Adam's Story
Here is a little bit about myself that maybe will give you direction on how I am as a person. I feel like too many people don't know their artist's personality before they get tattooed by them. Well at least when you walk into Ministry Ink you can automatically get a feel for how the shop operates. Well let me help you understand how I have been connected to tattoos through other means of art.
Since I can remember I have had a pencil in my hand. The earliest I can remember is drawing at church when I was around 3 years old. I would sit with the grown ups, because I didn't want to meet new kids, and I would draw the stained glass images on the back of the sermon notes. Since then I would ask for coloring books and comic books for pictures to look at so I could try to replicate them.
Through grade school I would take as many art classes as possible. I wasn't a big fan of applying myself to things that didn't interest me. Art classes were always my favorite. I believe that to be a true Tattoo Artist you need to know how to draw, paint, sculpt, or any other medium of art. So I would take any class I could when it came to art.
I was fairly lost with my life when I was a young adult at the ripe old age of 19. I was working at UPS loading the semi trucks at night and going to college for God knows what. I knew UPS was a great job that has good benefits but I couldn't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. So I started praying and searching for what my calling was. What I was going to do and love doing a job for the rest of my life. So I knew something was telling me to join the United States Air Force. So I joined up and shipped out May 2007. I was soon to be a USAF Security Forces Member (aka Military Police).
Though I had no idea on why I joined to be a cop in the military I did it anyway. So from base to base there was always someone planting this seed in my mind of how awesome my art was and I should be a "tattoo artist". The first duty station I was at was Minot North Dakota. That is where my tattoo mind would start to be opened.
The military lifestyle was tough and disciplined so I had to make sure I did what I was told and to clean up after myself. After a couple months of being there I was to get a room inspection from my sergeants. They soon pulled me inside the squadron and briefed me on my inspection. They thanked me for being hygienic and soon walked me into a conversation of how he could teach me how to tattoo if I got a tattoo starter kit. It took me by surprise but that was the start of it. The thought wouldn't leave my mind so I went online and bought a starter kit for a couple hundred dollars. But I didn't do any tattoos in North Dakota due to my upbringing in the church and how they subconsciously make you think tattoos are bad. Soon I found out I had orders to South Korea.
Now I had all my tattoo equipment in a tackle box soon to arrive at Osan Air Base. Here is where I started my first tattoo. I had a buddy find that tattoo kit in my closet. He asked me to give him his first tattoo. I soon told him that I had never tattooed anyone and I was petrified to even try. He convinced me to watch a YouTube video on how to set everything up. So we did and I drew on him with a sharpie and started. I had done a few tattoos in Korea but didn't really get the hands-on time to tattoo until I arrived at my new duty station at Spangdahlem Air Force Base, Germany.
Germany was where my tattoo life would spread like wildfire. I tattooed a German friend that I worked with and she told all her friends. It would be around 4 months and I had people I didn't know stop me at the grocery store on base and ask for my number so they could get a tattoo from me. So for the next 2.5 years I would be tattooing and saving up as much money as I could to eventually build a tattoo shop of my own when I got out of the military.
I got home June 6th 2013. My family had a business started already in Lansing Michigan. I knew there was an upstairs so I started renovating about 6 months later. Building my dream was such a great experience. So that leads me to where I am now. I have been trying to make the shop the best and most comfortable shop in Lansing. My goal is to make people feel like they are not clients but family. You will soon find out that I am an open book — so if you have anything you would like to talk about… then I am at 610 N. Creyts Rd. See ya soon!
