My Tattoo Journey
Apr 27, 2017
2 min read
One of the main questions I get asked while tattooing is how did I get into it.
I think its a kind of beautiful story...
You may want to read the blog about the flood for this to make a bit more sense... But let me take you back to 2016 to an art show at Volvo of Edmonton for Lois Holes Women's Hospital.
There was a charity event I was invited to. I was asked to bring some art to donate for them to auction off. I arrived and there were four other artists there for the same reason. I networked with most of them, and met one named Conrad Plews. He said he owned a tattoo shop and mentioned they were looking for an apprentice... At this time I was heavily involved in school and working part time. Though in 2012 I purchased my first machine from a tattoo artist who showed me a few things, I never sought any more knowledge on the subject of tattooing passed that. I remember taking Conrads business card, and then misplacing it shortly after I got home.
A few times that year I thought about the business card and how it would be nice to talk to him about tattooing, though I still never seriously considered it a career path. I was renting an art studio, and kept busy with school for another year. Winter semester 2017 came about and the flood happened. My world began to halt...
I was invited back to the same art show at Volvo of Edmonton, and ran into Conrad again. He had mentioned that if I was at all interested I should bring my portfolio to the shop and show him and his business partner what I have creatively accomplished.
With the flood, dropping out of school, selling my car, and putting all my money into fixing my space... learning the trade of tattooing couldn't have come at a better time. I literally had nothing left to lose.
I brought my portfolio to the Fort Saskatchewan Location of Black Market Tattoo, and met Conrad's business partner Shawn Walsh. They both agreed I seemed to be a good fit so far and to come in 5 days a week for my apprenticeship.
That is pretty well where it all started.
I could get into detail on what that looked like, but I think I'll write and save an apprenticeship post all on its own.
To those who take the time to read my posts, if you ever happen to have questions please ask, and engage freely with me.
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What stands out here is how the opportunity came through a fairly ordinary encounter rather than a carefully planned career move. The part about keeping the business card, losing it, and then meeting the same person again later shows how creative careers can develop through relationships and persistence as much as formal planning. There is also an interesting contrast between having some early exposure to tattooing and later deciding to learn the trade properly through an apprenticeship. That distinction matters in many practical professions, where having access to equipment or basic knowledge is very different from understanding the standards, responsibilities, and decision-making involved. The same principle can apply when working with jct and nec contracts, where familiarity with contract terminology…