Tattooing as a Human Connection ft. Luke Wessman

Luke Wessman's journey into tattooing began with a traditional apprenticeship, where he learned the ropes of the trade by sweeping, mopping, cleaning windows, and running errands. On this episode of Chats and Tatts, host Aaron Della Vedova introduces this distinguished tattoo artist with a traditional aesthetic rooted in his hippie Tennessee upbringing and Southern California influences. Luke's impressive career includes appearances on TV shows like New York Ink and Ink Master, as well as being featured in Forbes magazine. The conversation delves into Luke's background, his ambassadorship for Monster Energy Drink, and his creation of the Lost Art of the Gentleman.

The episode highlights the connections between the host and guest, who share mutual friends and close proximity in their neighborhoods. Luke's journey serves as a testament to the value of hard work, respect for clients, and flexibility in embracing new developments in tattoo artistry.

Join in as Luke, with a cigar and scotch in hand, shares his journey as a tattoo artist and his passion for spreading love for tattooing around the world.

Chat Breakdown:

[00:03:48] Tattooing for 32 years.

[00:07:09] Hippie commune in Tennessee.

[00:13:18] Tattooing as a form of armor.

[00:16:29] Transition into tattooing career.

[00:21:13] Identity in creative professions.

[[00:28:33] Making a living as an artist.

[00:35:12] Meeting tattoo legend Horiyoshi.

[00:40:14] Horiyoshi's unique tattooing approach.

[00:42:21] Tattooing Marlee Matlin from L Word.

[00:48:11] Tattooing as a therapeutic experience.

[00:58:20] The lost art of the gentleman.

[01:02:44] Promoting chivalry and respect.

[01:05:38] Embracing traditional values in masculinity.

[01:08:40] Cancel culture and forgiveness.

[01:13:18] Judging by character, not race.

[01:16:34] Providing livelihood to community.

[01:29:36] Tattooing and back pain.

[01:42:42] Long-term career planning.

[01:45:00] Building authentic partnerships with companies.

[01:48:00] Discovering peace and joy in golf.

[01:50:25] Taking risks for success.

Quotes:

"There's a saying in Hawaiian proverb, there's two ways to be rich, work more, want less, right?"

"You're living with me and my mom on bunk beds, dude, you're good."

"Getting tattooed for armor."

"I personally was really worried about survival. I was on my own. I was living with my friends and my friend's parents. It wasn't about like, Oh, I love art. I'm going to be a tattooer. I need to fucking make sure I can survive."

"I got in Miami and we were charging $300 for a name tattoo. And I was like, holy shit."

"If I don't stop sucking this tit, I'm going to be attached to it forever."

"Look, man, I don't want to look in the mirror and see the person that did all those things. I want to see somebody else."

"There's a saying I like, and it's instead of bashing what you hate, promote what you love, right?"

"All I can be is myself. That's the most unique thing I have is myself."

"I think it's incredible to be able to employ people and give them livelihood. That is just like, that's an ultimate, man. I think it's beautiful."

"If you can pull it off and it makes you happy, fucking go do it."

Connect with Luke:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lukewessman

Website: https://lukewessman.myshopify.com/

Connect with Aaron:⁠

Website: http://www.chatsandtatts.com⁠

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatsandtatts

IG: http://www.instagram.com/chatsandtatts

Chats & Tatts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/chatsandtatts

Aaron IG:⁠ http://www.instagram.com/aarondellavedova⁠

Guru Tattoo: http://www.Gurutattoo.com