Dante came back for round two with me – and this time we went big.

Over a 3-part session, we went from planning a Norse Jormungandr sleeve, to surviving a back-to-back convention weekend, to this episode: two days after, wrapped, swollen, and already wanting more.

In this conversation we talk about:

• What it actually feels like two days after a huge color sleeve
• The mental game of paying for pain you absolutely did not have to sign up for
• How this new Norse/Jormungandr sleeve ties into his old “dead tree and crows” back piece
• Why the color choices and flow scratch that Japanese itch without being a traditional Japanese tattoo
• What’s going through my head as an artist when the judges are waiting, the stencil wipes off, and your elbow is on fire
• How trust, creative freedom, and “don’t micromanage me from the table” change everything
• The myth that you need the perfect idea before you get tattooed – and why cover-ups, laser, and better artists exist for a reason

Across the full session with Dante, we moved through:

• Part 1: Pre-tattoo – talking symbolism, Norse mythology, Jormungandr, and how this sleeve would play off his existing back piece
• Part 2: On the table – live from the convention, managing pain, timing, and the “are we actually gonna finish this?” panic
• Part 3 (this episode): Post-tattoo – two days after, processing the ritual, the addiction, and what past-you and future-you think when you look in the mirror

If you’re the kind of person who swears “never again” mid-session and then starts planning the next piece on the drive home… this one’s for you.

Work with me / stalk my art:

• Book a tattoo: colinbussing.punchey.com/book
• Instagram: @colinbussingtattoos
• Website: colinbussing.com
• Prints & merch: Pulse & Petal + more via my shop colinbussing.myshopify.com

Tagline:

Fresh ink. Fresh clarity. Mild trauma.