Tattoo artist working on a custom tattoo during a tattoo conventionNotes on TattooingNotes on Tattooing
March 12, 2026

Notes on Tattooing

Tattooing is a strange profession. It sits somewhere between art, craft, service and culture. It’s personal, physical work that happens face to face, in real time, between two people who usually start as strangers. And yet it’s also an industry…

Tattooing is more than a trade. It’s a craft, a culture, and an evolving industry.

These essays explore the realities of modern tattooing — from business and culture to the day-to-day work. A view from a working artist’s booth.

Written over two decades of professional tattooing, including ten years contributing to Total Tattoo magazine, they track how the craft shifts through economic change, technology, and artistic independence.

Some pieces are observations from inside the industry. Others reflect on making work that lasts. Some are practical. Helping artists navigate the parts of modern tattooing that increasingly shape success, drawing on my experience working in marketing alongside tattooing.

Together, they form an ongoing conversation, grounded in experience, opinion and practice. About where tattooing has been, and where it might be going next.

Notes on Tattooing

Observations from Inside the Industry

Are You a Scratcher?

Are You a Scratcher?

Nothing Was Made for Tattooing

Nothing Was Made for Tattooing

Notes on Tattooing

Notes on Tattooing

Tattooing Isn’t a Content Business

Tattooing Isn’t a Content Business

Artist-Owned?

Artist-Owned?

DON’T Wait to be PUSHED

DON’T Wait to be PUSHED

A Career That LASTS

A Career That LASTS

ART isn’t Subjective?

ART isn’t Subjective?

Artist OR Content Creator?

Artist OR Content Creator?

Whose Industry Is It Then?

Whose Industry Is It Then?

Doomsday Déjà Vu

Doomsday Déjà Vu

Marketing Advice for TattooistsRelevance Beats ReachMarketing for Tattoo Artists
April 8, 2026

Marketing for Tattoo Artists

Why Marketing Feels Wrong And How Tattoo Artists Should Actually Approach It Most creatives don’t struggle with marketing because they’re incapable. They struggle because they were never built like traditional businesses. If you’re a tattoo artist trying to understand marketing,…

Relevance Beats Reach

A Practical Guide to Marketing for Tattooists

Marketing for Tattoo Artists

Marketing for Tattoo Artists

Define Success | Tattoo Marketing

Define Success | Tattoo Marketing

What Marketing Actually Is

What Marketing Actually Is

Who Your Tattoo Work Is For

Who Your Tattoo Work Is For

What Tattoo Artists Actually Sell

What Tattoo Artists Actually Sell

How People See You as a Tattoo Artist

How People See You as a Tattoo Artist

What Tattoo Artists Should Post

What Tattoo Artists Should Post

How Tattoo Artists Get Clients

How Tattoo Artists Get Clients

How to Turn Tattoo Enquiries Into Bookings

How to Turn Tattoo Enquiries Into Bookings

How to Build a Long-Term Tattoo Career

How to Build a Long-Term Tattoo Career