Tattoo Collective Yes or No

[steven kissinger]

let me start by saying in no way am i planning on leaving the current shop i work for. i am finally in a shop with driven artists who have a wealth of knowledge and are always helpful when i need them. but with that being said i have been thinking about my future in this business and was wondering if the collective is the best way to go about being able to make a decent living while tattooing. im not trying to find a get rich quick scheme, but instead be able to take care of my family and not have the stresses of shop ownership. if someone can elaborate more on this i would be grateful thanks!!!!

[Ursula]

You should try to talk with Scott!

[Shannon Shirley]

the first shop i ever saw that was this way was american grafitti, yeah Scott would know.

[Biggy J]

I have been working in a collective for 2 yrs now.I have found it to be way better than working for other people as I haven't worked for the most "awesome" people in my career. If they weren't tattooers they were opinionated ones.

There are 5 of us - it started with 3. All bullshit & ego's need to be put aside and addressed as soon as possible. It's all about communication. Open lines of communication and the feeling you can share whatever's on your mind - no matter what others might think. Being proactive with shop duties needs to be addressed by all parties - you organize cleaning - partner 1 does the phone bill and does the website upkeep, etc. We all pull together and different times and address any issues as soon as they arise. We have all been working in this industry for a minimum of 11yrs, so i think that is also key. Experienced artists have more to offer & less bullshit to deal with. We all have different strengths and weaknesses with our work and push each other with constructive criticism in a proactive manner.

There is a lot of variables you need to weigh before the simple yes or no. My experience has been great. I'm by no mean's "rich" in a monetary means but rich with experiences and life is too short not to live it to the fullest. Money shouldn't be the focus of going into a collective I think. If you want to make a "decent living" - does that mean making more $? You get what you put in - Hope this helps?!

[NickBtattoo]

Great situation if everyone is on the same page with things. Only if that is the case though.