productivity Archives - Matt Hodel Tattoo

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Cartoons Inspire Creativity I was born in 1975. The 1980’s world of Saturday Morning Cartoons was a small window of time from 7:30 am until noon. I cannot express enough what an escape those few hours were for me. The fantasy worlds of Smurfs and Dungeon and Dragons and He-Man were a stark contrast to…

Tattooing has Changed, Have You?

In 1995 there were 14 tattoo shops from O’fallon, Illinois to O’fallon, Missouri. In 1998 there were 40. With each shop averaging 3 artists working in house, that would equal 78 new jobs for tattoo artists in three years. That is almost a 300% increase in the industry. As impressive as those numbers are, where…

Advice for the New Tattooist.

Tips for the Freshman Tattooist. Its has been said that you haven’t been tattooing until your fifth year is complete. This is when you get to see your old tattoos healed. It takes that long for your tattoos to settle. Until then, your first 5 years are very important. Here is some advice. Take it…

Worked to Death.

Measuring success. What is your barometer for success? What are your benchmarks to get there? Have you been making progress? As self employed practitioners of the tattoo arts, we enjoy a rebellious reaction to those outside our craft. We boast of travel and freedom while we enjoy a walk of life that few will understand.…

Want More Money? Then Stop Worrying about the Money

Your reward is a byproduct. The fastest route is a straight line: unless you’re so focused on the destination that you fall off the path. This happens when you are trying so dang hard to succeed. Sometimes we get so obsessed that we micro manage the entire journey. Have you ever counted calories or tracked…

Become the PRODUCT!

“I just love my tattoo! It was fast and efficient!” -nobody ever Why. Why do I want to rally the troops? Why do I want to reach out to artists? Because times have changed. The product is no longer the institutional names of big shops but the future solely relies on the individual tattoo artist…

Cancelation Policy!

People cancel their appointments. This is a simple fact of business. I do not take offense to a cancelation. Do you want to know why? I love my clients. I love hanging out with them and I put them before myself. If someone needs to cancel I do not penalize them or beat them down…

GET SOME!

No one said it would be easy!!

Failing to Succeed

I hear the word success more that 10 times a day. I choose to hear it. I surround myself with the word. When I run, the Nike App commentator says it in my earbuds. When I listen to podcasts on my drive to work, the host says success repeatedly. The book I am reading right…

BLURB’s Online Portfolio Maker

www.blurb.com I love Blurb. I just got done making another portfolio. In the past I have used Adobe InDesign to layout my books. Doing it this way gives me a lot of control of the layout. Today I decided to use their HTML book making option. I was surprised at how much control I really…

Be Successful, Damn It!

Being successful isn’t out of your reach. I use an app called flip book. It searches the internet for me and brings back topics I’m interested in. Today, the blog I reposted below came across my feed. I was thinking, “I wish I would have read stuff like this years ago!” Instantly I realized I…

You will Quit Tattooing

You Will Quit Tattooing Why you will quit tattooing. I used to say “Tattoo artist don’t retire, they just die.” Thats not a true statement anymore. It is no secret that a rising amount of ambitious practitioners are rushing to the industry. With the excitement comes disappointment as announcements of earlier retirement become common on…

I want to be a Tattoo Artist!!

Why I don’t want my kids to tattoo. Tattooing is not for everyone. I get asked about letting my kids get tattooed or what if my kids want to tattoo for a living. The answer is No. As long as my kids are kids, they are not getting tattooed. The state says 18, so I’m…

Done Vs. Perfect

It’s easy to forget how much time has passed by while an idea has remained hidden from the world, locked in your brain. Something that you’ve been telling yourself you’ll “get to at some point,” or that “will be really great one day.” [wr_divider div_margin_top=”0″ div_margin_left=”0″ div_margin_bottom=”25″ div_margin_right=”0″ div_border_width=”2″ div_border_style=”solid” div_border_color=”#E0DEDE” divider_width=”100″ disabled_el=”no” ][/wr_divider] Knock…

Opportunity Knocks

A recurring theme in my life in the last few years has been encouraging others to see the opportunities all around them. To not get so hung up on boundaries, but to focus on the potential adventure. The following article captures concisely the process and value of recognizing the infinite opportunities around us. Please share…

Live Your Imagination

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Henry David Thoreau Dreaming… I’ve always thought it a bit strange that people equate their life’s ambitions and most ultimate aspirations to something that occurs while we sleep. I think maybe this is the foundation for the disconnect between our radical…

Getting Motivated, and How it Really Works.

Sometimes that spark for a creative burst isn’t just about randomly happening upon the right material or artist or film, etc. at just the right moment. Productive AND creative people (yes, those can exist simultaneously) usually have a formula. A method to their madness. The key is tapping the right kind of schedule to allow…