Vanesa has a symphony of tinnitus in her head 24/7 but being in Colorado helped it go away??? A rare no call/no show left Vanesa with a new client to add to her blacklist, and she is considering scheduling a guest spot in Colorado at Glass Moon Tattoo.

Ray confronts his fears around the industry progressing and worries about feeling left behind in the process. Does Vanesa worry about her style of tattooing going out of style? How might things shift for tattooers when they reach the five year mark in their careers? Lick the Brain is going abroad??!

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/rebeccablairtattoos

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Vanesa starts us off with some silly ASMR and Ray circles back to thoughts around vulnerability and authenticity. Vanesa gives us an update about her therapy journey and the skills she’s working on. Ray and Vanesa discuss their personal art, how it translates into tattooing, and art in general. Will Vanesa and Ray actually start sharing their artists' processes on social media? How does context influence our perception of art?

Ray admits that he doesn’t want to be known for tattooing. Will Lick the Brain get official office space? Ray reacts to some of his client’s being diagnosed with cancer.

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/nathanmouldtattoo

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Ray has a Coke habit and Vanesa has a crush?? Our hosts are making the most of having more free time and share some advice around doing guest spots as a tattoo artist. A lot of variables come into play when considering guest spots, especially around where and when! How can an artist’s level of experience affect being able to secure guest spots at other studios? What is the reason behind doing a guest spot in the first place?

Ray is really enjoying a new brand of ink and Vanesa joins Ray in a technical discussion about gray wash techniques. 

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/mrhoguetattoos

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Vanesa admits to missing snow and is taking a trip to a (hopefully) snowy place! Ray and Vanesa share stories about their experiences driving in snow and some of one client’s snowy encounter. Where do Vanesa and Ray stand when it comes to tattooing the names of significant others? What about getting tattoos for or from your partner? 

Ray revisits the idea of reformatting the podcast after getting feedback from some listeners. Vanesa shares her appreciation for being able to trade service work.

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/victorialeetattoo

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Tune in to hear Ray react to a one star review that excluded Vanesa by name and conversation around giving and receiving feedback! When is a good time to leave a review for a tattoo artist? Should you review immediately or wait for the tattoo to age? If you’ve been tattooed by Ray or Vanesa, leave an honest review on google **heart emoji

Being tattoo artists and business owners has helped our hosts develop better communication skills and Ray opens up about going from identifying as an introvert to an extrovert. Having Vanesa for a friend is like “winning over a loyal cat”. 

This episode spends a lot of time under “all things related” as Vanesa and Ray discuss their different approaches to being open when they meet new people.

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/tanya

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Will Lick the Brain stay tattoo focused or lean into ‘all things related’? (Vanesa couldn’t eat her candy quietly and apologizes for any plastic bag sounds you might be able to hear) 

We’ve heard about how Vanesa and Ray got into tattooing but never discussed why! What were our host’s driving factors to become tattoo artists and why do they want to be good at what they do? Do tattoos make people feel better about themselves? How can taking a step away from your art help reset the way you perceive it?

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Ray got his nose pierced and Vanesa tagged along for moral support! Can you guess what Ray’s first ever piercing was? What type of piercing was Vanesa’s favorite to do? Our hosts discuss their experiences with piercing, getting pierced, and why Vanesa decided to just focus on tattooing. Is there a way to balance being a tattoo artist and body piercer? Ray starts networking with other business owners and enjoys being around other growth minded individuals. Vanesa briefly considered the idea of hiring someone to help create content.


Shout Out: https://claritypiercing.com/

Shea www.instagram.com/claritypiercing

Sacoon www.instagram.com/pierceurheartout

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

This episode of Lick The Brain starts off in the “all things related” category as Vanesa and Ray tell us more about their personal lives. Vanesa has experienced a lot of change but she is doing okay! Ray talks about the benefits he is already getting from therapy and Vanesa jokes about becoming divorcées. Ray has returned from his summer tattoo tour! Check out the list of places he visited below

Devoted Art Collective in Cincinnati, Ohio
www.instagram.com/devoted513

Thirteen Roses in Saint Louis, Missouri

https://www.thirteenrosestattoo.com/

Heather Lambert and her  Quirky Birds Podcast

www.instagram.com/heatherlamberttattoos

https://www.youtube.com/@quirkybirdspodcast

Long Live Tattoo Collective in Denver, Colorado

www.instagram.com/longlivetattoocollective

Andy Pho and Upside Tattoo in Hutto, Texas

www.instagram.com/andypho

www.instagram.com/upsidetattoo

Alluring Arts Tattoo in Matthews, North Carolina

www.instagram.com/alluringartstattoo

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

Ray has some social media content ideas meanwhile Vanesa gets hit on at the grocery store. Ray is considering doing more fine line tattoos and asks Vanesa to talk a little bit about her drawing process. Can tattoo artists trust Ai images enough to use them as reference pictures for tattoo designs? Has Ai altered tattoos made it more difficult for clients to vet potential artists? What does it mean for someone to poison your tattoo? Please pardon Willoe’s ear flops in the background.

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/daniellekellytattoo

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com

This episode bounces around a lot thanks to Vanesa’s and Ray’s’ low-key ADHD! Small talk about social media, and how Guy Aitchison commented on one of Vanesa’s posts, leads into a conversation about Ray feeling the need to switch up his style. Ray asks Vanesa about how opening her books to tattoo requests went and the general booking process. How much would Vanesa and Ray charge for a butthole tattoo? What would healing a tattoo around your butthole be like?

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/squirestrahan

Artist Shout Out: www.instagram.com/sarahdoestattoos

Follow LTB on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lickthebrain to keep up with us! Contact Ray at [email protected] if you have any thoughts you’d like to share or any recommendations!

Previously hosted by Vanesa Reeves and Ray Durham

Intro Voiceover thanks to Isatu Kamara

www.instagram.com/isawho

Music by: Federico W.

www.instagram.com/skane.music

www.fiverr.com/skane_music
www.skanemusic.com