Recently, it seems to me that becoming a tattoo artist has become very popular. And after seeing two tattoo artists in the latest reality show (even though it’s not very popular), along with countless bracelets, and even a tattoo artist in Big Brother, I’m now convinced that “being a tattoo artist” is the new “being a singer”.
I wonder why? I guess people think, “200 leva for a tattoo?! How rich are these tattoo artists?” or “They just draw all day and make a fortune!”. There seems to be a widespread misconception that being a tattoo artist means making a huge amount of money. And that being a tattoo artist is the quickest way to become a millionaire.
The rise of social media has given many artists, including myself, the opportunity to promote their work for free and in the way they choose. However, this inevitably led to a clash between reality and algorithms, and it quickly became clear that it was more important to present your life in the most interesting, exaggerated, and engaging way possible, rather than showcasing the quality of your work. Thus, the belief emerged that tattoo artists do whatever they want and live a carefree life, which only reinforced the existing stereotypes of tattoo artists as people who live a nocturnal lifestyle, have fun, and don’t take anything seriously. And for better or for worse, we live in a culture that values this lifestyle, and the illusion that all tattoo artists live like this drives many people to want to follow in their footsteps. Despite this, while there are some tattoo artists who do indeed lead such a life, there are many more who are just ordinary people striving for a normal life. Although it is often true that artists in general work at night and sleep during the day.
Another reason for the popularity of the tattoo industry, I believe, is the rise of tattoo-related shows over the past decade, such as LA Ink, Miami Ink, and Ink Master. These shows have also created the impression in the eyes of many people that being a tattoo artist is quite interesting and lucrative. And while our work is indeed very interesting, like any reality show, the ultimate goal of these shows is ratings. And they inevitably create an unrealistic image of the entire industry.
Another factor that popularized tattoos in the eyes of the public is again partly related to social media. With their emergence, people started seeing their favorite celebrities getting tattoos. And our innate desire to emulate people we admire prompted many to change their minds about tattoos and helped society, especially young people, to accept tattoos as art, thus eliminating a large part of the stigma associated with tattoos. And although, from the many celebrities who have visited Mastilnitsa, I know that they are ordinary people just like everyone else, in the eyes of the public, they are often their idols and their example is very important for the choices they make. It’s no coincidence that the profession of influencer has become so popular in recent years, because their influence on large groups of people is so obvious and definitive.
It seems to me that over the past 4 years, due to the enormous upheavals in politics and economics, both in Bulgaria and around the world, people have begun to collectively realize, more and more, that life is much more valuable and much shorter than we thought, and this realization has led to a desire in many people to unleash their potential and start doing the things they truly associate with deep within themselves. To take the risk of separating from a secure job and give a chance to their inner compass to guide them. This inevitably led many people to discover their inner desire to express themselves through some kind of art, a desire that I believe we all carry within us. And along with other arts such as singing, painting, and writing, not a few people decided to try to express their emotional essence by changing the skin of others. And tattooing, like any other art, was for many people a meaningful escape from such a robotic corporate environment, where, although you have some security, you feel how slowly but surely the soul is replaced by some largely illusory standard of living that you cannot fully catch up with by working in a call center.”
However, this year (2024) is a bit different from previous ones. For the first time in 10 years, there has been a sustained decline in interest in tattoos. With the exception of a 2-3 month period at the beginning of the pandemic in Bulgaria that started in March 2020, over the past 10 years since Mastilnitsa has existed, there has been a gradual increase in work and interest in tattooing. However, we are now seeing a slight decline. I will try to present the reasons why, in my opinion, we are observing this decline.
One reason that I think is obvious is the increasing instability in the politics of our country, as well as all the conflicts around the world that cannot but have an impact on Bulgaria, if not directly, then at least in the psyche of people, creating a sense of fear of impending threats lurking from Russia and the Middle East. Tattoo studios fall into the services sector, and this sector is usually among the first affected in such situations of uncertainty. After all, if you live with the worry of how you will pay your mortgage, why would you get a tattoo?
And the other reason, in my opinion, is everything I talked about earlier. When something becomes too popular, it stops being sought after so much. People value what is rarer and harder to get. Now we live in a world where more and more studios are opening, and there are two tattoo artists in every reality show, after all. So from a purely economic point of view, there is no way there can’t be a slight decline after such a sharp and long-term increase.”
Does this mean that people will stop getting tattoos? I don’t think that’s possible. Tattoos have existed long before the agricultural revolution, and despite any attempts by great institutions like the church to stop tattooing, the art has continued to exist, sometimes hidden in the shadows, sometimes openly, and has proven itself as part of human culture for reasons that I will delve into in one of my next articles. And I believe that this decline is also temporary and is simply part of the deep and hard-to-explain way in which the free market operates. This decline is as if necessary to maintain balance and to separate the true desire to create art from the desire to make quick money.
Being a tattoo artist, like any other art, requires many sacrifices, and I believe that with this decline, many people will realize that making easy money from tattooing in the long term is just an illusion for a huge part of the artists. Creating art and being a successful artist means working much more than 8 hours a day, working on weekends, knowing how to present your work, sacrificing a significant part of your personal life, working focused without the right to make mistakes for hours, creating a huge stress on your back, joints, and eyes, along with many other sacrifices that every tattoo artist is obliged to make if they want to succeed. And as in any other art, you have to know deep down in your bones that this is what you want to do, otherwise why would you make these sacrifices? Inevitably, many people, when push comes to shove, will realize that the sacrifices are not worth it, and would prefer a more peaceful and predictable life. Especially after seeing that there is some truth to the saying “a musician can’t feed a family.” There are artists who live very well from their art, but there are incomparably more who barely make ends meet and are forced to leave their art in the background because they can’t support themselves with it. And as with the waves in the ocean, after every decline, there is a rise, and so it is with everything else in the ocean of life. And this decline is necessary so that a rise can follow. Sometimes the sea is calm and unchanging, but this is only a temporary phenomenon, sooner or later the waves appear again.
Personally, I have no fear for the future, and I will always choose optimism as the only valuable direction in an infinitely dangerous and uncertain world. But people have not said for nothing that “the pessimist is right in 99% of cases, but the optimist only needs to be right once” and as soon as he reaches the moment when he is right, life acquires infinitely more meaning and value.
Tattoos will always exist, even if they disappear temporarily, they will return, art will always exist. Our need to express our emotions and see their physical manifestation is too deeply rooted. And the hustle culture will also continue to exist, both in art and although I’m not a big fan of this part of our culture, I try to accept it as part of the world and focus my attention on the value I give to the world.
That’s it for today’s topic. I hope you found it interesting to share my extremely non-expert opinion on the economic development of tattooing as an art. I would be happy to hear your opinion on the subject. And for everyone at Mastilnitsa, it would be a great pleasure and honor to follow us on all social media, so that we can continue to create more value and quality content for you. And most importantly, to develop the tattoo culture in Bulgaria.
Thank you and until next time.