Man I was so hoping for a little 'mr. cool ice'. I could've used a chuckle.
Nice work...
How many others here (besides myself) thought about going into tattoo work as a youngster?
Tattooing is a very fun rewarding career. I would have stuck with it myself and never got into the sign business but I have essential tremor in my drawing hand now so I had to find another line of work. Oddly, though, having been out of it for almost two years now, I don't entirely miss it. Dealing with customers can be a huge pain in the ***. At least most people don't want stupid signs. Unfortunately, most everybody wants stupid tattoos...because something 'different' always translates into something dumb, ridiculous, or just plain weird. And everybody likes ten lbs. of s**t stuffed into a five lb. bag because you know...a portrait of dear old dad reflecting into a lake, next to a rock, with a wolf howling at the moon, and a tree, with an owl perched on one branch (because mom likes them), and a ten word expression to go with it would look cool...right? And can you make it about the size of the palm of my hand? What a bunch of crap.
I now really enjoy sign making much more than I enjoyed tattooing for several reasons, but mostly because it's something new and exciting and I no longer have to deal with idiots. Most people that are in business for themselves are easier to deal with than a pack of loud, half lit, menopausal, middle aged women that want matching foot tattoos.