Am I being unreasonable for questioning why I’m still being labelled an apprentice after 2+ years?
I’m looking for some outside opinions from other tattoo artists because I’m genuinely confused about where I stand in my studio and whether my expectations are unrealistic.
I started my apprenticeship two and a half years ago. I’ve been tattooing clients independently, taking my own bookings, designing my own work, handling my own clients and essentially running my own tattoo business within the studio.
Recently a “meet the artist” post was made and I was labelled as an apprentice, which surprised me because I thought by this point I was more in the junior artist stage.
My mentor does still help me occasionally but when i ask. I sometimes get help with designs and he’ll occasionally come over while I’m tattooing, not ever really saying anything just watching.
However, there isn’t really any structured apprenticeship/development anymore.
For example, I don’t have regular sit-downs to review my work, the last proper review of my portfolio/work was over two months ago when I asked him to and he eventually got round to it, there aren’t regular design sessions, and there isn’t really a clear list of things I need to achieve before I’m no longer considered an apprentice. All I’ve been told is ‘when I no longer need him’ but nothing else. I feel I don’t need him consistently enough to still be an apprentice.
I’m obviously not expecting someone to stand over me for every tattoo after two years, and I know I still have plenty to learn.
I actually want critique and mentoring because I want to keep improving. My confusion is that if I’m still officially an apprentice, I would expect there to be some kind of structured development towards moving up to a junior artist.
I’ve also increasingly felt like I’m expected to operate at the same level of independence as the other artists while still being positioned below them as “the apprentice.”
I enjoy the studio for the most part and I’m not trying to slag anyone off. I’m just at a point where I want to build my own career and brand, and I don’t know whether continuing to carry the apprentice title without a clear end goal could actually start holding me back.
I also think I’m more confused as other artists who joined after me, trained by other studios, but the same years experience if not less, have all been labelled as a junior artist.
For people who have apprenticed or mentored apprentices:
And if someone is still considered an apprentice after two years, would you expect their mentor to be able to clearly explain what they still need to achieve before progressing?
I’m completely open to being told my expectations are wrong — I mainly want opinions from people outside my own studio because I’ve realised I don’t really have anything to compare my experience against.