Transcript The Crazy Life of a Tattoo Artist

Eliana Basaldua
Professor Wolfe
November 6,2008
Photo Interview
“My name is Carlos. I live my life leading towards my future. You may not agree to
what I am about but if you get to know me you will understand me and appreciate
what I do. I am not just a tattoo artist with a crazy life style. I am like everyone else
with a twist. I live for the future not the past. I don’t sweat the things I can’t
change. What is done is done. I love my life and I’ve agreed to share it.”
“I love tattooing its my passion. A tattoo is not just for look or to prove something. Most of my clients come in
for personal reasons. Most of the tattoo I do for people, have to do with them going through hard times and
pain. People get tattoos to remember a love one. It’s a way to express who they are and what they are about. It’s a
shame how people do not take people with tattoos seriously. More people have to understand them and see what
they have to say.” The guy getting the tattoo lost his girlfriend to an accident. All he has of her is a baby and
memories. He wants the next girl he is with to know his heart will always belong to her.
“My life is super busy. I can not tattoo people without an appointment. I tattoo
celebrities and really big tattoos that takes hours and sometimes days to complete. I
spend my entire say in the shop. I could be in there as early as 6am to 2 am. I hardly
get to do other things.” Here is his calendar as we start the month we see his schedule
and days are filling up really quickly.
“My life is not easy and I need to relax. People say drugs are not the way to go but
that is what keeps me alive. It is also peer pressure. I smoke marijuana and I
drink. This is my sanity. I love looking at my pictures to remind me of why I live. I
work better after I smoke. I always have to keep in touch with my other buddies
that tattoo as well. I do that through out MySpace and that’s where I get my
convention shows.”
This is Carlos’s family. “My family is the best thing in my life. I have a beautiful supporting wife. She has
given me two beautiful girls. This is what I live for. I never tattoo on weekends. Weekends are strictly for
my girls. Things get tough, life isn't easy. My kids get sick a lot but that’s all part of being a parent. Both my
wife and I work all day and we try spending as much time as we can with each other. If that means having
dinner at the shop, then that’s what it is. It has already becomed a ritual to us now. I'm tattooing and
eating dinner with my girls.” It sounds like work and family are both important. Its an easy way for him to
make money to put food on the table for the girls.
His two daughters are important an require a lot of attention. They are very active
and want to play all the time. “My daughters are the most important part of my life.
Every night I have to make sure their homework is done, they have showered,
brushed their teeth and had changed into their pjs. They fight a lot and as long as its
not a boy they are fighting for I’m happy. I always have to stop them from fighting.”
“I enjoy showing off my daughter. She is the best piano player. She as so much talent and dedication. My
wife and I never pushed her to play the piano. My wife likes he r being a model. She's been in Barbie
commercials and done prints as a baby. She loves to be in the spot light. She is my pride and joy. I am not
saying she's the best because she is my daughter, I say this because she’s a bright kid.”
He shows to be a really devoted dad. He is involved in every activity their daughters play a role in. His
little daughter does ballet on weekends and he takes her and waits for her.
“My social life is my enjoyment. I have no complaints. I have two kids and I could go
out and have a good time. My wife and I go out a lot and my daughters come along as
well. We have co-workers that have children that hang out with my kids. Most of my
friends share the passion of working and loving our families”. I find it awesomely
amazing how he has no complaints in life and he sees life with so much positivism.
“For fun I have picked
up a new hobby that’s
is playing my guitar. It
is so cool. The problem
is that in the apartment
I live in, they don’t
allow noise so I don’t
get to play it as loud
and long as I would like
to. I’m 32 years old so
playing this makes me
feel young again. I feel
free and restless.” It was
true once he started
playing we had the
manger knocking on
his door saying the
neighbors are
complaining.
“Lastly and not least, I cant forget my roots. My father past away about 10 years ago.
All I have left is my mother and brother. I keep a really close bond with them. My
brother works with me sometime at the shop. The difference is that he pierces
instead of tattooing. He likes to give people more pain. My family is really
important . My mom has been a great detail to my life and a great help. She helps
me with my girls when my wife and I are at work. She is raising my daughters really
well”.
 This experience was the most rewarding to me I saw a
friend in a whole different perspective. He showed me
how people get judged all the time and he made me
realize he is not really that different from anyone else.
 In fact I found him to be “Superman”. He does it all
and he is really responsible.