Looking for a little advice.

Someone I knew from high school got a hold of me through myspace. Her boyfriend and an old buddy of mine have been working in a local tattoo shop (a very popular shop with a good rep mind you) and soon the owner will open more shops in Decatur and Kankakee. She's has told me that I should go talk to the owner and see about getting in there to sling some ink. I used to tattoo a few years ago (actually 7 or 8 years) but only did it for about a year. I had all my own equipment and got good enough to not worry about having enough clients. I really did love giving tats and only gave it up to pursue music. I guess what I'm getting at is...should I look into this and potentially throw away a job that is secure, pays well, and is close to home to go become a professional tattoo artist?

At 33 years old the idea of changing my life that much is a little unnerving especially with the way the financial state of this country is rather questionable. But then again...being a tattoo artist is cool...just plain fucking cool.

I wouldn't be able to take that risk.

Making sure that my wife and kids are provided for is more important to me than saying 'I love my job'.

Personally, I'd look to do it as maybe as side-job/part-time thing until I was confident I could make it.

i don't know if i would throw away a good job for this

but look at both sides.
do you hate the current job you are doing? if so then it might be worth changing jobs to something that you love. will you get paid less at the tattoo parlor?

shiky800 wrote:but look at both sides.
do you hate the current job you are doing? if so then it might be worth changing jobs to something that you love. will you get paid less at the tattoo parlor?

I don't hate my current job. I'm good at it and it provides for my wife and kid. Eventually I'd make a shit ton more money working in a parlor as long as the customers keep coming in. Hourly rate per artist at this shop is around 100 bucks an hour (shop gets half of that though.) The upside for me is I'd be working in the art field and there's less stress inkin' people (I actually found it really relaxing when I was doing it steady)

krpykrwlySaysSuckMyCock wrote:I wouldn't be able to take that risk.

Making sure that my wife and kids are provided for is more important to me than saying 'I love my job'.

Personally, I'd look to do it as maybe as side-job/part-time thing until I was confident I could make it.

The only reason I'm really having a hard time just going for it is the fact that my current job provides pretty well for us. I most likely could start doing it part-time (that's what that high school friends boyfriend is doing, working 3rd shift at a "real" job and then putting in a few hours a day at the shop. But to do that I'd be cutting out alot of time with my family.
I guess I've just got alot of thinking to do.

FroZen wrote:

krpykrwlySaysSuckMyCock wrote:I wouldn't be able to take that risk.

Making sure that my wife and kids are provided for is more important to me than saying 'I love my job'.

Personally, I'd look to do it as maybe as side-job/part-time thing until I was confident I could make it.

The only reason I'm really having a hard time just going for it is the fact that my current job provides pretty well for us. I most likely could start doing it part-time (that's what that high school friends boyfriend is doing, working 3rd shift at a "real" job and then putting in a few hours a day at the shop. But to do that I'd be cutting out alot of time with my family.
I guess I've just got alot of thinking to do.

Forget about the money, that will come with anything you do if you do it well. Go with the work that you wake up to being happy about going to do it. Also go with the one that allows you to see your little boy grow up, that is once in a life time!

Lantern Lite wrote:[quote=Also go with the one that allows you to see your little boy grow up, that is once in a life time!

Best quote i've seen so far in any of the threads. Lost time is the one thing you can't buy with money.

Hannibal king wrote:

Lantern Lite wrote:[quote=Also go with the one that allows you to see your little boy grow up, that is once in a life time!

Best quote i've seen so far in any of the threads. Lost time is the one thing you can't buy with money.

True that.

Work at the Kankakee one, then you'll be close to my hometown.

Kankakee.. I remember a street like that somewhere around here I think.

http://www.visitkankakeecounty.com/

I'm just as confused at the fact we have a visitors guide.

Keep your job and ink on the side. If you build a big enough client base to take you and be stable, THEN go to the parlour and let your folks know.

Thanks for all the input everyone. After talking it over with my wife, I think I'm going to look into just doing it on the side if everything seems to be on the level.

Oh and Lantern Lite, that is absolutely true.

I say do what makes you happy. Life is short, and theres no gurantee for anything after this, so if all we get is seventy years of exsistence, i want to not spend it doing something just because it keeps me and my loved ones secure. Ultimately, if secure= not enjoyable, it's a waste in my opinion.

Thundermatts wrote:I say do what makes you happy. Life is short, and theres no gurantee for anything after this, so if all we get is seventy years of exsistence, i want to not spend it doing something just because it keeps me and my loved ones secure. Ultimately, if secure= not enjoyable, it's a waste in my opinion.

Ok, I can see you're point with the whole "life is short" thing (I say that myself all the time). But doing something because it keeps me and my loved ones secured is a way better choice than struggling to make ends meet chasing a "dream". Struggling would be fine if it were only me that I had to take care of, but making things tough for my wife and son for a somewhat "selfish" goal isn't fair to them. I've got plenty of time to make a decision so it's not like I'm going to rush right into this.

Well...who knows, try it, you might like it.

Lewis Black is Sabertooth wrote:Well...who knows, try it, you might like it.

Stop quoting my prom night.

FroZen wrote:

Lewis Black is Sabertooth wrote:Well...who knows, try it, you might like it.

Stop quoting my prom night.

Sounds like my entire 20s.