So Screwed

I don't even know where to start with this one...I began my apprenticeship about two years ago. My teacher was a close friend of my cousin's. We met basically by accident when he and two of my cousin's other friends stayed at my parent's house for a couple of weeks. I heard the tattoo gun (In the basement...I know) and he saw my art on the walls and that was where it all started. He started up his own shop here in Cranbrook and I uprooted my entire life just to pursue a dream, leaving my lifelong home of Kelowna. I spent every day in that shop and every drawing that came in was put to me to do. Turns out Boss#1 has very limited drawing abilities anthough he can copy just about anything which I find strange. Everything was going alright until I had to get another job. My savings were gone and I had to make rent. Waitressing is quick money, but it keeps me at work until 3am. The stress of it began to show in my work and I wasn't pumping out drawings fast enough to keep up with demand. Instead of any help or even understanding, I was verbally spanked constantly. He'd have an arguement with his wife, come to work, and go apeshit that there was Rob Zombie on the stereo. What made that really strange was that he loved to play Rob Zombie on the stereo while he worked all of the time. He'd complain about money trouble but he didn't like actually being at the shop unless he had an appointment. He'd rebook costomers on a whim, sometimes three or four times in a row. If people paid in advance for a large tattoo, it would get one good session then be put on the backburner for month because he needed more money. Our sterilizer was a big iron pressure cooker thing that used steam and didn't seal properly. We had to bang it open with a hammer most of the time which just made it worse. One day I begged to work a day shift at the bar because I was getting very desperate for food and rent money. He said okay, but the next day my friend came to bar and said that Boss was looking for me and didn't know where I was. I called the shop and he was mad over a drawing that I was supposed to do and that he couldn't find. It turns out that it was exactly where I told him to find it, but he swore up and down that it wasn't there and that I was lying and that I wasn't allowed to have another job because it got in the way. I quit. By this time I was such a nervous wrek that people were saying that I was acting like a woman in an abusive relationship. Tiptoing around my Boss and constantly on edge with his erratic moodswings. I got offered another job at another shop. I didn't take it right away. I waited about four months out of respect for the first shop and first Boss (He was a prick, but he was still my teacher). This guy seemed nice at first but I soon learned that he was awful. He was into cocaine and drank way too much. He gave himself a bad name with the women in town by being really creepy at the bar I work in. I watched him pierce a guy's nipple when he was drunk. He was halfway through a small tummy tatty when he got up, said "I'll be right back" and left the costomer sitting there half-done for 20 minutes before coming back with no explaination or appology. The shop itself didn't believe to Boss#2. The business backer was getting fed up with the reputation his head artist was giving the shop. Eventually Boss#2 snapped under the pressure, let his habbits get the best of him one night, stole everything from the shop, and booked it across the country. He took the computer tower, about 10 grand in cash, My power supply, my machine, footpedal, ink, nozzles, tips...also the othet artist's stuff. It's a small town. There are three shops including this one. Once this business dies, I have to move somewhere else becuase I can't go back to the first shop and the other one is run by a guy who really shouldn't be allowed to touch people with a sharpie, let alone a tattoo gun (most of my apprenticeship involved fixing his work). The shop is now going under my name. My name. I haven't finished my apprenticeship, I haven't tattooed anyone for months, the only other person who works here has been tattooing on and off for the last five years, mostly out of his living room. Everyone keeps telling me that I should be happy, but I'm horrified. This whole town is insulting to good artists who aren't crazy or irresponsible or half-trained. I just don't know what to do at this point. My backer wants to try to get another artist in from a big city, maybe from the lower states. I don't know what appeal that would have to anyone. "We're in shit, please clean up our mess and babysit the half-educated people that we made by accident." is not an enticing job offer for a serious, qualified artist.

Sounds to me as if you need to ... A....get the fuck OUT of that town ASP! B...get a REAL apprenticeship with a mentor who will at least teach you not to call it a "GUN""!!! C...Be more selective about who you work for and with...when you first saw evidence of the things you said you saw you should have immediately talked to the owner and if that didn't work ...pack up all your shit and leave...working with people like you are talking about will drag your name and YOU down VERY quickly!!!

It doesn't sounld like you have enough experience to even be considering running a shop. As far as boss 2 taking your machine... I'd hope that you're using more than one machine for tattooing... I think that you might want to look into getting a better apprenticeship somewhere else. Tell your "backer" to help you relocate or travel to another shop until you have the proper experience. Otherwise you'll end up giving the industry bad name... It already sounds like it has a bad enough one in the area anyway... The lesser of two evils is still evil... Besides.. No one wants to babysit shit and make everything ship shape in someone elses shop unless it's thier shop or they are damn well payed. I hate to be a dick but this is my opinion.. Get more experience then consider opening a shop after you have Years of experience... Sorry about your situation... 7

You're not being mean at all. This is rediculous and the only reason I stayed so long is because I really didn't know anyone in the industry, so I didn't know any better. I just thought that was how it was. Now I know it's all bullshit. Ah well. I still have plenty of bartending work so I can save up my paychecks and tips, move, and get a real education. I'll have to concentrate on delearning any bad habbits I picked up.

If you're ever for some reason in the wisconsin area you're always welcome to email me. Opening my shop got detoured by some financial problems so it won't be open until winter/spring. I hope that you find another shop to get taught everything properly. In summer I'll be looking for another apprentice. Feel free to apply. 7

Lillian...it really sucks that you had this experience...these are the kind of people who ruin apprenticeships...Please ubderstand that this was NOT the norm...there are plenty of good mentors out there who want you to succeed and don't just want to take advantage of you!...E mail me if I can help!....TAz, Painted Angel Studios

oh man thats sucks, i can totally relate to your experiences. i landed an apprenticeship after (literally) years of trying, it was totally my dream come true. the first couple of months were fine, i was just excited to be involved in it all. i did all the menial tasks as is expected of an apprentice etc etc. one day a customer came in for a name on his back and the artist just told me to go ahead and do it. i was in two minds of what to do, at this point i had been taught absolutely zero. i didnt want to do it but was torn between being not wanting it but feeling under immense pressure by being put on the spot and not wanting to look stupid in front of the customer. i had done tattoos before but felt as though i had reached a point where i could no longer teach myself anymore as i felt i taught myself all i could on my own. anyway the tattoo came out ok but looking back i should have point blank refused, hindsight is a wonderful thing??! so anyway i started opening the shop for him and he,d start coming in later and later and to cut a long story short he ended up just coming in a couple of days a week so i ended up running the shop. of course people were coming in for tattoos so i was booking them in for him to do as i didnt feel confident in myself to just go ahead and do it. i mean some people wanted wildlife/portraits etc which i wouldnt even attempt. so i spoke to him about this and he told me to just go ahead and do it but seriously? i mean how could i? somehow it also ended up that i was forking out for menial supplies, dettol, wipes, razors, vaseline etc etc and never seeming to get the money back, this for me was also unpaid, i was working at a agency in the morning driving trucks to make my money up. anyway to cut a long story short the last straw came when i saw him tattoo a customer, wipe the tip with dettol and then tattoo another customer straight after. i quit there and then after we had words, however i had some equipment there. i went back the following weekend with my mate to collect it - shop closed and gone! there went my vacuum autoclave along with a few other bits and pieces. so i never learned anything and lost my gear!! anyway as time went my i was still getting tattooed by a local artist who asked me if i wanted to go to a convention with the staff to help out, so now i work there on weekends just helping out and stuff. im not tattooing but im happy because i feel like im involved in some way and its fun going to conventions, working and meeting other artists. so anyway i guess ive missed my window now (im 33) but if i can help out im still happy, i guess you can never say never, who knows?! but good luck to you, keep at it and im sure you,ll get your break sooner or later, let us know how it goes : )

Man you got ahold of a winner...hate to hear of that hapening to anyone!...But don't give up and don't use age as an excuse to not follow your dreams!