No Stupid Questions

I’m a dog trainer and work at a boarding facility. I know my dogs love to go there, don’t have separation anxiety, and that my coworkers adore them. On the rare occasion I have to leave them for a night or two I still get stressed despite knowing they’re going to be just fine. And they don’t even get kenneled, they’re spoiled brats who get to sleep in the office!

I’m not in your industry but I briefly flirted with the idea. I’ve had a lot of my drawings, for better and worse lol, be used by others for tattoos. When I was considering it I was primarily doing apprentice work as a piercer, which in South Florida was (is still maybe) pretty common to do both.

I’ve never done a piercing on someone that I haven’t done on myself. Had a friend come in for an eyebrow and insisted I do it. They bled a lot, more than usual but otherwise everything was ok, the pierce was fine, they loved it. That was it for me. I couldn’t settle myself with screwing something like that up

So I would appreciate knowing you take your role seriously. Maybe try to reframe the stress you feel into the honor you have to be trusted to do what you do. Unsure if you did any of your leg work but if so, as a fan of pure black I’d trust you

Incredibly brave to post the dawgs on here.

The more you know, the more there is for you to possibly worry about. Ignorance is bliss! Here’s a fun anecdote to calm your jitters.

Once upon a time I was trying to reassure my coworker who had an upcoming appointment. “I’m scared! I want to do it but I’m scared of the pain! It’s going to hurt!” she groaned.

I asked “where on your body are you getting the work?”

“On my stomach,” she said.

“Oh,” I said, “that’s a good place. It won’t hurt that much. You have a lot of fat on your stomach.”

She just frowned at me. One of the other cooks walked in and she shouted “He just called me fat!”

“The rhetorical ‘you!’” I tried to explain, to no avail. I never heard the end of that one from her.

Not at all. Do you think a brain surgeon wouldn't be stressed before brain surgery?

Doesn't that just mean you are confident in your abilities? Inversely, untill you go to the same artist a few times, you aren't confident in theirs. Something like, that I'm too terrified of needles to know.

I’ve interviewed people for jobs for years and I’ve been nervous for every single interview.

You want to make a good impression and do right by that person. There’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous about that.

I don’t know anything about the world of tattoo artists. Just my own experience

No, I’d get nervous having someone watch me work too

(Not a tattoo artist or person with tattoos yet.) I don't think it's weird. I believe there are reasons why you feel that way. One in particular might be, that you know how you want the tattoo you chose to turn out. If it doesn't turn out or come together like you had hoped, how would you handle the situation? I myself would have a hard time telling someone that it didn't come out right. Especially if it was a tattoo. So maybe it's more than just the pain you're thinking about.

I’m pretty well covered. Maybe a quarter panel on a thigh that doesn’t at least have a few things going on. Recently started a shoulder to shoulder down to the cheeks back piece covering up some regrettable, garage work I got in high school.

I never really thought I had jitters, I sit really well for 4 - 5 hour sessions before abandoning hope (That started in my 40’s) but, I have a fitness watch now and it has called me out the last 5 sessions for high stress when I’m pulling up to the shop and getting settled in.

This isn’t a new artist to me, he’s been working on me for 10+ years. It’s not a new shop or a shared shop but somehow my damn watch is convinced I need to do breathing exercises as I’m having conversations with someone I consider good friend and we’re catching up on his family going ons.

By the time I hear the gun fire off the first time, it all melts away. So there’s a weird dissonance between what I think I’m experiencing and what is happening physiologically apparently.

Don’t know if this makes any sense but it’s an interesting way to track what is happening nervous system wise and see if there’s any changes before and during a session. Maybe even compare your info while getting work vs doing work!

Cheers!

Not at all.

I'm a professional painter and sketch artist who's done everything from books, to commissioned paintings. to sketch sittings with pro athletes.

I'm nervous at the start of every project. The key is resisting the urge to burn them when they're not immediately perfect after one session.