“So do you do this full time?” Why Tattooing Isn’t a Job — It’s a Lifestyle

As a client, you may have been sitting in our chairs at some point, trying to make small talk while needles are dragging through your skin, and the question slips out:

“So…do you do this full time?”

As an artist, you don’t know whether to laugh, cry, be offended, or just be grateful someone’s in your chair at all.  Honestly, it’s probably a mix of everything.

And hey — we get it.  Not every tattooer treats this career seriously.  Some people are tattooing out of their bedrooms as a side project between shifts at their nine to fives.  Oftentimes clients think, it’s just a drawing.  How hard can it be?

But for professional tattoo artists, the reality is very different.  Today, we’re breaking down what actually happens behind the scenes, and why it’s time people start taking tattoo artists more seriously.

Tattooing Isn’t a 9-5 (Not Even Close)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average full-time worker in the U.S. spends around 8.4 hours a day on the job (Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d).  As a client, it’s easy to assume your tattoo artist likely operates within something similar.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I polled a group of 31,000 tattoo artists online over the course of a week.  Over 70% of respondents answered that they spend 4 or more hours outside of the Studio interacting with their career on some level, including owners — with the overwhelming majority answering essentially 24/7.  However, every single respondent answered that on some degree, they are interacting with their careers outside of their workplace.

Tattoo shops usually open later (around 11am) and stay open late so clients conveniently don’t have to take off work.  Many shops can stay open until 10pm or even later.  Artists are usually 1099 contractors, so technically are capable of setting their own schedules.  But if they want a client in their chair and a check in their pocket, they often stay as long as it takes

to get that spot filled.  That means a lot of artists are at the studio from open to close, sometimes later.  And sometimes?  We sit there all day without doing a single tattoo.

That means your artists can be at work for 8 to 12 hours a day and not get paid at all.

So what are they doing during their downtime?

• Curating social media content

• Creating new flash

• Making connections with other artists

• Practicing ideas on fake skins

• Designing ads

• Responding to messages and inquiries

• Anything and everything to keep business alive

And if they are busy?  Then it all happens after hours.  Still unpaid.

A chalkboard mural that took me nearly a year to complete throughout my apprenticeship for the Studio, which included coming in on my days off, staying after hours, etc. (unpaid) to promote my abilities.

The Real Work Starts At Home

When the shop lights turn off, the work doesn’t stop.

Artists go home, heat up their microwave dinner in the dead of night and open up their iPads once again.  They spend the next 3-5 hours drawing, redrawing, scrapping ideas, and starting over, because that half-sleeve you booked isn’t going to design itself.  Even then, the client might want more changes.  Then it’s back to the drawing board…literally.

Wake up.

Repeat.

And honestly?

That still isn’t even half of what goes into the job.

The Financial Reality No One Talks About

This is a whole topic on its own that will be covered in a later post, but it still matters enough to be mentioned in this conversation.

We rely on clients to actually get tattooed in order to receive a paycheck.  Sometimes we can get a big payday, sometimes we could end up with less than $100 in our bank accounts.  This industry is unpredictable, and comes and goes in waves.  When the payday does hit, we immediately hand a huge portion to:

• The shop to cover our portion of rent, shop supplies, management, etc.

• Taxes

• Supplies such as needles, inks, machines, etc.

• Marketing

• Continuing education through seminars (which cost thousands)

Whatever is left becomes their “real income.”  Sometimes this means we’re left with nothing at all.

So Where’s the Free Time?

The short answer: there isn’t much.

Tattoo artists are notorious for being sleep-deprived night crawlers running on 200mg caffeinated energy drinks and maybe the occasional granola bar.  We’re fluent creatures in poor diets, lack of exercise, minimal social life, and virtually zero extracurricular hobbies.  How are you supposed to take a pottery class when you have four client designs due tomorrow?

And if you do take that class, you’re scrambling the next morning trying to put something together, stressed because you know it’s not your best — and trust me, it shows.

Yes, artists often design on the spot for walk ins or simple pieces.  But that sleeve idea you have with thirty thousand tiny details can’t be whipped up in an hour.  Creativity takes time and lots of brainpower.

The Toll It Takes

When artists give every waking moment to their craft, it shows internally and externally.

Their backs and hands are deteriorating from arthritis after being hunched over all day. Their romantic, platonic and familial relationships suffer from a lack of attention. Health problems become prevalent from lack of nutrition or movement. They suffer burnout from constantly having to be creative and rarely engaging in other things that bring them joy like reading, hiking, or other activities. Even when they do finally decide to pull the trigger and hit the bar with their friends, there is someone always approaching them talking about all the tattoos that we all know they’ll never book the appointment for. They’re scraping together the remainder of their money to catch up on bills.

Even when we do finally pull the trigger and accept that invite to the bar, there is always someone still approaching us in public to talk about the tattoo ideas they will absolutely never book.

Mental health struggles run rampant in this industry because of this.  This career can often lead artists to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems that make everything that much harder. Unfortunately, some artists turn to substance use to drown it all out.

So…Why Do We Do It?  Is It Even Worth It?

We do it because we love it.

We love the thrill of tattooing.

We love watching a client look in the mirror and see a new version of themselves.

We love seeing the tears of someone who can carry a forever memorial piece of their loved one.

We love watching the moment a client feels like they’ve reclaimed their bodies after trauma.

We love our craft and our clients enough to give our entire lives to it.

A recent tattoo I did to honor a client’s recently passed furry friend of nine years.

Aspiring artists drop out fast because they’re not prepared for the sacrifices this career demands.  The ones who stay are the ones who truly mean it when they say they’re “all in.”

And even with everything happening behind the scenes, you will never hear us complain to our clients.  Why?  Because we’re just grateful you’re in our chair.

We love that you trust us with your bodies, your art, your stories, your secrets.  We love that you saved your hard-earned money to come see us, and come back again.  We love that you walked out this door so happy you convinced your family and friends to pay us a visit themselves.  We appreciate every single client more than you know!

So the next time your ask your tattoo artist, “Do you do this full time?” Remember: This isn’t just a job.  It’s a lifestyle

One we chose, one we love, and one we give everything to, in every lifetime.

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Average hours employed people spent

working on days worked by day of week [Chart]. U.S. Department of

Labor. https://www.bls.gov/charts/american-time-use/emp-by-ftpt-job-

edu-h.htm