit one pin. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be here, like I was too far behind, like I had so much left to learn that I wasn’t allowed to call myself successful yet.

There were days I genuinely felt like I sucked at my job, like I was failing. And honestly? Sometimes I still feel that way, and some days, it’s true. That difference now is knowing that feeling that was doesn’t mean you are a failure, it means that you care enough to recognize your good days from bad, and strive to do better. You don’t have to downplay your achievements to feel better about yourself, and likely that stems from lack of insecurity or a lack of support. You will always be right where you need to be at any given moment, good or bad. Celebrate in the good, and learn in the bad, but don’t let perfectionism or self-doubt dial you back from changing your “what if I fail” to “what if I succeed?”.

4: Your Support System Will Make or Break Your Growth

Getting an apprenticeship is hard. Getting a good one is even harder. I know how lucky I was from the start. I had an established relationship with a shop I spent years working for, which means the owners, artists and staff all had my back. I was never thrown into a corner, and even moreso grateful to never experience the abuse that people don’t recognize in the industry, especially as a woman (we’ll definitely be covering this later).

With the years I spent building trust and relationships as the shop manager and the face of Ink or Dye, my books were flooded the first day I announced they were opening. I’ll never forget being booked out for an entire month on day one with over 200 messages sitting in my inbox. It was a single moment I understood people actually believed in me. That kind of support fast-tracked my growth in ways I’ll always be grateful for.

I’ve watched other apprentices grind endlessly: advertising nonstop, struggling to get people in their chairs and waiting weeks between tattoos. Meanwhile, I was given the luxury to work on large-scale pieces early on that many apprentices don’t touch for years. On top of that, I was surrounded by insanely walkovers artists with decades of experience that never once gatekept information. They corrected me, taught me, and pushed me forward instead of putting me in a box. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

5: You Don’t Ever Stop Learning

Finishing your apprenticeship doesn’t mean that your education is over — it is just the beginning. Tattooing is a constantly evolving field. Styles change, techniques improve, new tools and information come out all the time.

When your mentor signs off on you, they’re not saying that you’re perfect. They’re saying they have seen you learn how to self-correct, and that your growth trajectory is strong enough to continue on your own. One of the biggest mistakes newer artists make are burning out or plateauing because they stopped chasing an education in this career. Their work stagnates and their hunger fades.

Thinking you’ve “perfected” anything fresh out of an apprenticeship is a fast way to drive yourself. Take art classes, go to conventions, attend seminars, watch critiques, study artists who inspire you, ask questions, research constantly, challenge yourself to do something you’ve never done before even if you’re afraid. It never really ends, and honestly? That’s kind of the point.

A progress shot of my first ever large scale realism piece started after I graduated - she still needs work but it’s important to branch out of your comfort zone!

Taking These Lessons Into The Real World

In reality, my tattoo apprenticeship — or any apprenticeship — doesn’t just teach you how to tattoo; it forces you to meet yourself where you’re at. I had to take a long, hard look in the mirror to strip down my insecurities, my work ethic, my ego, and my limits until I couldn’t recognize myself. Only then did I cross to the other side.

I didn’t come out of my apprenticeship feeling like I finished or even fully confident in my capabilities. I came out aware. Aware of how much I still have to learn, how much sacrifice this career demands, and how deeply I care about doing this right. You don’t get to fake these lessons for very long in the industry before suffering the consequences.

If you’re in an apprenticeship right now or thinking about chasing one, or even if you’re struggling with where you’re at in life, know this much: feeling uncomfortable does not mean you are failing. It means you are growing. And if you’re willing to keep showing up, keep learning, and choose progress over perfection, your career and life itself will give back just as much as it takes, if not more.