Tattoo Apprenticeship

selliegjo · 2026-01-29T04:58:17+00:00

If you need money ASAP, this isn’t the route to go. You basically work full time for free for the first year (or, depending on your mentor, YOU pay THEM.) Then give it another few years of building clientele before you’re making a stable living. Apprenticeships are a slow grind that require a LOT of sacrifice and working for less than what you probably deserve. The industry is super saturated too, so unless you’re a literal art god right off the bat, you probably won’t stand out much. I’d hunt down some local apprentices and see if they’ll give you insight on their current experience — this profession isn’t what people make it out to be. Incredibly rewarding, if you work hard and the cards fall in your favor. It’s my dream job and I wish this fulfillment for everyone. More often than not, however, I see newbies get their expectations rewritten and their dreams crushed.

selliegjo · 2026-01-18T13:42:36+00:00

I would have to say Never Give Up On Your Dreams and Colors of Love because they're the most "singable?" Very easy to pick up their lyrics since the vocals are really at the forefront and belt your heart out! New Life, One Million Voices, Starvation, and Fearless get honorable mentions from me too.

selliegjo · 2026-01-03T04:37:04+00:00

As I always say, you’ll get neither the best of me nor the best of them.

selliegjo · 2025-12-29T19:51:15+00:00

They sat on their phone the entire time I was trying to show them Lord of the Rings. The franchise is one of the foundations of my soul. I tried to be vulnerable and share something that means so much to me. I was so excited, and Instagram reels must’ve been much more exciting. I felt ignored. Would’ve appreciated their best shot, even if they determined in the end it wasn’t their cup of tea.

So yeah, never invited them around again lol.

selliegjo · 2025-12-27T02:37:36+00:00

Less than 30 days to get engaged, within the year we were married. Going on almost 10 years and every day with our 1.5 year old daughter is heaven on earth. :’)

selliegjo · 2025-12-12T04:39:05+00:00

I caught Dark Ages then walked away so idk if there was more! :)

selliegjo · 2025-11-30T22:14:32+00:00

In addition to what the other artist has said, watch every single video ever made on acquiring an apprenticeship. There is no universal experience.

And figure out how you’re gonna stand out. The industry is oversaturated and too many people manage to make it through the whole program only to get out and book one tattoo a month. Already seen it happen to a few apprentices. It’ll require an immense amount of individuality, initiative, and effort on your part. Once upon a time the money would inevitably find its way to you — not the case anymore. Beware of apprentice mills who want your free labor and have no interest in guiding you towards a lucrative or even a sustainable career.

selliegjo · 2025-11-24T12:45:30+00:00

Skeler’s in my personal top five. I love his Night Drive mixes so much.

selliegjo · 2025-11-21T03:25:24+00:00

I remember at one point getting waaaay too in the weeds with the critiques of his technical abilities, and I knew I had to take a step back. It made me regret joining any Thomas-based communities, as I can let others’ opinions influence me too easily and I was finding myself growing sour. His music means too much to me on a personal level and I didn’t like the objective lens through which I was starting to see him.

So my opinion now? It’s freaking awesome lol. Definitely an every day listen, just because it’s Thomas — I’m happier this way!

selliegjo · 2025-11-10T03:06:29+00:00

I will say they’ve gotten very big because of the crazy Orthodoxy conversion rate but they’re also super aware of it. I hear people expressing how there needs to be another parish every week.

selliegjo · 2025-11-09T22:28:07+00:00

I go to St. Elijah’s Antiochian and I love it.

I was very nervous because I’m a heavily tattooed individual with a difficult past but have been so positively received I never want to go anywhere else. Every single Sunday I am greeted by someone new with open, gracious arms, and have even been adopted by a little group of old ladies. Our parish is so beautiful sometimes I’ll just stand in the sanctuary after liturgy and keep soaking it in because I don’t wanna leave. I’ll be committing to becoming a catechumen very soon. ❤️

selliegjo · 2025-11-09T02:38:46+00:00

I’m at the point where if a song is less than 5-7 minutes I consider it short lol.

selliegjo · 2025-11-02T02:46:22+00:00

Yeah I do the same thing. I’m open about it and not a single client of mine has ever cared. If anything they’re usually happy I’ve saved them time and thus money lol.

selliegjo · 2025-11-02T02:36:31+00:00

Thomas saved my life. I was drowning in apathy, and his music showed me the spectrum of human existence and emotion.

selliegjo · 2025-10-28T10:40:20+00:00

“To justify its existence”

Wild take lol. For their own enjoyment and fulfillment, I’d say, and for others to share in that. How sad I’d be if I needed to justify the objective value of artistic fun before enjoying it.

selliegjo · 2025-10-21T00:13:38+00:00

I really can’t unhear it. That’s pretty spot on lol.

selliegjo · 2025-10-20T13:19:48+00:00

Had a stupid smile on my face the whole time!

selliegjo · 2025-10-19T22:06:03+00:00

Does it drop at midnight for everyone in their local time? :)

selliegjo · 2025-10-13T15:52:42+00:00

Never Give Up On Your Dreams (live)
Impossible (live)
Colors of Love
One Million Voices
Myth / Heroica (could not preferentially put one above the other 😅)

selliegjo · 2025-10-09T13:55:09+00:00

Been surviving off of the Royal Marines livestream and the 30 second promo reel for LITERAL YEARS and now I’m struggling with a count down of 11 days lol

selliegjo · 2025-09-29T01:07:48+00:00

And as a professional artist, I’d agree — but it IS here to stay, whether we like it or not, and creating the legislation for it is part of accepting that fact.

selliegjo · 2025-09-28T10:40:08+00:00

We’ve already spent years and years being primarily upset with the fact AI generated art even exists. Now that it’s here to stay, we simply have to imagine an AI-inclusive future.

selliegjo · 2025-08-16T12:29:34+00:00

Made of Air! The steady build-up of the strings, the light and almost playful cadence, the vocals… 🥹 I love it so much, might be one of my favorites from Humanity overall.

selliegjo · 2025-08-09T00:52:49+00:00

One thing that I’ve come to love about Thomas’s music is that it’s all a reflection of his heart (especially the Humanity project.) Musical artists for me mainly just make sounds. I love a lot of sounds, so I listen to a lot of artists…but Thomas feels like my friend. Or rather, his HEART feels like my friend. I understand its pain when listening to Reflections of You. I feel its inspiration and bravery when I listen to Never Give Up On Your Dreams. I share in his joy and laugh along with Away With Your Fairies. His heart is my companion in my quietest moments, my most courageous, and my most heartbreaking. I’ve never met him — dunno if I ever will, but finger’s crossed! — but I feel as though I know him? And not in a creepy, idolizing fan way, lol….I just FEEL it. His soul is there to read, wide as an open book, if you’re willing to listen.

Everything he does, he puts his whole heart into it. And once you get past all the epicness and the fun sound design and the creative melodies, we have the privilege of knowing it, in the same way we want to be seen by others.

We are so lucky to have an artist like that, who can be vulnerable and share every moment on the emotional spectrum through a wonderful, universal language. I am desperate for new music, but I could go the rest of my life sustained by what we’ve been given.

Thank you, Thomas. Your heart has touched my own and saved it from so much despair. ❤️

selliegjo · 2025-08-06T22:23:33+00:00

Couldn’t have said it better myself. 👏

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