There is no doubt when people come to a tattoo artist that they are fully aware that a certain amount of physical pain is involved. Most come to commemorate some sort of milestone or crossroads in their life. A lot of times that involves anything from a deep emotional pain to a happy memory... but whatever the case may be--what I love about what I do is that because of the deep seated and deep rooted reasons people come to get tattoos... it becomes the very reason that sets the art of tattooing far apart from any other artistic industry and medium you can think of... and that is that it allows the pre-suppositions and labels of the classic belief that tattooing is just a needle and ink or that tattooing is for the subcultures of society that encompass anything from criminals, bikers, and punks to the wild and the promiscuous. But you dig deeper and you find that people come in with baggage, whether its happy or sad and they have a story to tell. They sit down in front of you and you begin to tattoo them. What makes it beautiful is that physical pain I was talking about. It becomes something of a catharsis for the client and I've seen it a million times already. It's like you're watching them evolve and let go before your eyes. They aren't the only ones who evolve. Every person that comes in offers a piece of themselves and you carry that with you. You hear tattoo artist's say it all the time... it's more than just an ink and needle. It's more than a rebellion taken on by misled youth. It's soo much more than that now and I'm just thankful to be in the right place at the right time as I watch the tattoo industry grow and become more legit as i pick up a few tricks of the trade before I go on my way to other things.