I wanted to write something constructive that hopefully will be viewed and help someone out there.

I get asked a lot about apprenticeships and how to get one. No one ever seems to like my answer, but honestly guys, nothing worth having is gotten easily. I worked my ass off to get here and this is how I accomplished my goal;

1- Get a job in a tattoo shop. Paid or not. Go offer yourself as shop help. Volunteer if you have to. Do whatever crap work they want you to do(within reason*). Tell them when you will be there, then show up early. Show up every single day that you say you will. This is how you will prove that you are serious. Prove to them that you aren't some worthless kid who just wants an easy ride to being cool. Learning to tattoo isn't easy. Anyone who tells you it is easy probably sucks at it.

2- Draw. Draw everyday. Especially draw things you don't like to draw, or don't know how to draw. As a tattoo artist you expected to be able to draw ANYTHING. and while yes, it is an unreasonable expectation, the more you draw, the more you will be able to draw when asked. Spend at least an hour a day doing something artistic of your choosing, paint, write, whathaveyou. Then spend an hour drawing. At LEAST.

3- Be patient. It takes a long time to learn this industry's basics and you'll NEVER learn it all. You will NEVER know everything there is to know about tattooing. I've been doing this 5 years and I still learn new stuff all the time. Don't get bogged down into one routine. Keep your mind open and use your common sense as much as possible.

No, I don't think you can just pick up a tattoo machine and have at it. I think you should work hard and make a serious commitment to this if you want to do it. After all, the tattoos you do on people are going to be there for a really long time. You should make sure you know what you're doing.