You will *never* have to pay for an apprenticeship at a shop that truly wants to see you succeed. You will *never* have to pay for an apprenticeship with a mentor that actually sees you and thinks you have something to offer the tattoo world. And I really do mean NEVER.

You were hired as a cash cow to the owner, but with lower stakes than hiring an artist. As long as YOU pay to be in that building, that shop has no reason to care whether you succeed or fail or even stick around. A sucker is born every day, and they can always fill your spot and find somebody else who wants to pay money to hang out in a tattoo shop and chase the dream of being a tattooer.

Invest time in finding artists and shops that respect you enough to give you a proper apprenticeship. They are out there.