I’ve been tattooing for a while now and I’ve seen it all, people falling asleep, people passing out, and everything in between. But every time I sit in the chair as the client, my stomach still doing backflips and I get those “first tattoo” jitters. I know exactly what the needle feels like, I know the process, and I know I’m going to love the result, yet I still find myself overthinking the pain or the long session ahead. Is this a common thing for pros, or am I just a bit of a wuss when the roles are reversed? [Image Context]: These are my legs so far! Lots of heavy blackwork and botanical details. I love the art, but man, those sessions near the ankles had me questioning everything. Would love to hear from other artists or heavily tattooed people, does the “pre-session anxiety” ever actually go away, or do you just get better at hiding it?
The more you know, the more there is for you to possibly worry about. Ignorance is bliss! Here’s a fun anecdote to calm your jitters.
Once upon a time I was trying to reassure my coworker who had an upcoming appointment. “I’m scared! I want to do it but I’m scared of the pain! It’s going to hurt!” she groaned.
I asked “where on your body are you getting the work?”
“On my stomach,” she said.
“Oh,” I said, “that’s a good place. It won’t hurt that much. You have a lot of fat on your stomach.”
She just frowned at me. One of the other cooks walked in and she shouted “He just called me fat!”
“The rhetorical ‘you!’” I tried to explain, to no avail. I never heard the end of that one from her.
Doesn’t that just mean you are confident in your abilities? Inversely, untill you go to the same artist a few times, you aren’t confident in theirs. Something like, that I’m too terrified of needles to know.
Not at all. Do you think a brain surgeon wouldn’t be stressed before brain surgery?
Yh you’re right!
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Oh wow
I’ve interviewed people for jobs for years and I’ve been nervous for every single interview.
You want to make a good impression and do right by that person. There’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous about that.
I don’t know anything about the world of tattoo artists. Just my own experience
I love that perspective. It’s funny how different our jobs are, but the root of the anxiety is identical, wanting to do right by the person in front of you. I think you’re right; if I didn’t care about the outcome, I probably wouldn’t be nervous. It’s comforting to know that even after years of interviewing, that human element still stays with you!
No, I’d get nervous having someone watch me work too
Haha, I can see how it sounded like that! I actually meant being the one in the chair getting poked, I still get those ‘first-timer’ jitters even though I do this for a living. But you’re right, having a crowd watch you work is a whole different kind of pressure!
It’s biological. I have sleeves. Worked in a shop (as a piercer). The flight or fight is real. You are self aware and know it CAN hurt better than most. Once the endorphins run out you can be chill.
(Not a tattoo artist or person with tattoos yet.) I don’t think it’s weird. I believe there are reasons why you feel that way. One in particular might be, that you know how you want the tattoo you chose to turn out. If it doesn’t turn out or come together like you had hoped, how would you handle the situation? I myself would have a hard time telling someone that it didn’t come out right. Especially if it was a tattoo. So maybe it’s more than just the pain you’re thinking about.
That is such a sharp observation! You might actually be right, as an artist, I definitely have a specific vision in my head, and there’s always that tiny bit of ‘creative anxiety’ about it not matching up. It’s a lot of trust to put in someone else’s hands, even when you know they’re talented. It’s definitely a mix of physical nerves and that perfectionist brain kicking in!
This x10, the only time I saw my ex nervous about doing a tattoo was when I gave her free reign, and I really didn’t care what she did because I had absolute faith.
The result was not at all what I expected, and also my favourite
Wow
And also, for what it’s worth, since you don’t have tattoos yet, the best way to avoid that ‘how do I tell them’ situation is to spend a ton of time on the stencil phase. I’m always telling my clients to be as picky as they want before the needle touches skin! But yeah, even for me, that fear of the unknown is always there.
Not at all.
I’m a professional painter and sketch artist who’s done everything from books, to commissioned paintings. to sketch sittings with pro athletes.
I’m nervous at the start of every project. The key is resisting the urge to burn them when they’re not immediately perfect after one session.
That ‘urge to burn’ feeling is so real! It’s definitely harder to ‘burn the canvas’ when it’s someone’s actual leg, though😅. I think that’s where my nerves come from, knowing there’s no ‘undo’ button or fresh canvas if I’m not feeling it immediately. It’s comforting to know even someone sketching for pro athletes still gets that start-of-project jitters!
