I feel that I’m obligated to explain my situation. As if jumping into tattooing so quickly as an oil painter wasn’t enou

I feel that I’m obligated to explain my situation. As if jumping into tattooing so quickly as an oil painter wasn’t enough to draw the ire of seasoned tattooers, opening a private studio after such a short time tattooing is sure to raise eyebrows, and understandably so. I’ve avoided explaining publicly because I don’t really want to get into airing any sort of negativity. To put it simply, things with the shop I was working at didn’t work out and I was asked to leave (which honestly came as a surprise to me), and I didn’t want to leave my existing clients hanging. Although my stated desires about tattooing have been that I crave working around other artists and I love the sense of community amongst tattoo artists (I do! That’s what I want!), this was the best option in the moment and I ran with it. Again, I wanted to be able to continue the work that is currently in progress on my clients WITHOUT DELAY in a positive and serene environment—that is my priority, and my options were limited given my location and dad-style schedule constraints. In the future, I’m sure a shop that embraces my work will be a good home for me. I absolutely do not want to come across the wrong way to seasoned tattoo artists—as entitled, arrogant, or otherwise reckless with the massive responsibility that comes with this very difficult art form. The learning and growing will never end—I’ve walked this path before and I’ll do it again in another medium with my best effort and integrity. I am looking forward to seeing what this new chapter brings. I’m lucky to have the guidance of my friend and mentor @fineartfirst and I trust his advice without reservation. He understands me incredibly well when it comes to the creative realm, and so it’s a massive blessing that he’s got my back. That’s all for now, thanks for reading! 🙏❤️