Getting started.
Bridgette was a 19-year-old office assistant, with a secret talent and an arm full of tattoos. She walked into a shop to book in for a tattoo, and thanks to her colorful folio, walked out with a tattooing apprenticeship.
“The lady was pretty impressed with my designs, and pretty much offered me a job. It was mostly just lucky.” She said.
Call it luck or call it talent, Bridgette began swiftly making her mark on the tattooing scene. She started by tattooing pig’s skin, and then close friends and family. Before long she was ready to go and started tattooing paid clients.
The Apprenticeship process.
Within Australia there is no recognised tattooing apprenticeship. Businesses and apprentices do not get any financial assistance from the government. In fact, both the trainee and the trainer gain no financial benefits within the initial stages of a tattooing apprenticeship.
“There is no apprenticeship, it's not like plumbing or being an electrician or anything like that.” She said. “You’ve just got to go into a shop and watch and learn really.”
Bridgette knows that her mentor was taking a risk when offering to give her an apprenticeship, and acknowledges again that she was one of the lucky few that was given an opportunity to break onto the tattooing scene.
“Not a lot of people offer it because they have to take time out and help you learn.” She said. “They’re losing money doing it.”
Bridgette also has no official qualifications, and only has her talent to rely on. Luckily for her, it is proving to be enough.
Her progress.
After two years of training, Bridgette has now moved shops to find her own feet. She is now a fully 'qualified' tattooist. She also just left her reception job to work full time at the shop, most weeks working six days. But she feels it’s all worth it.
She says her favorite thing about the job is, “knowing that something that you like to do is on someone forever and they are happy with it.”
She also acknowledges that it is a customer service job, and you must be able to keep the client happily. This is especially whilst you are establishing yourself on the tattooing scene.
“You must be able to cover most tattoo types I guess, and be able to do lots of different stuff to keep the customer happy.” She said.
Her Advice.
For budding artists out there who hope to make it in the tattoo world Bridgette says to never give up.
“Keep drawing, keep going at it and even if you get knocked back twenty time just never give up if you really want to do it.” She said.
Keep an eye out around Melbourne for this very talented tattoo artist, because there is undoubtedly much more to come from Bridgette Harrison.
Cassandra Hoult - An upcoming writer who loves all things local, and independent. I love to write, and write what I love. I hope you enjoy my words.
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