I know it takes time but 10 yrs...n counting!!!

Okay heres my story Im 28 female single with 2 children Ive spent the last 7 years working 12-16 hr shift 6-7 days a week..um n raising my children in the spare time... So ive been in survival mode waiting for all my hard work to pay off... then one day i woke up said screw this put my 2 weeksin at my very stable job and said im goin back to my happy place... my art that thing that made me so proud the one thing that was me. So ive been drawing for 2wks waiting for my kit to come in the mail... which had no instructions hooked it up and now my kids will be eating pretty oranges for awhile...so that the story. Ive decided to live for the moment... well kinda I did save up for the last year so I could take a 2-3 months off to find myself before the bills come baack anyway...

Im not the best artist... by far but i have an appreciation and a drive ive been tattooing and designing flash on and off for ten years, self taught...I know I know. Ive only done work on me and a few very close people to me that know my passion ive denied more than i can count... Im not a scratcher nore a hack most of what i do is fix other peoples mistakes... I want an apprenticeship more than anything in the world and im willing to do it for free as long as i can possibly survive.But no one around here will give me that ...small town small minded older gentleman that call me sweety. Eventually I woud like to master my skills I want to know everything!!! But for now Im considering getting that licensed and doing my own thing... Its lame that u dont actually need to know how to tattoo to obtain one of these! I have built a huge client base for my skill level and i know the ins and outs of all the sanitary precations people think im nuts i sit here and prep my oranges as if they were real folks! But this is my calling ive put myself out there and been shot down so much its pathetic... the shot down part is expected its the grunts n no thank you sweety that are discouraging i cant even get them to look at my work which i mentioned isnt the best but i do have background in graphic design, desktop publishing, lithographic printing, machine mechanics and no formal training in traditional art forms but a hell of an imagination that eventually gets out on to paper
AND THE QUESTION: If im this passionate do u think its a slap in the tattoo communities face if i went about it my way in hope of eventually finding some one to help me out? I dont wanna screw up a potentially good future cuz i couldnt wait another ten years but this is all ive ever wanted to be my whole lif since i was 5 and sat next to my first professional artist Ive never once changed my mind this is all i wanna do with myself.Somebody give me some advice if you made it to the end of this rant... Thank you for your time...

if these guys can't see the fire in you they don't deserve to be call tattoo ARTIST. You have these thing that artist don't seem to have anymore, passion. Don't give up.

What part of the world are you in. I know a couple shops in Atlanta that are taking apprentices now.

[canvasyou]

Hang in there...
Get your license.
Just because you have a license does not make you a tattoo artist or apprentice.
But it does make you legal!
: )

Get legal - and do your best to learn - travel - go to conventions - move to a bigger city...
best of luck.

WOW. first off, I definately feel you on the passion! I had the same situation when i was young, sitting beside this "GOD" in my own little world, watching him work his magic in the skin. I used to think, "id kill to be able to do this!" that was some 20 years ago, now im 29 an on my way down the path. It took me a while, still not an apprentice, but i am comfortable at the moment with my skills. Not comfortable to not research and gain more knowledge, just comfortable with the knowledge i have and experience ive done. HANG IN THERE! Ur dedication in your mind alone probably wont let you give up! Hopefully we will cross paths sometime down the tattooed road. I wont hesitate to speak to and swap a few stories!

i am having the same exact problem. but im a scratcher just to be real... ive been drawing since i could remember. so i have amazing artistic talent.. but no tattoo shops will take me as an apprentice.. i do pretty good tattoos, but i have the never ending desire to learn more. i love it. its my passion.. i want to learn. i want to stop scratching and work in a shop. and have the title as a "Tattoo artist".. i live in tampa florida.. and there are no passionate artist that understand out here, they are money hungry! :..(

...............post some of your work.

me?

YUP..