We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Derek Sheehan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Derek below.

Derek, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I absolutely love the path I chose. I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist before I was old enough to tattoo. Looking back though, you can say I kind of fell into it as career. When I turned 18 I sought out an apprenticeship that did not work out and I quickly gave up on the idea of tattooing. It wasn’t until years later after starting my career that I was thankful it didn’t initially work out. After being offered another shot into the industry I found out how much work, time and discipline is required to be successful. At 18 I was lacking in all of these areas. Looking back, I am very glad I was taught the importance of holding not only myself but my work to those high standards throught my entire career. Because of that I have been very lucky to be presented several opportunities to further my career without seeking them out. Seventeen years later, there isn’t a thing I would change.
Before tattooing I spent several years working different jobs, farming, collections, warehouse work, nursing homes. Through all this I learned that it was more important to feel fulfilled and find connection than how much money I was making. There definitely was a time early in my career that I had to work part time tattooing and work a full time job I despised to make ends meet. It was all worth the long hours and time properly invested to eventually make the leap into full-time tattooing.
I now work as an artist full time at Oak & Iron Salon and Tattoo. Which I would describe as a collective of creatives and has given me a better appreciation of what art can be outside of the traditional medium. I work beside Nail Artists, Hair Stylists, Lash Artists, MUAs, PMUAs and of course other tattoo artists. All are incredibly talented in their fields which helps fuel my creativity.
Everyday I meet people from all walks of life that I would not have the opportunity to meet at a traditional job. I learn from them either directly or indirectly when researching for their tattoo. We build, trust,
relationships and on occasion friendships. Whether it be to remember a random moment in life or just purely anesthetic, they get to leave with a piece of art made for them that they get to keep forever. That is what makes all the work, late nights and drawing after the rest of the family has gone to sleep worth it.
After being an artist for the past 17 years, I wouldn’t change a thing. Because of my past I am able to stay grateful for my present and excited for my future. I truly believe that what you invest yourself into will come back to you tenfold, this applys to tattooing and our lives as a whole.

Derek, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been tattooing for 17 years. It took me a long time to settle into “my style”, which I would describe as a finer line black work illustrave. I incorporate stippling into almost all of my work. I still dabble in other styles but over the past two years have been able to put a focus on what I like to do most and continue to grow into it. I love working with my clients from the initial email, through the drawing process, to create a piece of art they want to keep forever. I think it’s important to have a level of trust and comfort between artist and client. You are going to spend hours together, why not be friends.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The first shop I worked at was in a very small town. At the time, I would of consider myself an “okay” tattooer. It was just the owner and myself working there at the time. After sometime it seemed like he would stop showing up. It began to feel like his business was solely on me to keep afloat. I could have walked away or started my own shop but I didn’t feel ready at the time. Que us heading into the holiday season, which we typically call slow season in the industry, and as you can imagine in a small rural town it can get very slow. One week, I took home $40, it got tough. Earlier in my career I would have shrugged it off as a bad week in slow season but I had a family to consider.
Months earlier I was offered a position at a shop in Buffalo, about an hour away, which I initially turned down because it would have been a risk I wasn’t willing to take at the time.
That bad week opened my eyes real quick, I had to seize the opportunities in front of me. I reached back out the artist that offered me the spot and luckily it was still available. Although an hour drive isn’t that far, it’s even further when it might not be worth it at the end of the day. This meant leaving everything in my small town behind.
I was taking on the artist position under the condition that it was part time while I built a good client base. I was on the hunt for a full time job, anything I could get to keep me a float. I was able to land a collections job, as I had past experience. Lastly, I needed a place to live. Luckily a friends mom had a small vacant carriage house she was able rent out to me. Now I was set.
I thought it was only proper to give two weeks notice to the owner of the current shop I was leaving. It was not taken too well, although he was kind enough to let me finish out my appointments there. On my last week he told me he was going to close the doors to his own business after I left.
It was a couple of months at the collections job before it just became too much for me to continue to do. In the middle of a call later that day something clicked, I stood up took off my headset and proceeded to tell my supervisors how disgusting and money hungry they were. I walked out, I was done.
I was now full time tattooing while still working on building my client base to support it. But a weight had been lifted and I was happy to be doing only what made me happy. I still struggled from time to time at the start, but I kept putting the work in and it paid off in the end. I’ve now been in Buffalo for 10+ years and work at an awesome shop. I’m now able to create time for my family, my job and myself. I honestly couldn’t be happier.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

When I first started my career the internet was young. Access to art almost felt limited, from the ways we had access to it or how we had to share it. You could go to a museum, art gallery etc., but today it is completely unlimited. You’re a hashtag or a scroll away from finding new art that you might absolutely fall in with. Because of that easy access, social media has been an invaluable resource for finding inspiration and support. When another artist or anyone likes, follows or shares my work it’s truly the best feeling. If you can’t buy your favorite artists artwork, show support by sharing their art and toss in a few likes. It gets more eyes on what they are doing, and it helps share and spread ideas. Tattooing in the past has been seen as very competitive, but I’d like to think that it seems to be coming a thing of the past, thankfully. More than ever I see a lot more love and support in the tattoo community. I think positivity and collaboration is a better motivator than any competition.

Contact Info:

• Website: deaddiamondtattoo.com
• Instagram: @dead.diamond.tattoo