What you're allowed to get

I'm tired of tattoo artists telling customers what they're allowed to get!  Don't get me wrong, I definitely have a say in what happens on my side of the machine, and that means quality control.  If someone brings in terrible reference art, that doesn't mean give them a terrible tattoo!  Fix it up to the best of your ability and give it your twist/flair.  Make it yours, and make it good.

What I'm talking about is tattooers telling a customer that their tattoo HAS to face a certain way, front, back, up, down, or be a certain style (ie; traditional). I do, however, believe it is a tattoo artist's responsibility to explain what is best (or at least, most common), more socially acceptable and smarter.  For example, letting them know that their wrist tattoo is going to look upside down to everyone else, unless they walk around with their hand up all day is polite.  Telling them that they have to get it the way you like it is arrogant!  The same thing goes for tattoos that are going in places they won't heal well, like the bottom of the foot or the ring finger. 

Many will claim that because their name is associated with the tattoo they refuse to do certain things.  Make sure the customer is treated with respect in this manor.  It's your choice not to do "upside down" tattoos, you don't have to belittle the customer about it.  Just say, "I really think a lot of people are going to think I don't know what I'm doing if I do that, if you're not willing to do it the other way (other location, whatever) then I'm afraid you're going to have to find someone else to do it." As opposed to "No, you can't get it that way."

I have to be honest, I like out-of-the-box tattoos a lot.  Tattoos that look like a sketch, or scribbles, or that are randomly and uniquely placed.  Big crazy wild solid black whatever the heck the collector wanted kind of tattoos.  Tattoos that say "I don't give a crap what you think, it's mine!"  Which is exactly what a tattoo should say.

Now on a blatantly hypocritical note, there's certain content I refuse to do.  That's a little different.  I won't do racist or demonic tattoos.  I won't tattoo a pot leaf on you or anything vile or vulgar.  For some people that doesn't leave much.  But it's not because I think you're an idiot or you don't have every right to put those things on yourself, it's because I believe art should enrich everyone's life and I actually believe tattoos can make the world a better place, as long as they're not magnifying violent tendencies or encouraging self destruction.