247 Ink Magazine (December/January) 2015-2016 Issue #6 | Page 18

today. Just try to be better every day. That goes for not just tattooing but for everything in life. If you’re a photographer and you’re taking pictures today, try to take better pictures tomorrow. I’m not trying to be the best artist in the world, I’m not. I didn’t grow up being an artist. I was mechanically inclined so I took to tattooing very quickly. So I think if you just try to be better everyday than you were the day before; better at your work, a better person, better with everything you’ll succeed. I’ve had my own shop for twenty-one years. Not many people can say that in this business. That’s only because of that. In a number of interviews that we’ve done some people say when they’re done with a piece they look at it like “I could have done this better, I could have done that better.” Other people have told me that they will stare at their phone for hours. That’s every tattoo. I have never, ever, in twenty-five years had a tattoo where after it was done and I looked at a picture of it I couldn’t pick something that I could have done better. But you’re tattooing in the heat of the moment. You’re doing it and you’re doing your best. There’s been more evolution in tattooing than any other business lately. When I see kids who have been tattooing two years blowing my work away I know I can do better. I think if you get to the point where you don’t think you can do better, you’re done. You can always upgrade, you can always do a better tattoo than you did yesterday. 16