Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nic Mann. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nic, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I think that becoming a tattoo artist is a risk itself and the biggest one because it’s going to test every boundary of yourself. Unlike going to college and having a degree and ceremony your family can appreciate you just have the self satisfaction of you made it. You basically earn it with hard work and repetitively pissing your mentor off, eventually you get it. You learn time management, customer service, sales, cleaning to clean again, and literally never stop learning. You work long hours, sacrifice family and social life and if you don’t work you don’t get paid.
You’ll have continuous issues finding a balance of friends and family who understand the craft and industry without it affecting intimacy, trust, and a war at home. You appear to live the dream , but nobody understand the mental strain and constant self criticism you face. And you feel you could never work enough for enough or get it right. You literally risk everything on yourself and you’ll be tested time and time again and you’ll literally have only yourself to get through it. Because you the world “it’s not hard to draw all day”.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started tattooing in Escondido,Ca under Stevie Odell. I worked there until I moved to Arizona in 2009 and basically worked at club tattoo until I opened my first shop Az ink which I had bought from good friend Jay Flores.
I eventually ended up opening up second location and letting that shop run itself called mann up tattoo located at 430 n Dobson mesa Az 85201
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Growing your clientele is going to be just one of the many things as an artist you learn works for you. Typically I live by the golden rule Chad Gifford and Stevie Odell instilled in me. One good tattoo may bring in three but one bad tattoo will turn away ten.
I personally believe quality work and consistency will sell itself. You also have to have a positive attitude. Too many shops and artists have some high horse and entitlement I feel and nobody likes to feel insignificant or stupid when inquiring about art. Be professional, knowledgeable, clean and repeat. You also can take advantage of social media outlets and networking, but mainly your biggest sales pitch will be word of mouth and quality of work.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
The journey of a tattoo artist never ends. Personally from day one as an apprentice I learned instantly hot dogs and steak. Sometimes you can eat hotdogs. Sometimes it’s steak. You constantly get humbled, criticized, and the drama and politics in the industry will eat you alive. As an artist we work with emotions and create, when we are off in our head we are off in our work. The family life is hard. Many can’t keep a family let alone have a home that isn’t broken. The pressure of long hours, travel, and stereotype that we somehow have a secret pornhub casting couch daily in our shop creates hardships in relationships. Insecurities and stress, depression, or lack of motivation. Personally I’ve lost it all many times. And as this career has saved my life, it also has ruined several past lives I once lived. It’s hard to find a balance because we take it personal because we know what we had to do to get where we are and it’s hard to speak rationally when it’s high vibration and emotions. There is beauty in change and growth, but you always hear after the apprenticeship it’s smooth sailing and that’s straight bullshit. It gets worse. If you’re anyone of any character and moral everyday you’re trusted to do permanent art on someone. Pressure of messing up is always there. Trying to stay humble and learn. And trying to do what you love to provide for your family when no matter how hard you work. How many years you dedicate to your craft and how many hotdog meals you eat or don’t at all, people will try to barter, negotiate, or conversation will end at topic of cost. You’ll lose friends. Make enemies. And realize that the people you overcharge respect you, love the work, and are great clients, the bad reviews, headaches, and slander you’ll experience always come from someone you sold yourself short with to try to help out or give a deal. You’ll also experience envy and jealousy from people who went to college and make less, you’ll be thought of as rich. And people who don’t understand how hard you had to daily struggle and still do at times to be the artist you strive for, will not respect you or your job because to them it’s just ” a quick tattoo” “You can do it easily” etc etc.”
Contact information:
Website: http://mannuptattoo.com/
Phone: (480) 590-3828
Address: Mesa Arizona 430 N. Dobson mesa, AZ 85201 suite 109
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