u/Successful-Lock8595

genuinely confused about social stuff!!

so i work in a tattoo shop and have like 4 coworkers around my age, one of them my partner. three of them (not my partner) seem really close, go out together, have their own groupchat (the whole shop has one too), seem a bit secretive sometimes about hanging out together (im assuming to not make others feel left out?), talk more often together, etc

i try to talk to them too and hang out in the shop, we all seem friendly and on good terms, im just sort of confused why they don’t seem to want to hang out with me? ive had bad experiences in the past of groups within groups starting without me (im assuming im weird or different cuz i always aim to be honest, kind, not overly people-pleasing, etc but i feel also very different and odd compared to most people) so im wondering if anyone thinks i could be overthinking things and just assuming they dont like me or is this a normal thing that happens in workplaces (like tiny groups form even though there seems to be mutual interests and good interaction)?

i also have adhd so maybe im wondering if that can be a part of it? do audhd folks come across as annoying without meaning to? im so confused and everytime they are talking while im also trying to hang out i get this feeling that they’re just being kind but would rather me just let them hang out even if they don’t say anything

i know they’re not bullying me or being mean or anything, i’ve experienced that before and this definitely doesn’t feel like it but genuinely sometimes i feel like im too weird for them. idk. am i overreacting? thanks for any advice

i am an apprentice at a great shop with a fantastic mentor, great shop mates, etc, but ive been struggling so much lately with understanding why small things have been happening with my linework that overall destroy my quality of lines 😭 i talk to my mentor about it all the time, watch other artists, look at youtube, etc, but i would love some more advice because i just keep running into the same problems and im not exactly sure what is wrong

my mentor and i have talked a lot about stretching well, stretching in the direction im pulling, having a full ink cartridge, checking the needles before using them, making sure im not using too much or too little ointment, having 3 points of stability, needle not too far out or too shallow, speed, voltage, etc but i feel like im still so lost in understanding what exactly im doing incorrectly to get such dogshit lines

he had me doing circles and lines for MONTHS on paper, then fake skin, and then eventually on myself, my partner, and then other people. somehow my first few tattoos felt more consistent than my last few??? im using a machine that my wonderful coworker gave to me as it was collecting dust so im not sure what it is but he says he thinks it has a 5 stroke, it’s a lil finicky and seems more consistent at a 7-9v so thats what i usually use, im extremely attentive to changes in line quality so i try to adjust all the time to make it better but lately i feel like ive been worse???

i’ll attach some pics with rough timelines, if anyone has any advice PLEASE let me know and be honest with me!! i know my work is dogshit rn and i just want to put my all into getting better. thank you for any and all advice, tattooing means the world to me and i want to dedicate my life to this craft

im on mobile so hopefully it all loads in order but the spider is my first on myself, jester beetle my second, (ive done around less than 15 skin tatts so im not gonna attach them all) but they all lead in chronological order to my most recent, the chibi sun face 😭 i know i FUCKED those cross hatch lines and have other things to work on but specifically i’d love advice on linework consistency

confused about workplace dynamics??

NEED LINEWORK ADVICE!!