Ep. 217 "What We Leave Behind" (Your host confronts death and it's impact)

[00:00:00] Hello tattoo diary listeners, apprenticeship diary listeners excuse me Sometimes I just I don't know why I do that. I totally don't announce the name of the show The name of this diary entry. I'm calling what we leave behind mostly because of late I've noticed a few incidences of

[00:00:29] death and both in a personal way seeing it in our industry from different different angles and then also, you know talking about why we do what we do and what's so special about Tattooing but but I think mostly the service industry in general

[00:00:53] So that's what we're gonna talk about today Welcome to the apprenticeship diaries where raw meats refined. Let's be real. We're still working on What it took what it takes and the stories that are made join us as we learn from professionals about how their stories begin

[00:01:12] All right, so The reason why I want to bring this up mostly is Because they're even up until today I've noticed some pretty impactful Passings of people

[00:01:46] As you guys know and if you follow this podcast, you know that my good friend and one of our two-part diary entries By my friend John Simmons he took his own life this past January And it's been pretty rough. I'm actually really excited today. I am meeting with

[00:02:11] one of John's friends that I I Only would have met. I don't I mean, I don't know. I don't know that's kind of the the brutality of oh What John did and what he took in the realm of possibilities. I could have very well

[00:02:30] met her through him if given the time but because of the way things took place and the nature of this this Incident with my friend I Met a lot of people through him and I reconnected with people that I had already

[00:02:51] kind of had a shared relationship with through him and You know for me that's If there is to be any meaning behind these tragedies that occur That's it is that it has this incredible opportunity to

[00:03:14] Reconnect us in ways that we might not have been fully paying attention to all the time and Bring things into a sharper focus that You know deserve that level of time and attention and care if we actually want to be people who consider ourselves loving and compassionate

[00:03:36] So you know that as far as this podcast is concerned that has happened I've only been podcasting now for five years. It's long for I think a podcast life, especially since I'm you know, I'm not really dedicated to Growing this fast

[00:03:58] But even in as slow as I'm going with this and I feel like five years is a small amount of time To actually be doing anything. I think that this might be the time that I might be getting better at it and then And then before

[00:04:13] Some things have been cleared up and are less raw and more refined than before But in that small amount of time, I've I've seen one of my you know My friends and my podcast People guests

[00:04:33] You know past before the podcast us and that's a very weird feeling and I think it's worth addressing Here on the show because you know If you are in and a lot of people who tune into this podcast or tuning in

[00:04:52] Because you're seeking apprenticeship and you're seeking education you're seeking your passions And if it's if it's in the realm of tattooing You're you're seeking a very particular position and profession that involves people in a very sacred and very direct way and I Understood this

[00:05:22] very early on in my life because I grew up in hair salon You know, my family has been a part of a hair salon since I was a baby and My parents excuse me Again guys this uh this uh

[00:05:43] Illness that I had it's still and I don't know it might be just the springtime now and to make me just allergies I've heard that the pollen is ridiculous But it's still affecting me. I excuse me

[00:05:57] but since I was 12 my parents own their own hair salon before that my dad was a partner in a hair salon and You know, I grew up talking clients talking to You know other professionals hanging out spinning in the in in the salon chairs and

[00:06:20] Meeting people and my dad always had posted on on his little area his little station, you know Current drawings of mine and people would comment on them and they were points of topic for when I was there and next store there was a

[00:06:38] Mexican spot that was really cool called Nino Taco it still exists, but it's not in the same location as it was and I'd go over there and and get you know, Mexican food choco tacos things like that

[00:06:53] Talk to the you know staff there knew the owners there like every single place that we went because my family was a small business And kind of girded in that business I don't know vain. We knew the network. We knew who to talk to we were very personable

[00:07:16] You know very open and giving of ourselves. I knew the owner of almost every restaurant that we went to I mean, we made a point of it because

[00:07:26] you know when you're in the service industry you back each other and you support each other and you recommend each other and you you make a point of Looking through the lens of You know who you want to be affiliated with and

[00:07:45] Quality and when you recognize quality, you know, it's your obligation to Support that and to keep that going so That was just something that I grew up with and when I became a hairstylist a master barber Well barber first and then

[00:08:04] Wanted to be a master barber so I could teach I Recognize this as well, you know My father has been cutting hair my whole life and at least that I'm I'm aware of it's been I you know like four decades and

[00:08:27] The thing of it is is that within that time you end up cutting the hair of Children Then their children's children then children's children's children like it's generational and if you stay in a game that long It's impossible to be in that career without death and without

[00:08:53] You know that kind of part of the paradigm So, you know, there's in growing up. There was many instances of that. I remember one of our Friends they was were friend groups, but they also got their haircut at my dad's my dad's salon and

[00:09:13] Their first child they lost and It was really traumatic I mean before that we had we had other friends that had lost children and and had to experience that and I had to experience child Child death growing up

[00:09:31] And I was never shielded from it and I think that that's really good. I don't think it's right to shield children from death I don't know how much they need to know about it, but I think they need to know that it's a thing and I think they

[00:09:48] Need to witness their elders Coming together around that and the community coming around that to support the people who are surviving or Survived by This this death and who are grieving and who need Time love and support

[00:10:13] So I was never sheltered from it, but I remember this one friend group and we still hang out with them to this day They've had another child. They You know share updates of their current child but and my dad was

[00:10:30] Invited to the funeral of this young boy who passed away and You know part of him was like wow, you know, you know, I'm your friend obviously I think that this actually made their friendship even more deep than it was before

[00:10:49] Because of the fact that my dad was this child's first haircut You know he knew this kid from from that point on and When you know people at these very pivotal moments in their timelines And you share these moments with them It has insane amount of gravity

[00:11:12] And it matters and I think that a lot of us when we're in the service industry We think oh, you know, what is this worth? You know, do people even recognize?

[00:11:21] You know who I am and and this impact or is there is there much meaning in what I do? And there is such meaning to that Those moments are the moments that keep people going. I Had one client he used to

[00:11:39] Him and I used to mess with each other quite a bit and He was he was you know, you'd have to know the humor And how we poked fun at each other But one day he he said to me just in this very flippant way

[00:11:56] And you know, he's not a he wasn't an intelligent man but sometimes, you know, maybe a little socially and until an intelligent and You know, I I'm glad because that he had me because I'm I'm not I'm not any kind of shrinking violet nor Noob to bullying

[00:12:21] So he he said to me, you know your job is not as important as mine And he was a I as I believe at a corporate like accountant like He ended all their taxes and stuff and and did their their books for them

[00:12:36] And I was like well, you know, um I'm gonna I'm gonna go to one of my favorite, you know Movies and quotes and even actors who said this but in the dead poet society Robin Williams Says this, you know business science accounting

[00:12:57] These are noble pursuits necessary for human life But music art love This is what we live for and I know I bastardized that quote. That's not a direct quote I'm gonna ask you to watch the movie because it's it's honestly one of my favorites

[00:13:19] Cabrini is my new favorite. I will say But that's just because the cinematography the score and everything about Cabrini is is Just unbelievable, but dead poet society has been a reigning Favorite of mine for a very long time And it has death in it

[00:13:40] It has lots of life in it. It has lots of learning in it. It's very foundational and I saw it when I was pretty young my mom My mom we had a small house growing up so she'd watch a whole bunch of movies

[00:13:55] My mom has impeccable movie taste. She's really good at picking out a great film with a great story And and they're usually very under under recognized films because they don't You know, they're not heavily What would you call it they don't have a lot of action or

[00:14:16] Special effects or anything like that. They're just the story and they're really good human stories and that's that's her That's her jam and she'd always pick out really good ones

[00:14:27] So, you know, we we only had so many rooms at our house. It was a rancher. It was small You could hear it everywhere and so So, you know as a child growing up if you were in the house if my mom was watching something

[00:14:40] You were watching it too And and so I was never shielded for any of these things and like I said the dead poet society has a death in it And it always strikes me as odd now When You have an incredible story like that How much people

[00:15:03] I guess Their overall view of the art or the film if it has or explores heady topics like that and there is a death And it's very powerful like that how how people their general view of it is sadness and avoidance and

[00:15:24] It's very queer to me like it really is because I I always love these films the most because there's just so beautiful They're so beautiful and most of them speak to such resounding hope by the end of it and

[00:15:45] They examine things that are very real and very true and very necessary. I think for us to confront like I said if we we do dare to love each other well and And

[00:16:00] You know all of you I mean not all of you but we just we just had fathers day for example You know, I have a few friends that don't have fathers anymore who recently lost their fathers

[00:16:12] I had a client who recently lost her father out of nowhere and it was very sudden and You know what she wants she wants to get a tattoo for him and I

[00:16:24] Kept making her cry and she was like, please stop. I don't want to cry and I was like well I'm fine with you crying. I know you might not want to cry in front of me, but

[00:16:32] It's okay to cry. It's okay to it's okay to let it out. It's grief I'd rather it be let out in tears than let out in anger or You know any kind of rage against Mortality or things that you can't control. I'd rather you just let it out

[00:16:54] because it's there and it's real and You know, I'm not uncomfortable with sitting with it There's a really good book of the Bible that is I think one of my favorites is the book of Job and There's lots of questions around Job, you know, why was he?

[00:17:13] you know like tested like this and there's lots of like potential anger at God and And what happened But the the a big part of what links this to what I'm saying is when Job was going through everything

[00:17:32] He had friends and and people around him who were trying to tell him how to be and how to think and what they would do and He gets really mad at them at some point and says, you know, you don't understand

[00:17:44] Like you don't have any right to tell me this you don't you don't get it Don't come at me. You know, you you're not feeling this right now

[00:17:53] You're not actually dealing with this right now. So don't act like you are don't act like this is happening to you It's not happening to you. It's happening to me and it wasn't until His friends just decided to sit with him that they started to help him and

[00:18:10] I I think that's a big thing that a lot of people miss about grief depression all those things is that There's nothing you can do, you know, you you can't go into it with like a fix-it mode. There's nothing to fix

[00:18:24] It just sucks. It just is awful. It's just terrible and The only thing that people want to understand is that they're not alone and That they're supported and they just want to feel like it's enough because

[00:18:38] Everything is too much in those moments. It's just too much. It's it's so overwhelming that they just need to be and So if you're in a position of service just somebody and and you have spent your time sharing in these pivotal moments with people and

[00:18:59] And that's the marks literally that you make As a tattoo artist but figuratively on their hearts as Any kind of service provider? It's so essential. It's so valuable and I feel like it needs to be talked about

[00:19:20] On the show it there's just been a lot of things that have happened lately that I Kind of want to cover and I kind of want to address Because Personally, I feel like I have a fairly good

[00:19:34] Handle on these things because of my exposure and because of my take on it You know, I know it's awkward and I know nobody knows what to do because they think they have to do something

[00:19:48] They don't have to do anything. They just have to be there, you know show up And share a story share share a moment Because that's all The people who have lost a loved one and who are surviving this moment need is to know

[00:20:05] That they're not alone in their grief And they're trying so desperately to hold on To everything that that person was and so when you come together as as a community of people who have known or experience or Shared in this person it means so much

[00:20:30] When that person isn't there anymore To come and to recognize their life and and to say something and to be present It means the world You know, like I said, we just had Father's Day my dad's still around and he's an impeccable shape

[00:20:48] I mean, it's incredible to have a father like that And then when I look at him And I know how I am and I'm very self-centered a lot I have to really pull back and realize the fact that they're you know

[00:21:04] I've been very blessed in having a father who was active with us Who taught us things who were who was there who? Who not only was there but like I said, you know, I grew up in a salon. I grew up

[00:21:19] learning from him in that kind of capacity. There's so many Parents out there that have jobs that they have to They have to segregate their families from they have to per the job And I can't imagine that I can't imagine. I mean, I was there was a Twitter

[00:21:38] Just as a segue There was a Twitter question that I answered and it said What profession could you never date? and I said I could never date anybody whose Job I couldn't visit them at

[00:21:55] Which is very broad but like if I can't come to your place of work and drop you off You know a sandwich or you know, stop by and kiss you and say hi I Can't date that person it

[00:22:12] It would be way too alien for me and it would just be beyond my capacity to understand and I would Just don't know if I could trust that person if if I wasn't able or the job or anything if I was not given

[00:22:31] access to it like that. I mean you're supposed to You're supposed to Be able to comfort your your partner in deep moments and sometimes the job requires that kind of backing and support And I just I wouldn't be able to deal with that

[00:22:53] Just because of the level that which I have Intimately been a part of all of this and there is there is an obligation not an obligation But I feel a responsibility that once you put yourself

[00:23:06] Into that kind of space of human existence when you are a servant of the people It's very necessary for you if you're I mean I think it's necessary for your own healing and for your own heart and for your own soul and for your own

[00:23:24] I don't know future to In moments where somebody has lost a life or you know is has passed to show up for them and To be present and to show support and to recognize everything and share what that person has meant to you

[00:23:46] because there's gonna come a time when it's your time and you're not gonna be here anymore and I Think if if we all kind of envision that day, we really hope that Some kind words would be said that there will be people there to help our loved ones

[00:24:04] You know walk further into life without us to support them to comfort them To to be in some small way what we cannot be anymore and That's very vital So there's several things so before any of this Really occurred a tattoo icon passed away and

[00:24:31] recently his wife Nicole Put out a commentary which I commend her man and his birthday was actually Father's Day. I do believe Joshua Carlton and You know he passed of cancer Cancer takes so much from a person it just really just withers you away and

[00:24:58] She she put out a video to kind of talk about one to celebrate his birthday and To share that with everybody that she knew was grieving the loss of him and to I think heal herself Because it was hard, you know, it was Father's Day

[00:25:16] It was his birthday and it was the first of their families having to experience all this and You know I he had asked her to Compile all the videos that he had in his path series So that they could continue to making available

[00:25:39] To future generations of tattoo artists and the reason why I want to bring up Joshua Carlton is I I only met him once And I didn't meet him in person though if I remember If I did I I didn't have

[00:25:57] The kind of interaction that that stuck I remember his artwork I remember him initially in tattoo society magazine. I remember looking at his stuff and going wow this guy is different this guy Tattoos like a painter and he knows how to

[00:26:16] replicate his tattoo his painting as a tattoo and this is incredible and He is And was and all those things like incredible and and just what has been left behind even past his death is Incredible the amount of outpouring that people have had

[00:26:39] the amount of education that this man has put himself to and It was a shock to me when he passed because as Nicole said, you know, he hustled hard for his whole family and

[00:26:51] I don't know my mind for all of us up up until he couldn't do it anymore and that is just such an incredible legacy it's so inspiring and There was a fun that went out

[00:27:06] For the family and an obituary space where we could all leave messages. I mean I donated It seemed like a very small amount to me

[00:27:15] but I donated to that that fund to let the family grieve as I know that this is just such a huge loss and I Just wrote anywhere. I could anywhere. I saw something that

[00:27:29] Spoke of Joshua. I only met him once on Facebook. I told him how much I admired his His art and he said thank you and he seemed like such a I mean just by his interactions online such a graceful kind Deeply deeply

[00:27:50] What would be the word like just just Somebody who wasn't about the nonsense. He was he was about growth and he was about sincerity and

[00:28:02] You know doing things that I think he could feel very integral about and you could just tell that that's how he carried himself and And Like I said, I only had this one interaction But but the legacy that that man left

[00:28:16] As a tattoo artist and what I know he applied himself to and every moment of his life is just incredible and so I Think that that's a huge example of if you are getting into tattooing and You kind of feel yourself caught up in all the nonsense

[00:28:41] Try try to strip it away I mean there's been earlier aspects of this show and this podcast where I've talked about Visualizing your funeral and what people will say and things you want to have people say

[00:28:55] But you know to put it to put it into perspective that's very real You know and and maybe might hit you at this point, you know, wherever in your journey you are you know using Joshua Carlton as a example of

[00:29:10] How you'd want people to think of you when you're not here anymore in a very massive way What kind of focus you want to have About your work and about your life and about your impact on on the human spirit and

[00:29:29] Think about all the things that you might be caught up in and whether or not they matter because I think that's the goal and the key is to really Put those things under a microscope and you know, I

[00:29:47] I feel like a lot of us were forced to do that post COVID But if you weren't forced to do that post COVID You definitely should you definitely should And if you're at a point where you've kind of lost touch with that

[00:30:06] post COVID heat of all that happened to all of us to the whole world I'm gonna ask you to To go back to that because that moment in our life was kind of a grief for all of us Something died for all of us

[00:30:25] And it's very important to look at life through that lens Hello diary listeners Sorry for this interruption, but I had to do a brief promotional recording slash, I don't know advertisement advertisement as we would say in the US

[00:30:46] About paradise paradise tattoo gathering I am aiding this event in shouting it out I'd love to meet some of you in paradise and You know get to give you a hug for all of the awesome interactions and You know the gratitude I have for your listening time

[00:31:04] In order to do this and to attend just on its base level we're gonna be meeting in Western Massachusetts at that Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. It's an awesome awesome venue

[00:31:17] And what's great about it is is that you are kind of trapped on a mountain with all of these Truly dope artists and there's only so many places that we can go So you're bound to run into people that you probably only dreamed about meeting and

[00:31:33] On top of that these artists are going to be Doing amazing seminars I'm gonna be giving away a seminar on how to be an awesome apprenticeship prospect So that's gonna be my freebie that I offer. I'm also gonna be tattooing this year

[00:31:49] So whatever whatever way you're coming at this you're gonna go to www.tattoogathering.com to get your Artist weekend pass if you get it now they're giving away a early bird sweatshirt with it

[00:32:07] Which they're pretty dope. I have to say that what I like about the sweatshirt is is they're not black It's not a black hoodie Whenever you go to tattoo conventions, it's just a sea of black hoodies and it's just I mean, you know

[00:32:20] I guess I guess you can find the tattoo convention, but here we're gonna be on a mountain and It's gonna be hard to avoid the tattoo convention because it's just gonna be there

[00:32:30] And that's all this gonna be there for the most part and they do have at this time of year October 27th to or 24th to the 27th pardon me. They do have a

[00:32:44] Halloween haunted house kind of thing that they set up so that's pretty cool, but apart from that it's off-season. It's beautiful The leaves are shining. It's it's just a wonderful nature spot for for anybody who's interested and there's a

[00:32:59] There's all level of things happening if you would like to tattoo again Go to www.tattoogathering.com fill out your booth application It's it's such a great convention to kind of work because it's intimate. It's it's

[00:33:18] I mean, no, it's not it's not as busy as those normal tattoo conventions and Yeah, you can get all manner of things if you go to that web page find out about Paradise and

[00:33:34] Just know that I will be very happy to meet you in Paradise as this is an event that I try to Make every time it happens All right listeners back to our podcast so that's the first passing that I wanted to acknowledge on the show and

[00:33:53] Talk about and kind of put into view for all of you and to kind of announce because once Nicole has all of that compile, but she has said is gonna take some time and I I trust it will I

[00:34:10] Intend on buying that series that will be definitely something I do That that kind of legacy of a person and that much love that I had for him

[00:34:21] I mean I was really upset that I didn't I didn't take the advantage of meeting him and getting closer to him while he was alive So if nothing else I can have that pass his death and and help further support his family as they

[00:34:37] Try to figure out what's next without him and the next thing that happened was a Girl on one of the Facebook groups. I'm not supposed to Overly talk about these things in specifics, but but she had had her first death

[00:34:54] she was had been tattooing for five years and she was feeling very weird about it because she knew that her client had cancer but the way that they had left it was that They would exchange notes. She'd he'd have to get a doctor's approval

[00:35:12] And he had all these ideas and she reached out to kind of check in about that and ended up finding out that he had passed and She was very at a loss about how to feel and how to move and how to deal with it and

[00:35:27] So I kind of shared with her a lot of what I've already kind of broken down here today with all of you is that Her grief is completely fine She has had a very important place in this man's life She was worried about you know making his family

[00:35:49] Face the death again, but I told her that it It's nothing to feel bad about it. It is what it is They're facing a life without him Regardless and I'm fairly certain that

[00:36:06] Hearing from someone who had been tattooing him since their beginning and who he valued to wear their artwork On them. I'm sure would mean the world to them and that it isn't a hardship. I mean, it's just hard

[00:36:21] But to share those things and to open yourself up and to give back to somebody who gave so much to you Especially with this person she said he he went to her when she was just starting in Tattooing and so

[00:36:36] he gave her a gift of his skin and his faith and his time and and His stories and I'm sure they shared much in that time and space and it matters and I think that Doing whatever she had to do to

[00:36:56] Recognize that death and meet the people around him Would be very very valuable You know, I I let her know that Just this past year a friend of mine Killed himself in 2020 one of my father's Consistent clients his his daughter committed suicide we went to her funeral I

[00:37:23] Said that, you know We've We've had deaths along the way many many times I also attended the funeral of a friend of mine's father. I'd never met her father. I just loved her and I told her about that and how Amazing it was to experience this this man

[00:37:47] and his family and Witness such an outpouring because he he died fairly young and unexpectedly it was a heart aneurysm and You know to To see and to be there for my friend And to let her know that We're all here still and that

[00:38:18] You know, we'll suffer this grief with her and to let her know I mean I try to let her know all the time that I'm certain he smiles on her and I'm certain that

[00:38:32] She will make him very very proud in her life and that she has such value and that The love that I have for her is a love that I know came from her father and how he Raised her how he

[00:38:55] dealt with her her whole family the way that they They are with each other And and that love resonates and who she is as a person And so me being her friend and recognizing how beautiful she is from that point is what

[00:39:16] allowed me to be at his services and to hug her and You know be with all these people I didn't know I mean I didn't know a lot of them and Just you know look at look at the the altar of his possessions her father's possessions and

[00:39:37] Realize how funny and cool and Just Genuine her dad was you know it kind of made me be like wow man I really wish I would have known this person, but I am so blessed that I get to know his daughter and then I get to

[00:39:56] You know shepherd her as a friend into the future and support her and Be something for her Because I'm able to do that And that's what loving each other is all about So it's it's not Wrong to Recognize your connection with people

[00:40:22] You shouldn't feel I think I mean you feel anyway you want to feel of course But I think that it's it matters greatly to you know look to memorial services or any kind of requests of the family to Honor the life of this person

[00:40:44] I've donated to charities. I've planted trees I have done tattoos I've You know gone like I said gone to memorial services The one thing I've really never done is bought flowers. I don't think Mostly because I don't I don't really like cut flowers myself

[00:41:06] I do think they're beautiful on a grave site and all of that but I I guess it's just I Guess it's just sad for me because I know that those Those flowers are gonna die too now I don't know it always just struck me as like if

[00:41:26] If you're gonna put a symbol on a grave or around anything. I think it suggests new life, you know as an opening up a restart of something that you know is Can only do so because of this moment in time and because of this passing

[00:41:44] But that's that's just me You know and I'm just being with people So the other one that I want to address it just happened this morning It was the first thing that I woke up to and again, this is not somebody that I know

[00:42:03] But someone that is very very big in the tattoo industry Dan Cuban most of him most people Know the unbelievable nature of the machines that he makes and They're just such epic machines and I mean, you know, I'm really honored to have one personally

[00:42:28] Though the work that you can do with them but but just this morning he announced that his wife of 25 years passed unexpectedly and I My heart just broke for him. I Don't know the man I own a machine. I Have a product that

[00:42:52] Has such quality and that I know has a very personal effort for it from it I noted when I received the machine just all the little extras that came with it a note that said how it had been calibrated to work

[00:43:08] You know just just a whole bunch of little things stickers The the casing it's out it was just it was just beautifully beautifully done in all ways and From what I found out from this announcement is that his wife Did most of the administration

[00:43:30] And that she did all the shipping He doesn't he doesn't even know how to access half the stuff that she did This is so unexpected and out of nowhere that that he asked everybody for some time

[00:43:43] Because he's gonna need it to figure out what's next. I mean this was such a Radical thing to have happened to somebody and out of nowhere and I just can't I Can't imagine and can't imagine 25 years and having that kind of love and connection and

[00:44:10] You know again Nicole from Whose Joshua Carlton's wife? I just can't I can't imagine but this this came out of nowhere for Dan and It's weird because I I had just been in a meeting I had just been in meeting where his name came up for a potential

[00:44:32] seminar and you know I To wake up to that news. I just I like you just never know folks You never know and so if You are in an industry where I mean I can't even imagine a job that doesn't have this kind of this kind of

[00:44:59] Application of thought it all matters folks It all matters and if you are finding it hard to feel connected to the things you do and You get very angry and very frustrated and very upset continually and

[00:45:20] It feels abusive or it feels like it's just not working not clicking or just you know, you're not getting enough out of it Please stop Please stop doing that to yourself and stop doing it to the job Every job everything deserves its its It's effort and it's

[00:45:46] Understanding and its application and it's all necessary There aren't jobs more important than the other not in my mind And it shows if you're that kind of person and it does matter if you're that kind of person because the way that people

[00:46:09] Come out for you when all of a sudden done Gets revealed when things are put under that kind of microscope So I Like for anyone listening to this to please Raise and prayer Joshua Carlton's family Dan Kuban's family And to live a life

[00:46:44] That has I think a better attention to these aspects of of living and life and moments and to be very very very Conscientious of the impact that you have in these moments because it all matters One of the four agreements and therefore and they're all kind of

[00:47:12] Relative to what I'm saying right now, but one of the things is being impeccable with your word And part of this podcast mission for myself is to try to Speak better and more clearly

[00:47:29] To really stand behind what I say and be acknowledged, you know acknowledging of what I say and how it comes off It's been an aim of mine and this personal concentration and It's been in a pursuit of becoming better at my own impeccability Because I want I

[00:47:56] Want to be clear with how I think and feel and The only thing that I have well, the only thing I have I have my actions But you know your actions should correlate with your words. I mean that's part of what people

[00:48:12] Will see as integral about you as if you know the things you say or the things you do And I've been really seeking to try and be better at that as a person

[00:48:23] I have not I've not been so great about that in my past and I'll admit that So repentance is there and my aim is to be better and better And I want to be better and better

[00:48:36] So yeah, you have to be impeccable with what you say and you have to realize the impact of what you can produce in another person If you forget about the importance of how you act and what you say making deeply deeply deeply hurt another person and

[00:49:03] You know, I don't think any of us mean to be that way But if we we don't remain conscious of All of these points and we don't aim to be conscious of all of these points It can cause massive harm folks so I

[00:49:23] Wanted to ask that of all of you You know focus on what we leave behind focus on what you're leaving behind at any given point You know, I mean just down to like if you if you see a piece of trash On the ground pick it up

[00:49:38] Pick it up and put it in a receptacle that deserves to be put in You know clean up the world around you leave it a better place It matters it matters on this note as we've been speaking about these

[00:49:56] Huge influencers I had mentioned that I was in a meeting and I am currently working with the coordinators and Main main peeps at the Paradise tattoo gathering. I'm really excited about that. So in the future, I'm going to

[00:50:16] Be sharing a lot of the Paradise tattoo gathering posts. I Want to help them advertise it. I'm hoping that I can meet more of the people that I have I Have listeners here on this on the podcast. I hope that you'll You'll venture a Paradise tattoo gathering

[00:50:39] Just come I mean it's it's it's an incredible tattoo convention. It's it's rare folks, it's rare and It it would it would have to be in order for it to be something that I have attended since 2011 and I just I have nothing but great things to say

[00:51:03] Businesses like tattoo now reinventing the tattoo now fireside through Jake's meek Jake Meeks is a Is a part of this event and it's just it's just incredible so The one thing that we kind of went over last

[00:51:23] Last time and I say we it's not I'm I'm just helping with the social media of all things folks, right like me who Let's be real. I'm I'm trying to be better at this stuff all the time, but I I

[00:51:40] That's just it the reason why I'm helping is because I want to be better at it I'm learning cap cut and I'm really enjoying cap cut. So I'm hoping that I can take all of the Wisdom and fun video editing stuff that I do and

[00:52:00] And apply it to this podcast and you know just level up the podcast and maybe you know drive some interest up but I

[00:52:10] Really like the idea of putting myself to the Paradise tattoo gathering because it's given so much to me and in just like the the whole I Guess the whole overarching premise of this particular diet entry is just like what we leave behind

[00:52:28] The Paradise tattoo gathering has meant so much for me and and this whole podcast is about apprenticeship mentorship sharing of information learning Educational stories, etc. Well this this this event is one of the most educational ones that I have ever been to and

[00:52:48] It harkens to me the same as a lot of the seminars and educational spaces that I went to when I was a hairstylist So it has always been a

[00:52:59] Thing of my heart but last year they they did a really wonderful thing and they asked questions that they're the end of the event about how they can make it better and one of the things that they went over was a

[00:53:14] Scholarship fund because it's not cheap to to go to this event and I wish I could give a lot more information about the scholarship fund. They're still trying to ferret out certain things with it but what we do know is that Derek Youngberg of

[00:53:33] Tattoo career built builders, which is launching very very soon, but that is who is sponsoring the scholarship as of right now and I have gotten word if I understand that it is syncing up with other

[00:53:51] Other factions and is really trying to be a nonprofit space that can offer extended aid to other events other educational spaces and it can continue to grow and grow and offer

[00:54:09] You know support to people who want to get into this industry and who are very passionate and are showing beautiful excellence and you know might not actually Might not actually be able to to Yeah to find that kind of

[00:54:31] Contact or that kind of education or experience where they are but they they know it's out there and One of the places I can tell you it exists is that the Paradise Tattoo gathering I've I have met so many people in this industry through that space and

[00:54:47] It's incredible. It's incredible. So There is a scholarship I would ask everybody to Keep an eye out. You can follow Tattoo career builders. It's just that on IG Definitely follow Derek Youngberg as well you'll see him on on that space and

[00:55:11] You know keep up with that if you're listening to this podcast, you know, you're you're interested in your own growth I know you're also, you know, probably an aspiring person of some kind If it's in the tattoo space, especially, you know Know this person. He is incredible

[00:55:30] Derek came up to me last year and we had such great conversations And the thing that I really want to announce as this podcast will be airing tonight at seven is that tomorrow on Fire Side Tattoo Jake Meeks podcast Me Derek and Jake did a podcast together

[00:55:57] Really cool. And we sat down and we talked we talked about Paradise. We talked about This scholarship next week, I'm going to be re airing the Fire Side podcast just audio only But I wanted to make an announcement today for anybody who listened today to the show that

[00:56:18] Fire Side is going to be having me and Derek Youngberg On there to discuss this scholarship that they are creating That is really gaining a momentum and that might be really really cool and foundational for the young artists of the next generation of tattooing so

[00:56:39] Keep an eye out. Definitely check out Fire Side Should be a pretty good show. I will say that the Derek we kind of lost him by the end of the show. He's he's out in I

[00:56:54] Think it's I think it's is it Washington or Portland something out there and and he's in this This really remote area. And so his his internet connection gets dodgy So we love we lose him at points of it, but

[00:57:11] He's such a sweet guy and I think that if you have any interest in In in any of what I've just talked about you can reach out to Derek, you know DM him whatever There and I say they him and Gabe Ripley are actually

[00:57:30] Working on a whole website together So this is taking off folks and I just wanted to you know, let you guys know as somebody who wants to Give you guys all the information I can Have that kind of impact on the industry in any way that I can

[00:57:52] And you know keep keep you in the loop Just know that the scholarship. I don't I don't think that you have to be somebody who Is new to tattooing I think that if you are just finding it I

[00:58:08] Hard to take that next step and you don't know where to go with it and you need you need some financial help to get where you need to go It's for you as well. So definitely definitely definitely check it out

[00:58:23] There's a handful of people on here that I know I've talked to on the back end of the podcast and I might actually Once once everything set and done and the links are up and that's what fireside is gonna do

[00:58:37] It's gonna have a visual it's gonna have a YouTube Video of the whole podcast. It's also gonna have all the different links to where you need to go in order to apply for the scholarship and stuff

[00:58:50] You know hit me up if you if you want direction there, but We're we're gonna be doing that tomorrow putting that out and then I'm going to re put out the raw audio with the similar links

[00:59:01] Next week so that we have a couple iterations to let you guys know that this is happening But if you need if you need me to specifically share the link, I'll do that because I One I just want everybody to

[00:59:18] Take off and I'm also I am very grateful I'm very grateful to be involved in this year's show. I'm very grateful to be asked to help To put myself to this it's been such a cool thing already

[00:59:31] I'm I'm old so it's been hard for I think me to be taught a lot of this stuff and to you know be gotten on board with with helping with helping the event but

[00:59:43] You know, it I've always been a slow starter in most things, but once I get going I do pretty well a bottom line what I what I want to say is that I'm I'm honored to put myself to it and I am I'm so grateful for all of

[01:00:00] you listeners For the beautiful things that you've told me on the back end of the show The connections that I've been made the the ability to watch all of you climb and grow so much It's it's just such a

[01:00:16] Cool thing to know that some of you I talked to Before you even got into your field and now to watch you Just soar in it is just so cool. And I just feel so blessed and

[01:00:34] My biggest hope in this world is to do cool things with cool people and to You know, I think since day one I'm just happy to be here folks. I am so grateful for every new day for every new moment

[01:00:51] for any kind of involvement that somebody will give me I am so so grateful and God has Gifted me in so many different ways, but I know That if I don't if I don't honor and I don't appreciate those gifts they'll stop coming

[01:01:13] Because I won't deserve them at that point and then that's kind of the The whole point of this entry is hopefully this will help remind you of You know, what's important if you've forgotten or Validate you if I don't know If you need that I'm happy to I

[01:01:36] Love you all and I think that's a wrap for this week Look out for tomorrow show on fireside. It's gonna be awesome Follow Derek on IG and definitely follow tattoo career builders it is a It's gonna be a nonprofit business that is

[01:01:57] Going to be really dedicating itself to tattoo education. So Be in the know. All right By listeners have a powerful week Thanks for listening. You can find the apprenticeship diaries on Twitter Facebook and Instagram Our IG is the underscore apprenticeship underscore diaries

[01:02:18] If you would like to offer constructive criticism or an interview drop us an email at the apprenticeship diaries at gmail.com We look forward to hearing from our listeners