We caught up with the brilliant and insightful TJ Hal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

TJ, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

As a tattoo artist, we are often looked down upon as a “less-than art form.” I have numerous fine-art friends who make a living creating digital art, painting, drawing, etc; constantly they discuss how tattoos don’t really count as art. I feel that the old stigma that tattoos are for bikers, sailors or criminals still persists a bit today. But in fact, I feel like tattooing is one of the most challenging art forms there is. Every single day my canvas is different depending on my customers skin. My canvas moves, bleeds and breathes. My canvas has feelings and emotions. I feel that slowly, tattooing is becoming a genuine art form. We are part of pop culture now. Everyone has tattoos or at least knows people with tattoos. Tattoo Artists are now going to art colleges before going through tattoo apprenticeships, which has elevated the quality and standards of the tattoos we all see today. Another way that I personally am misunderstood in my industry is that I DO NOT look like your typical tattoo artist. I have no visible tattoos. Most tattoo artists are covered head-to-toe in tattoos. All of my tattoos are covered by my clothing, so most times, people don’t even realize that I am a tattoo artist. Its a lot of fun actually, I get to surprise people when they ask what I do for a living. I feel that breaking stereotypes is a big part of why I love this industry. All types of people can get tattoos where ever and however they like.

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?

My name is TJ Hal, and I have been a tattoo artist since 2008. I currently work at DOOM CLUB Tattoo Collective in St Petersburg, Florida. I never dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist. I originally wanted to be a comic book artist. I luckily had the opportunity to have worked for both marvel and DC Comics directly out of art school. After 9-11 though, I decided to quit comic art and join the military. I ended up serving for almost 6 years in the United States Army as a Sniper and did multiple tours in the Middle East. At the end of my Army service, I didn’t really have a direction and hadn’t done anything creative in years. I was living in Colorado Springs, Colorado at that time and the girl I was dating wanted to get a tattoo. We went to a random tattoo shop that we found in the yellow pages to get her tattoo. upon walking in the door, I recognized the man behind the counter as a friend I had known from the comic book field. I is probably the one moment in my life that Fate put me in the right place at the right time. He asked if I still did artwork and if I had ever given thought to tattooing. I honestly hadn’t. At that time I only had one tattoo with no desire to ever get another. But I figured I would give it a shot and for the next few days began to shadow him at his tattoo shop. I instantly fell in love with the art of tattooing.
I feel that everything I have done in my life has molded me into the tattoo artist I am today. My tattoos are highly influenced by comic book art. It is evident in every tattoo that I do. I try to view the customers skin as a comic book panel, where I can make each and every tattoo dynamic and interesting. As well, I feel that the discipline that I learned in the Army has positively influenced my work ethic in the industry. As a tattoo artist, most of the time, you are only as busy as how hard you are willing to work. There are lots of long hours of drawing for clients and you have to be very diligent with the paperwork and correspondence with the clientele. I have been able to find a really happy balance where my customers can always count on me to give them a great experience as well as a great tattoo.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

During my time in the Army, I was overseas in the Middle East. During my last deployment I was involved in an IED explosion which in turn ruptured 5 vertebrae in my lower back. I have received two back surgeries since, but nothing has helped with the pain. My back has always been an issue since and it makes my job difficult at times. I have found ways of adapting throughout the day dealing with the pain. To this day, I wear a back brace during every tattoo appointment. One of the most difficult situations I have faced in my career though was when I was on season 2 of Spike TV’s INKMASTER. During the second episode I re-injured my back. I had to leave the competition which devastated me. On national television infant of 12 million people, I was shown as someone who was broken and unable to be an efficient tattoo artist. It was a very dark time for me. I received a lot of bad press and even more emails talking about how I shouldn’t continue in the industry. I had a choice, I could either dwell on the events that happened, or I could adapt and overcome. I began getting my body healthier and more in shape. I began going to the gym 6 days a week to strengthen my core. I started getting weekly massages and chiropractic appointments, and in less than 3 months I was back at tattooing. I tried turning the negative experience into a learning experience and I have not changed my health habits since. Im still known as the guy who hurt his back on TV, but now most of my clients are proud that I am still able to work at such a high level.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding experience about being a tattoo artist is when you see the client’s face when they see the finished tattoo. Its a wonderful moment. I can’t begin to tell you how amazing it feels when the customers is glowing and smiling from ear to ear. Many times we are able to do memorial tattoos of love ones who have passed for our clients. These are some of the most rewarding tattoos. I have been told how the tattoo “makes them feel like there person is walking with them everywhere they go.” Tattoos are special in the sense that the customer can put the tattoos in places that they can see everyday from the second they wake up till the moment they go to bad. Having a piece in memory of a loved one will often bring them comfort and closure. Being able to give that peace of mind to my customers is worth more than anything else in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tjhal.com
• Instagram: @tjhaltattoos
• Facebook: @tjhaltattoos
• Other: tiktok: @tjhal