Open Letter From Judith Wade - 17-Jun-04 I recently completed the Pacific Northwest Tattoo Seminar at Lady Luck Tattoo. Tattooing is something I have always been interested in, but was unable to find an aprenticeship that suited my needs and financial situation. I have a bachelor's degree in fine art and was very interested in approaching tattooing as an artistic medium. At Lady Luck my philosophies and ideals were not only respected but strongly reinforced. I was given the benifit of learning the craft from not one teacher but four. Although Kristi gave most all of the actual instruction, Angel, Chris and Tater also provided insight on three very different approaches to the business, the craft, and the art. (They are also very friendly, intelligent, and a heck of a lot of fun!) Although I anticipated learning a great deal, I did not anticipate being welcomed with such open arms to such an "exclusive" business. Kristi's teaching and tattooing skills are upstaged only by her generosity. I feel as if I have been given the very unique opportunity to become a member of a very serious tattooing tradition. My training at the seminar consisted of three hours of tattoo instruction in the morning followed by eight hours of observation, customer interaction, practice and eventually tattooing. The course outline on the web page lists most things taught, from needle making to ink mixing. The thing that the outline does not explain is that all of my questions were answered thoroughly and thoughtfully. Everything from dealing with scared clients, to the ins and outs of owning a small business, to various skin types, healing, and the history of body art. Every night I thought of a new question to pose and every morning I was given a thoughtful and satisfying answer. This is a truely holistic view of the business and art of tattooing and piercing. I traveled from Kansas to attend this seminar and I enjoyed every minute of it. Not only was the seminar informative and exciting, but I was given a great rate at a local hotel (Quality Inn, Spokane Valley-check their website) a map of Spokane, lots of directions and a great group of people to hang out with. Now that I am back in Kansas I have most everything I need to start my own business. Granted, years of experience are needed for me to become the awesome tattooer I know I can be, but I have been given both the knowledge and the confidence needed to begin my carreer in tattooing. Judith Wade