Making something original
One thing that gets me revved up at work is being able to create. What I do best is to create things which may or may not be something you see other places, but in a way that nobody else does them. It may be flash from the wall or a custom-drawn piece, but either way, by the time I'm done with it there will be something unique about it.
This weekend I did a piece from the wall that's probably been done in half the shops in the country. This happens all the time, and is why shops buy flash in the first place. I've read about shops being proud to not have any flash on the walls and do only custom work, but in my opinion that attitude shows the limitations of those artists. If you can't customize and make a piece of simple existing artwork unique, you aren't very creative. Having my own style, my first thought whenever I see a piece of flash is to envision how I would do it. In the case of this piece I did this weekend, this meant some subtle color blends that weren't in the original design, but would make certain elements really pop. He told me that getting something different than everyone else was getting was important to him, and he was happy that I gave him that.
Every once in a while someone will ask about the competition in the area, since there are at least a half dozen other shops within 2 miles of the shop, and 4 of those within a half mile. I always respond that it's not really a competition because every artist working in all of the shops is unique, with their own style. Getting a tattoo isn't like buying a can of peas, where you compare the exact same brand and size at different stores. If the customer wants something basic and doesn't care that much how good it is, then they'll just go to whoever they see first anyway or will comparison shop for prices. But if they care about the quality of work they're getting, then they'll choose a shop or artist that fits them best. Sometimes that's me, sometimes that's another shop.
This week I'll have some new designs, which I hope helps people see what's possible with tattoos that they usually don't think of when they imagine a tattoo. More than ever, there are a lot of artists who are becoming tattooists, so don't worry about taking your time to find one who can make something original for you.
-Alex
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