Why aren’t you offering custom work?

(That means if you want a tattoo from me, you have to pick from what I’m offering, as opposed to you telling me what you want and I draw it.)

I know it’s a bummer to come to my website and find out that I’m not going to work with you on your probably very awesome tattoo idea, but hear me out…

I’ve been tattooing for 18 years.

Custom work got me where I am today, and I’m so grateful for the art and client relationships that came out of it. Some of my favorite pieces were my client’s ideas, and I know you guys have more ideas that are right up my alley.

Even so, the more demand I had for custom work, the more I found myself burning out over and over. The pressure of bringing someone else’s tattoo idea to life (usually at the last minute, which is stressful for everyone involved) starts to add up when you do it every day, no matter how easy my clients are and how much I like their ideas. I tried for years to find ways to make it more manageable, but I always seemed to end up in the same place— exhausted, thinking if I don’t make a big change soon my career as a tattoo artist isn’t going to survive.

By having the design already completed before I start to work with someone, that pressure is gone. I’ve worked really hard to get to a point where I can do this, and I am happy to report that it’s working. No more career-threatening burnouts.

Not only that, I’ve been able to connect with my artwork on a level I haven’t felt in years. The creative energy I have from not burning out all the time has given me the space to focus more on what I really want to accomplish with my art and tattoo designs, and I’m so excited to see where it takes me.

Thank you so much (especially to my loyal long-time clients) for your support and understanding as I continuously work to make this career sustainable for me.

~XOXO, Lisa

PS, many of the other artists at my shop, Haunted Hands, offer custom work.

Also read A Letter To My Loyal Clients

Being a tattoo artist is an incredibly demanding job. On top of being artists working in an insanely difficult medium that takes years to master in a high pressure and competitive environment, we are also our own secretaries, marketing directors, customer support, HR department, payroll, and many other unseen but necessary duties that drain our energy before we even get to draw your tattoo. Please be patient with your tattoo artist and respect their boundaries. That means they take their job seriously and plan on doing it for a long time.