The Hardest Part

The hardest part was realizing my ignorance and being around people that don't share it. It's not knowing. Being unaware and uninformed around a group of people who are neither.

Even when the guys would talk to me, it was obvious I couldn't relate. The guys weren't rude. I've heard plenty of apprenticeship stories, and I'm one lucky guy. Rather, when it came to all aspects of tattooing, there was no point in going into detail with me yet.

After learning how to clean a station, I distinctly remember picking up a machine. I had trouble trying to take the needles out so I fiddled with what I know now is the contact point screw. Long story short: don't do that. Now it doesn't make much sense, but when you're in the middle of not knowing much there's a difficult balance between getting your work done efficiently and standing in one spot confused. I've teetered through both and I continue to learn.

So...

What happens when a mistake is made? How about when that mistake slows somebody else down or loses them money? How do you respond to admonition, correction, or even chastisement?

Here's my advice to other apprentices lurking out there. Oh, and don't worry; I'm nobody special so this advice is good old fashioned regurgitation:

Defend yourself by improving yourself.

And there you have it. Words are cheap, right? If you know who you are and truly seek to improve, doing so is the answer.