Mooch Talks Episode 2: Tenzin, Tenzin Tattoos

We happened to be at the Tenzin Tattoo Studio a few days ago and had the golden opportunity to interview Tenzin or our Mooch Talks Episode 2 regarding everything about the myths and facts about the Tattoo industry, his personal life, his tattoo school and everything else about tattoos!

He is one of the best Tibetan tattoo artists and is also recognized globally for more than 15 years now! Crazy, right? Well, his achievements as a tattoo artist are limitless. Thus, let's dive right into the sneak peek of our conversation with him on our second episode of Mooch Talks and gain more informative insights about tattoos!

Busting Myths with Tenzin

We got a chance to ask about some common myths that are prevalent in the tattoo industry and here is the gist of what the veteran artist had to say about them. Read along, to get some of your myths checked.

• Coloured inks do not hurt more than black inks while getting a tattoo.Every tattoo ink hurts pretty much the same. There is no dependence on the pain levels of getting a tattoo with the tattoo inks
• Tattoos can cause cancer ifyou get your tattoos done by a non-professional artist who does not maintain all the protocols such as sterilized needles, good quality inks, basic hygiene, etc. In that case, there are massive chances that you might get Cancer or even struggle with other lethal health conditions! Hence, it is important that you take your time and effort into finding the best tattoo studio in your area and get your tattoos done by a professional.
• Tattoos wrinkle as per your age and the location of your tattoo with time.
• Tattoos will not heal faster if you apply ointment excessively. It is an absolute necessity to follow all the aftercare procedures as prescribed by your tattoo artist and apply your ointments in the prescribed amount.

Imagination in Ink Convention

For starters, why did you start Imagination with Ink Convention? Why did you choose this name?
Our main goal was to gather similar like-minded people and other tattoo artists together like a community. That's when we approached the Hard Rock Cafe, and they happily agreed!

The name was kind of random! Whenever someone gets a tattoo, they already have a full-fledged imagination of how their new tattoo would look and have a complete vision about it which the tattoo artists bring to life! With this thought in our mind, we came up with the name Imagination in Ink Convention!

What are the events organized in the Imagination in Ink Convention?
There are many fun events organized at every Imagination in Ink Convention festival! Starting from music, dance, to even tattoos! You can easily get a tattoo done there without a prior appointment from your favourite tattoo artists! Also, let's not forget about the fun and knowledge you gain while interacting with more tattoo artists out there at the festival!

Getting candid with Tenzin

What is the strangest rumour you have ever heard about yourself?
One of the strangest rumours that I have heard about myself should be about my laziness! Most people call me lazy. However, even though it is partially true, I ensure that I get my work done without any delays since I do have enough responsibilities!

What are the things that interest you and you pursue as a hobby apart from tattooing?
Well, I love sketching and drawing, which is, of course, related to tattooing itself!
Apart from that, I love to cook at times!

If you weren't a tattoo artist, what would you have been?
If not a tattoo artist, then I would probably have been a chef due to my love for cooking!

Tenzin’s take on Tattoo Industry

What are the three things that make a good tattoo artist, in your opinion?
Three things that every tattoo artist should have are Discipline, Punctuality, and your Art! These will together help you shape your tattoo career and get success at it!

What are the tips and tricks you give to your students at your tattoo school?
Even though there are countless things that I usually teach my students. Some of them include,

• Communication skills: You need to be really great at your communication skills to connect with your client and understand their requirements.
• Focus: You should be very focused on everything. Eliminate your distractions whatsoever and build your focus gradually on the work you do!
• Hard Work: Finally, you need to be really hard working to achieve anything in life. You must consistently work hard on improving your skills and get better at your work overtime.

What are the main challenges that you face as a tattoo artist?
I meet with confused customers often. Even if it is a 5-minute job, I need to sit with them, have a conversation for about 1 hour to understand the requirements, and assist them in making the right decision on tattoos. Well, this is surely a test of my patience, but as I said, you need to be focused and patient in everything you do!

What have you learned from your mistakes as a tattoo artist?
One of the important things I learned as a tattoo artist in my career is to be very calm, composed, and focussed while dealing with any customer. Even if the customer says anything wrong, you might have to admit it and say sorry if required for the sake of it, which is pretty much the same in every possible industry!

What are the common misconceptions of taking up tattooing as a career?
Well, there's a long list here. Some may include,

• You could be a drug addict
• You are spoiled!

Lastly, you are a biker!

How funny is that!

What are your thoughts about The TattooPedia?
It's a fantastic platform for budding tattoo artists to finally connect and grow their knowledge. The initiative is undoubtedly great to spread more knowledge about tattoos in general!

About Tenzin Tattoo school–Tenzin Tattoos Zindaa

What educational skills are required to be a tattoo artist?
Your sketching skills are the backbone of your tattoo career. Hence, it is crucial that you gradually improve your sketching skills as you pursue tattooing as a career.

What could be an ideal duration for a tattooing course?
Even though there are no time restrictions whatsoever, the time duration could range from one month to about five months or even more until you master the art of tattooing!

Should a tattoo student master any one kind of tattoo style, or should they try out everything?
Firstly, you need to understand your interests and proficiency. If you are good at lining work or dramatic work, go for that. If you are more into customized designs, work on that! And if you are confused, rest assured, get your thoughts cleared before you start the journey!

What has been your experience as a tattoo trainer?
As I started teaching and training students, I have observed a few of them can take a bit more time to grasp concepts. Hence, patience is the key here. Likewise, almost equal weightage should be given to both theory and practical training to train a tattoo student in the best manner!

How can a student enrol in your school? What are the procedures?
There are no special prerequisites as such for joining my tattoo school. If you have the zeal and the will to become a tattoo artist, you can easily enrol in the course. Even if you are not the best at sketching, we usually start right with the basics to ensure you get every knowledge and then jump to the tattoo machines!

Wrapping Up

The show's not yet over! It's not even half of it! There is so much that we couldn't reveal here! If you are already hooked and want to quench the thirst of your curiosity, hop right into our Instagram Profile or our YouTube Channel to get the full conversation all raw and uncut with Tenzin!

And in case you just missed it, you can also read our conversation (or maybe check out the video too) with Lokesh Verma, who also happened to be another legendary tattoo artist you cannot afford to miss!

Also, don't just forget to follow us on our social media handles since we are pretty active there!

Till then, stay tuned, and we will again be back with our Mooch Talks episode 3 real soon!