That One Day You Considered Quitting Tattooing
It usually sneaks up on you.
You're wiping down your station after a weird appointment, looking at your bank app, wondering how the hell you're this tired and still behind on laundry—and it hits:
"What if I just… stopped tattooing?"
It’s not a failure thought. It’s a tired thought.
The kind that shows up after one too many back-to-back reschedules, or after a weekend convention where you smiled through your teeth for 3 days straight, or after a stretch where every client wants a Pinterest patchwork arm and you haven't drawn something you actually like in weeks.
If you’ve been tattooing long enough, this day comes.
For some people it lasts 30 minutes.
For others it stretches across months.
No one wants to talk about it
Because it sounds dramatic.
Because you should be grateful.
Because other people are still “trying to get their foot in the door” and here you are wanting to walk out of it.
But here’s the truth: you’re allowed to question it.
You’re allowed to wonder if it’s still the right fit.
You’re allowed to think about what else your life could look like.
It doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.
The burnout is real—and so is the grief
Tattooing demands a lot.
Your body, your brain, your weekends, your attention span.
And when the joy starts to slip, it hits harder than it would in a regular job—because this isn’t just what you do. It’s part of who you are. So when it starts to feel heavy, it’s not just burnout. It’s grief. Grief over the version of this career you thought you'd have. The one where things eventually got easier.
Here's what helps... a little
Take a breath. Take a break.
Rework your schedule. Raise your prices.
Make something that’s just for you.
Say no to the things that drain you, even if they pay.
Reconnect with why you started—but don’t guilt yourself if that spark feels dim.
And most of all—talk to other tattooers. The ones who get it. The ones who have been there. You’d be surprised how many artists you look up to have seriously considered walking away too.
If you’re in that place now, just know:
It doesn’t mean it’s over.
It just means something needs to shift.
And maybe, just maybe, you’re about to build the version of this life that does fit.