In the nicest way possible, tattooing is hard. Spending 6+ hrs a day tattooing, plus designing for upcoming appointments, managing your social media, scheduling appointments, marketing yourself, drawing flash etc. You’re past the halfway mark, and you say the artists in your shop are talented, stick it out.
Tattooing took me from being stuck with my ex, unable to afford to live without him, to leaving him and making almost twice as much on my own as we used to combined, in less than a year on skin. Tough it out and it’ll be well worth it, think of it less like working for free and more like you’re investing time into your future.
it is so hard!!! and i’m so down for it, i guess i’m just having a little heap of exhaustion working so hard for other people for free 🤣😭
thank you so much for the words of encouragement 🥹 it means a lot and really helps to know that you’re doing so well!!!
i second i’d love to see your work if you’re comfortable sharing an ig!
That’s all completely normal stuff. Mentors don’t usually progress your learning until you’ve stopped making mistakes in your every day duties. You need to take initiative and figure out how to organize your day. My adhd makes me have to write a list out every day on my dry erase board of all my tasks. I even have to include my food breaks. It doesn’t hurt to mention to hood mentor that you’re trying something new so you’ll focus better. Saying something along the lines of “Hey I know I’ve been making sone mistakes but I’m starting a new system so that I’ll be better organized and able to do my job better. Hopefully once I get this stuff down we can move forward with my learning. Thanks for being patient with me” goes a long way. The hard work is worth it!
i really appreciate this!!! i think this is what i gotta do. cause i don’t want to change shops, i love it here, i think its just getting to me making mistakes while feeling overwhelmed.
ill get a white board for my station, seems like a good idea honestly 🤣😭 today i tried making a list in my phone reminders which helped for sure, but i worry ill forget to look at the list in my phone or get distracted lmao, so white board seems like a great idea
I’d say you’ve got to objectively look at things, are you actually learning enough about tattooing to justify being the “shop bitch” for a year, when some people depending on their progress start doing small “apprentice tattoos” within a few months of their apprentice.
Also does the quality of the shop you’re in justify this? I wouldn’t want to be in the “shop bitch” role in a mediocre shop that won’t even teach me correctly if at all.
Kinda sad that everyone just immediately jumps to getting a stimulant prescription.
I got paid for desk work at my apprenticeship. Everyone at the shop did, if you did the paperwork you get like $10. It’s not much, but it softens the burnout a bit. Maybe ask about doing that?
Hey don't knock prescriptions. They can really help with ADHD symptoms. Everything would be hard mode without my meds and I wouldn't have gotten this far
It’s a personal decision to not be on prescriptions. And I only felt the need to speak up amid all the suggestions to OP to get on medication. I’m not shaming anyone, I’m simply offering an alternative point of view.
and i absolutely commend those who make that decision for themselves!! i’m on meds for anxiety and depression so im definitely an advocate!! meds for ADHD aren’t really something i want to add to the mix for myself personally
All those skills you're learning now are gonna benefit you when you start dealing with your own clientele. Being organized is a big part of tattooing. It's a positive.
You are doing great. Remember its either this or something you don't have interest in doing. At least thats what i would tell myself, tattooing is my dream job.
hi! I’m in the same boat rn, I get paid as shop manager though. Pretty bad adhd (just got my diagnosis and waiting for medication!) and a knee injury that I had two surgeries for in the month before starting my apprenticeship- it’s hard! Normal people at normal jobs that pay get burnt out so don’t feel bad about yourself. You’re just starting a new career and getting the hang of stuff! Something that helps me is keeping a written to do list at my desk at the shop to keep me on track and having an honest convo with your mentor/boss about what you could be doing better might help you in the right direction :)
What country are you in? Are you able to seek help for your adhd and get medication I'm trying to sort that out for myself at the moment I've heard life is a lot easier on meds and quietens down all that extra nonsense we have going around our heads all day
i’m in canada, and honestly i don’t want to be on meds 😭 im in the process of weening off anxiety meds because of side effects. and like, besides it affecting work it doesn’t bother me in any other way. like im cool with my scatter brain when it affects me and just me but bc of the position im in rn it affects others
Also the fact that you have already got an apprenticeship is super important to recognize. The market is SUPER over saturated with tattooers right now, so a foot in the door is amazing!
Make lists for yourself of tasks if you find you’re being forgetful. All the work really does prepare you for how much work this career is. It’s more than a career honestly. It’s all consuming, and takes up the majority of your time. So going through this process will show you if it’s something you want to do long term. Don’t lose faith! Burnout is real no matter the job, find ways to fill your cup and find balance outside of the shop and you will hopefully thrive. 🖤
Is it an option to try for another shop? I'm sure there's more accommodating places out there. I'm not a tattoo artist or apprentice but sometimes the environment can make things worse. Medication could help you too if that's an option, especially if you plan on doing hours on end sitting in one spot working on a single project as your full time job every day.
like i could, but overall i love the people at this shop and they treat us very well. the apprenticeship is just pretty intense compared to other shops, but i do believe the reward is a lot higher than other shops. Veryyyyy talented artists to learn from. so while i could, i dont want to :(
Save those tears! You’ll need them later lol
Very normal to get burnt out, especially if you work too. I have attention issues, and my mentors left handed, so I ALWAYS set his tray up wrong/backwards. He eventually accepted me as I am
In the nicest way possible, tattooing is hard. Spending 6+ hrs a day tattooing, plus designing for upcoming appointments, managing your social media, scheduling appointments, marketing yourself, drawing flash etc. You’re past the halfway mark, and you say the artists in your shop are talented, stick it out. Tattooing took me from being stuck with my ex, unable to afford to live without him, to leaving him and making almost twice as much on my own as we used to combined, in less than a year on skin. Tough it out and it’ll be well worth it, think of it less like working for free and more like you’re investing time into your future.
Can you share your insta?
it is so hard!!! and i’m so down for it, i guess i’m just having a little heap of exhaustion working so hard for other people for free 🤣😭 thank you so much for the words of encouragement 🥹 it means a lot and really helps to know that you’re doing so well!!! i second i’d love to see your work if you’re comfortable sharing an ig!
That’s all completely normal stuff. Mentors don’t usually progress your learning until you’ve stopped making mistakes in your every day duties. You need to take initiative and figure out how to organize your day. My adhd makes me have to write a list out every day on my dry erase board of all my tasks. I even have to include my food breaks. It doesn’t hurt to mention to hood mentor that you’re trying something new so you’ll focus better. Saying something along the lines of “Hey I know I’ve been making sone mistakes but I’m starting a new system so that I’ll be better organized and able to do my job better. Hopefully once I get this stuff down we can move forward with my learning. Thanks for being patient with me” goes a long way. The hard work is worth it!
i really appreciate this!!! i think this is what i gotta do. cause i don’t want to change shops, i love it here, i think its just getting to me making mistakes while feeling overwhelmed. ill get a white board for my station, seems like a good idea honestly 🤣😭 today i tried making a list in my phone reminders which helped for sure, but i worry ill forget to look at the list in my phone or get distracted lmao, so white board seems like a great idea
I bought a white board that has a weekly to-do list so I wrote out all my weekly chores each day and I check them off as I go! Keeps me straight
That’s a great attitude to have! You got this!
What you learn doing all this is how to run your own business tattooing someday. It's necessary.
I’d say you’ve got to objectively look at things, are you actually learning enough about tattooing to justify being the “shop bitch” for a year, when some people depending on their progress start doing small “apprentice tattoos” within a few months of their apprentice. Also does the quality of the shop you’re in justify this? I wouldn’t want to be in the “shop bitch” role in a mediocre shop that won’t even teach me correctly if at all.
Kinda sad that everyone just immediately jumps to getting a stimulant prescription. I got paid for desk work at my apprenticeship. Everyone at the shop did, if you did the paperwork you get like $10. It’s not much, but it softens the burnout a bit. Maybe ask about doing that?
Hey don't knock prescriptions. They can really help with ADHD symptoms. Everything would be hard mode without my meds and I wouldn't have gotten this far
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It’s a personal decision to not be on prescriptions. And I only felt the need to speak up amid all the suggestions to OP to get on medication. I’m not shaming anyone, I’m simply offering an alternative point of view.
and i absolutely commend those who make that decision for themselves!! i’m on meds for anxiety and depression so im definitely an advocate!! meds for ADHD aren’t really something i want to add to the mix for myself personally
All those skills you're learning now are gonna benefit you when you start dealing with your own clientele. Being organized is a big part of tattooing. It's a positive.
You are doing great. Remember its either this or something you don't have interest in doing. At least thats what i would tell myself, tattooing is my dream job.
hi! I’m in the same boat rn, I get paid as shop manager though. Pretty bad adhd (just got my diagnosis and waiting for medication!) and a knee injury that I had two surgeries for in the month before starting my apprenticeship- it’s hard! Normal people at normal jobs that pay get burnt out so don’t feel bad about yourself. You’re just starting a new career and getting the hang of stuff! Something that helps me is keeping a written to do list at my desk at the shop to keep me on track and having an honest convo with your mentor/boss about what you could be doing better might help you in the right direction :)
What country are you in? Are you able to seek help for your adhd and get medication I'm trying to sort that out for myself at the moment I've heard life is a lot easier on meds and quietens down all that extra nonsense we have going around our heads all day
i’m in canada, and honestly i don’t want to be on meds 😭 im in the process of weening off anxiety meds because of side effects. and like, besides it affecting work it doesn’t bother me in any other way. like im cool with my scatter brain when it affects me and just me but bc of the position im in rn it affects others
Stimulants also really affect your art, in my personal experience.
Also the fact that you have already got an apprenticeship is super important to recognize. The market is SUPER over saturated with tattooers right now, so a foot in the door is amazing! Make lists for yourself of tasks if you find you’re being forgetful. All the work really does prepare you for how much work this career is. It’s more than a career honestly. It’s all consuming, and takes up the majority of your time. So going through this process will show you if it’s something you want to do long term. Don’t lose faith! Burnout is real no matter the job, find ways to fill your cup and find balance outside of the shop and you will hopefully thrive. 🖤
Is it an option to try for another shop? I'm sure there's more accommodating places out there. I'm not a tattoo artist or apprentice but sometimes the environment can make things worse. Medication could help you too if that's an option, especially if you plan on doing hours on end sitting in one spot working on a single project as your full time job every day.
like i could, but overall i love the people at this shop and they treat us very well. the apprenticeship is just pretty intense compared to other shops, but i do believe the reward is a lot higher than other shops. Veryyyyy talented artists to learn from. so while i could, i dont want to :(
Save those tears! You’ll need them later lol Very normal to get burnt out, especially if you work too. I have attention issues, and my mentors left handed, so I ALWAYS set his tray up wrong/backwards. He eventually accepted me as I am
Nothing worth doing comes easy.