Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Rexrode
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a tattooer originally from Atlanta, GA. I have been tattooing full time for 13 years, and I moved to Orlando about 6 years ago with my wife.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t know if there is an easy route in tattooing. When you first start out it’s just inevitable that you aren’t very good at anything. If you are, you’re definitely not versatile or good at everything, so it’s really just a career of climbing slowly up a hill trying to get there. And ignorance is bliss, right? Because the more you learn, the more you realize you need to still learn, and if you’re doing it right, you never stop climbing that hill. Early on, I really had a hard time finding people to give me a shot, but rightfully so. I think that’s a common occurrence when you’re new to any trade. Lately, I’ve been trying really hard to focus on building real lasting relationships with my clients. Tattoos are my everyday, but for my clients it’s once a month or once a year. Everyone works really hard to make ends meet nowadays, so for people to keep me in their budgets is really a blessing that isn’t lost on me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I first started tattooing, I worked in walk-in shops where it was still important to know how to do everything. If you weren’t capable of doing everything and anything that walked in, you might not be tattooing that day. I think that is a skill that is lost on a lot of tattooers now. With social media, you can really just do one style your entire career and make a solid living. When I started tattooing there was no instagram. We printed our portfolios in physical photo albums, and you gained clientele by doing good tattoos and treating everyone well. The more styles of tattoos you were capable of doing well, the more people you had speaking highly of you and your art. I’ve always stayed true to that, and pride myself on being able to do any style of tattoo someone asks me to do.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For those starting out, draw everyday. Please get a proper one-on-one apprenticeship (ideally over a few years) from an artist that is also a person of good character, who you respect and admire. Research heavily the differences between a subcontractor and an employee for your own financial planning and to protect yourself from predatory shops. Remember that you can learn something from everyone in tattooing, even if that something is what NOT to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tattoosbynicholas.com
- Instagram: @TattoosByNicholas
