We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel O’Brien a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I never really thought of a career in art. My mind was set on football and college and when that fell apart I just started working a regular job. I didn’t really forget about art but life and work got in the way so it became a part time hobby. Just drawing and sketching. Not knowing a whole lot of how the tattoo industry or art industry in general worked I really had no idea you could have a career. Obviously these amazing museum art pieces made money and those artists had a career but I was more interested in street art type stuff. Even when I first started tattooing I felt I was behind the eight ball because I started so late. I would see in magazines, men and women starting right out of high school or people that were my age and already doing mind blowing tattoos. But I just told myself, everything happens for a reason. I feel like starting at 28 helped in other ways. I was more mature and handled situations differently. Being in the tattoo industry you see, hear and experience all kinds of stuff. I probably would have fell into some not so great habits and made a lot more mistakes had I got into the industry at 18. So like all things it worked out.
The moment that a tattoo shop reached out to me for a job was the moment I really felt I could do this as a career. I really wanted it and that helped my confidence. Sure I had my doubts because it’s a long process. You have to build your reputation, build your clientele, keep improving your art work etc. When I started tattooing I kept my other job. I couldn’t take the plunge and risk going broke. I have a family to support. So I stayed on the grind. I worked my 9-5 and tattooed after and on the weekends. The shop I worked for was very supportive and understating. I’m at a point now where I could walk away from my 9-5 but I’m so vested in the company it would be dumb to throw it away. So I still work that job and tattoo on my days off. It’s a balancing act and at times a struggle to maintain it but at the end of the day it’s all worth it. I have moments when I want to just jump into tattooing full time because I know I would make it. But for now I plan to stay at my 9-5 for 10 more years. Get retirement and keep tattooing. Fingers crossed haha.
Daniel , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have always drawn, painted and had a creative mind. The tattoo industry was so interesting to me but I never really thought of being a tattoo artist. I drew up a matching tattoo for my wife and her sister, and when she took my sketchbook to the shop all the artists were really impressed with my drawings. The artist that did my wife’s tattoo asked if I would be interested in tattooing. From that point I was even more interested in tattoos. My mom got me one of those Amazon kits for Christmas and I practiced at home. I already had a full time job and couldn’t take the plunge and do a traditional apprenticeship because I had a family to take care of. So when I would get tattooed I would watch and ask as many questions as the artist (Waylon Harp) would answer. I went with a friend of mine as well that was getting tattooed pretty frequently and watched and asked questions. Then I would go home and apply what I learned to practice skin, bananas and grapefruits. Eventually I had the guts to tattoo my dad. My first ever real tattoo, after overworking the skin and doing a horrible first tattoo I was 100% totally hooked! Eventually I got confident enough to post on social media and from there a shop reached out and asked if I wanted a job. It was at Prodigy Ink under Big Ern where I learned even more about the industry and I have been grinding ever since.
I love tattooing. It’s an honor, nerve racking, fun and emotional all at the same time. You tell stories back and forth with your client and get to know them. Eventually it becomes more of a friendship because you share things with each other and they put this trust in you to put permanent artwork on their body. Sometimes it’s a funny random tattoo, other times it’s a sad tattoo to remember a loved one. There’s also cover ups that can be a regret after a night of partying or to help close a chapter. To be apart of the process and to have people trust you in a very humbling experience.
I think what sets me apart from other artists is it doesn’t matter what kind of tattoo it is. Big, small, funny or sad, I approach every one with the same mindset and respect. I have experienced a lot in my life so I can relate to a lot to what my clients are going through.
If I had to choose a style to do all the time it would be Chicano style, black and grey roses, and custom lettering and Greek mythology. Eventually I would like to get to the level of only tattooing these things but until then I am open minded to just about anything.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being a tattoo artist is that a tattoo is so much more than a tattoo. Sure there are funny random tattoos. But most of the time it comes from planned out creative ideas that you and the client are equally excited about. Or it’s to help someone put closure on a sad moment or to always remember a loved one. The clients reactions are the best. The fact that I can be apart of that is amazing. You become the clients friend/brother or sister/counselor at times haha. And it’s all worth it.
I’ll share my favorite tattoo story… I was going to turn in my two week notice at the shop that I was at. Every weekend when I came in they were dealing with a new issue whether it be an artist get fired, family stuff, issues with the shop, etc… so I never really felt it was a good time and I didn’t wanna drop more bad news on top of what they were already dealing with because I knew they didn’t want to lose me. Several months roll by and I finally am able to tell them. It turned into more of a one month notice than a two week notice, but I finally did it and was making plans for my next step. My last weekend at the shop was a very slow weekend and we would typically go in order for who got to the shop first. I had been at the shop for about an hour and there were no customers coming in. Finally a married couple comes in. But I didn’t think much of it because there were two other artist in front of me. A few minutes later one of the artists comes into the break room and says hey, why don’t you take this tattoo? It’s your last day and this lady wants lettering. You love doing custom lettering so it’s yours. I greet the couple and the woman tells me she wants the word Faith on her wrist. So I sketch it up and she loves it. I start setting up my station and having small talk with the couple. She asks about my neck tattoo. I explain that it’s a memorial tattoo for my mother who lost her battle with breast cancer. She instantly gets very emotional, and I tell her it’s ok. She says “I’m sorry for your loss” I tell her thank you and it’s ok, she’s in a better place. She then tells me that she’s even more emotional because she was celebrating being cancer free and that’s why she was getting the faith tattoo. We talk a little bit more and she asks, “If you don’t mind me asking, when did you lose your mom” I looked over at my calendar as she asked that and it was literally the anniversary of my moms passing. I turned and said “today” we both cried. I had struggled for months to put in my two weeks notice, and on the last day of work I did a cancer survivor tattoo on the day of my moms passing. If thats not Gods work I don’t know what is.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
SUPPORT! That’s so important. Support the art, appreciate the time, energy and love that went into that tattoo, mural, painting, street art etc. People are so quick to spend top dollar on clothes and shoes that don’t last, but because Brad Pitt or JLo wears it or a famous athlete supports it then it’s gotta be good. But a mom and pop shop, tattoo artist, candle maker, art maker etc get low balled or asked for an hook up. Don’t do that!! Artists should also be supportive of each others work. It takes 1 second to like someone’s social media post. Show some love. That one like or comment could totally change that persons day. I hear about so many artists hesitating to post reels or videos of them talking because they are afraid of what other artists will say. Just do it! No matter what you’re going to have some haters. Just do you and keep smiling. Blood, sweat and tears go into these projects and you can’t put a price on that. So many times I will quote a tattoo and I might get a response like why is that so expensive? It’s only gonna take you 10 minutes. Well you’re not paying for my time you’re paying for my experience. Years ago that same tattoo was probably half the price, but it also took me twice as long and it probably didn’t look as good. Sure there are some artists out here over pricing their work trying to get rich. But most are just trying to make a comfortable living doing what they love. And in my opinion, the more comfortable we are the better work we’re going to produce. As I said before you are paying for the experience. And not just years of tattooing. The vibe of the studio, the attitude of the artist, the music, the whole set up. It should be an all around experience.
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