One of the perks of being a tattoo artist is the freedom of movement one can take advantage of. There are shops everywhere these days. Conceivably, that means that as a tattooist you can go anywhere and temporarily live and work there. I've known of people who didn't live in any one place but just continuously went from guest spot to guest spot for years. 

Besides the pleasure of travel, such as discovering new places and people, there is the added bonus of exposure. The more people you meet, the more connections you make, and in more communities, the better for your overall reach. 

And that sounds great. 

However, for me… it has mostly felt a bit more tedious than it was worth... until now. 

Last week I guested at Butterfat Studios (https://www.butterfatstudios.com/) and it was a dream come true. 

Listen to me recount my other guest spot experiences and why this one was my most successful. Smile as I gush about the amazing legendary Esther Garcia whom I got to watch work. And who I've long admired for her experimentations in color theory specifically for expanding the options for deeper toned folks. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

How do I go and tattoo when I feel meh? 

Because I, and many of us, maybe all of us feel "meh" a lot in the face of responsibility. You can love your job very much, have it be the perfect fit for you and still feel like doing nothing when you wake up. 

So how do I get over the malaise and do it anyway? How do I output creatively when I feel empty? 

I will tell you. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

I met Skeeter Barker at her queer community yoga classes in the Mission circa 2007 or 8, and fell in love with her immediately. A strong, heavily tattooed, older butch in loose fitting cargo shorts and tank, with sparkling eyes, glasses, a British accent, and a gentle yet firm style of teaching, she was unlike any other yoga teacher I'd met before. And being in her classes made me want to keep doing yoga. So I did.

Over the years we found other things in common, such as the leather community, a love of retreats... and a bunch of years ago Skeeter found her way to my tattoo table and never left.

For Ink Medicine I spoke with Skeeter about ... everything. Identity and community, and tattoos, and queer history. At 60 she knows a thing or two about being a dyke and a leather daddy, since she has been out in the scene for more than forty years. I suppose some would call her a queer elder.

If you'd like a visual treat, and you love leather dyke culture, find your way to a viewing of the Michelle Handeman documentary BloodSisters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BloodSisters_(1995_film)
Skeeter happens to be one of the main people in it. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

Sit with me while I admit a deep dark little tattoo artist secret. I have feelings about it when my long term clients go to someone else. 

I don't know if this term has been used before, but I say Polytattery refers to clients getting work done by several tattoo artists in the same time period. 

It can be awkward for us both if you don't say anything ahead of time. Or if you come back with a new piece by someone else and ask me to touch it up for you. 

Hear me wrestle with my own ego and admit to you what feels best and what doesn't. 

And then... hear the tale that has defined my last week of existence. It does have to do with dentistry, but it's not graphic. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

White ink has been around as long as I have been tattooing, but I am getting way more questions about it in the last few years than ever before. 

In this episode I will answer all of the most frequently asked questions I get about white ink tattoos: how white ink works, why people may want to get them, other applications of white ink in tattoo art, including white outline tattoos, who they are best for, how they age and more. 

If you've been curious about white ink, I am so glad you found your way to this episode. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

Ayden Love is a total Love.

I met Ayden in my tattooing studio when a good friend of mine brought her to get tattooed by me. I put a matching set of tattoos on the two of them. One for "Daddy" and one for "babygirl".

And if you know me, you know how happy that made me.

I love ritual. I love relationships. I love overt power exchange. I love tattoos.

I asked Ayden to come on the podcast and tell me about their journey. And in the process we touched upon as much kink as I myself could handle on this here public forum, as well as ritualistic tattooing. We also talked about Ayden's dislike of eggs and therefore most breakfast dishes, how she got her formidable social media following while not being all that into social media, some of our favorite shows, and I even got some tips on guest spotting. And their small joy at the end of the episode gave me all sorts of happy fuzzy sensory memories.

Ayden works out of their own private studio in Durham, NC, and can be easily found on their website: http://www.thetinyfire.com/
or on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_tinyfire/

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

This episode is equally meant for those who want to know the nitty gritty of tattoo healing and care and those who just like to hear me drone on in the background. 

Here I describe both, first,  what I call the old school traditional way of caring for a fresh tattoo and second, the wet method. 

I get into the products I like to have my clients use, including a deep dive into what Aquafor actually is and how it works so well, since it's not technically "moistizuring". 

I talk a lot about tegaderm/saniderm and what a reaction to these convenient first aid plastic films could look like. 

This episode is a bit nerdy, kinda long, and hopefully informative. 

Enjoy. You can find links to all of the products I talk about on my website's tattoo care section:
https://www.micahriot.com/tattoo-care-instructions/

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

This episode is the result of my recent excitement about a few tattoos I've put my whole soul into. 

I've been looking for my personal tattoo style for so long, and considering that maybe I never need to find a niche, that doing it all was my thing (not unlike Beyoncé), that I was a little astounded when I realized that doing "weird" detailed color work felt like the work was coming directly from my soul. 

I don't have a word for this yet, but I do know the feeling. These are pieces that come without many or even any references from the client. These are pieces that come from great trust between us. From connection, and mutual holding. 

This episode details my thoughts about personal tattoo style, and my ongoing process around this concept. There is more to say, perhaps another time. But I hope you do enjoy this one.

And please! Leave a rating and review. I would love that so hard. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

I started this podcast to show off the absolute gems of humans I get to tattoo and interact with on a regular basis. I am a very very very lucky person. 

Karin is one of those people. I have been tattooing big gorgeous detailed artful realistic  flowers on her for about two years. Our conversations range from the personal/political to the intimately personal, to food, to clothes, but mostly how to be a decent person in this world. 

In this interview we talk about what being basic means, and also alternative, how hard it is for those of us raised with little attention to our needs to stand out as adults, to receive attention. I ask Karin why she, at fifty, decided to start covering her body with big gorgeous florals, how it has changed her self perception, and also what other parts of life have been making her happy lately. 

We are sweet and funny and quippy, and it will give your good vibes if you listen in. 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For me, turning the big 4-0 comes with its share of introspection.

But today's episode is rather the other side of the moon (or the coin) of last week's episode, "Ep. 65: A Few, Namely Five, Reasons I Love Being A Tattoo Artist".

Today I tell you five reasons being a self employed tattoo artist can be challenging. I'd say these are the most annoying things about it for me. 
In short...
1. Charging people money!
2. email and consults at that awkward time, before the client and I develop trust.
3. not being able to read the client's mind
4. no logistical safety net, no PTO etc
5. taxes

but first... Lulu becomes the unexpected essence of opulence, thanks to a serendipitous perfume spill. 

Enjoy! 

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.