an apprenticeship is everything from paperwork, cleaning EVERYTHING, watching tattoos, helping customers, closing at night, washing cars, getting food, answering phones, writing receipts, selling anything the shop has to offer, scrubbing tubes, and in general being their bitch when you paid to learn how to tattoo. it last anywhere from 3 months to 3 years depending on who you learn from and how quickly you progress. an apprenticeship is learning from someone who should be experienced in their field (doesn't always happen that way but should). its hard work but if you want to learn you put up with the crap, ask as many questions as you can, beg, borrow, bribe, steal, and pay for every secret you can learn from as many good tattoo artists as possible. tattooing is basically one big secret because the ones that are really good at it don't want the competition, at least in the old days thats how it was.

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-caleb