Inspirational Women Series created by Tracey S. Yang Article #2 with Brittney Bassham
Brittney Bassham is a tattoo artist, manager, and the sole inheritor of FishPig Ink. She currently lives in northeastern Alabama with her husband Dennis. Her shop, FishPig Ink, is located at 1001 Woodward Ave., Muscle Shoals, AL 35661.
1. Why is your business called FishPig Ink?
My business is called FishPig Ink because of my last name Bassham.
BASS = FISH
HAM= PIG
2. Tell me more about your business FishPig Ink.
Fishpig ink is a family-owned business, which we are family-oriented. During your session here at Fishpig, be prepared to meet my mom, sisters, nephews, or other family members depending on the day. However, we are currently adding to the team, and in the future, we could even be an all-woman shop with the exception of a few men!
3. What motivates you to be a tattoo artist?
What motivated me to become a tattoo artist is seeing how my father inspired me when I was just a child. It was always so interesting to watch him work. There are many stages to the completion of a tattoo, and I always thought this process was captivating. I am a part of the younger generation, and to me, it’s so interesting to see how generations change so much. I’m proud to be a part of where Fishpig is going.
However, what really gets me thinking about what motivates me is that I want to be a master artist one day. It will be hard, and I know I have to learn a lot. I need to progress more in the art field, which is exactly what keeps me going. It will take me many years to reach my goal of becoming a master, but I know it will be worth it. Art is a beautiful thing. Reaching your goals can be done in almost anything you do, so just keeping that in mind is a wonderful motivator. My art motivates me, and it keeps me progressing through my tattooing journey.
4. What story can you give me to describe the start of FishPig Ink?
Fishpig came into the world when my dad talked about us moving back to the Shoals area. He didn’t want to work for anyone. He only wanted to work for himself, so he decided to go with our old shop name “Twisted Needle” tattoos. We found out rather quickly that another shop had already adopted the name “Twisted Needlz.” This name, “Twisted Needlz” was too similar to our name. Therefore, we decided to change the name to Fishpig Ink. We have currently been in the Shoals area for 9 years now, and we have only changed locations once. I am happy to be a part of the Fishpig team.
5. Give some advice to those who are seeking to get a tattoo.
I do advise potentially new clients to be absolutely sure of what you want. This is your body, and the tattoo will be on there forever. It is important to remember that this is a permanent procedure. Also, make sure that you have a trustworthy artist. Only hire those that you trust, and be sure that the artist that you hire can do the style of the work that you are interested in.
Do not sit in a chair if you’re uncomfortable, and let your artist know if you’re unhappy with something. Do not let anyone, even the artist, influence what body art you need to get for yourself. Your body is your temple. Decorate it how you please.
6. How did you manage the challenge and adjustment of being the youngest employee to ever be hired at FishPig Ink? Describe your resilience for us. Do you have any words of advice for other young individuals who are seeking to establish their careers at such a young age?
It wasn’t difficult to get into the industry. My father was in the industry, and I grew up with seeing tattoos in the house or at the shop. Having a foot in the door has been in my line of sight since I can remember. As far as being the youngest, I definitely had some troubles there with an artist 5 years older than me. My father was also much older than me as well, so, yes, I have worked with loads of artist that were older than me. However, I noticed that they lacked business management skills. I decided to use this, my strengths, to my advantage.
Despite being young, I proved with persistence and determination that I could be a leader and pave the way for a better work environment. Others grew to respect me. It shows that managers and leaders can be of any age group. You just have to be bold.
I enjoy working in the shop, and I wish that everyone had connections into their industry of choice as I did. However, that’s not always the case with most. To those of younger ages looking to get into the tattoo industry, go in it with pride. Yes, it might be hard at first, but continue onward. Believe in yourself.
You will also get told by others that it’s not a “real job.” You might also get told that the income it provides will not be able to sustain a family, but that is where the magic happens.
Art is a great form of expression, and art on the skin is simply amazing. Follow your style of art, and let it take control of your future. Tattooing is a cut-throat job. Some people are rude, and they will tear you down at the front desk. However, I always say “customer service is key.” Start your goals at a young age so that you can learn more. This will be a great way to provide more for future generations!
7. What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
My failures in the tattoo world would be my horrible attempts at photo-realism portraits. My goal is to become a master artist. However, you cannot be a master if you cannot do all elements of tattoos. I’m terrible at tattooing facial portraits and large scale animal portraits. These could be tattoos such as lions, panthers, tigers, dogs, and elephants. Tattooing facial portraits are difficult for me due to my lack of knowledge in anatomy.
One thing I know is that I can paint you a portrait all day long, but when applied to the skin, it’s much harder. With tattoos, you have only one shot to get it right.
However, I did learn a valuable lesson from these failures. For tattooing, do not jump into anything until you’re ready. I clearly was not ready when I attempted to tattoo a portrait.
8. What type of artwork do you like to create the most? Do you have any samples to show to everyone?
I love doing florals and lettering! Flowers and small animals such as snakes and birds are my favorites to do. I’m doing my best to get out of my comfort zone to appeal to more clients, but my absolute favorite thing to tattoo would be anything floral.
9. What process does a person need to expect when getting a tattoo?
When getting a tattoo, clients can expect a little bit of irritation, swelling, bleeding and some other bodily fluids seeping from the skin. It normally takes a while for the skin to become normal between the healing process and the execution of the tattoo. Swelling can stay for a couple of days depending on the placement and if it’s close to a joint. Bleeding should stop the day after the tattoo was done.
Peeling will occur like a sunburn and will peak for a couple of weeks. At this time, people need to apply lotion to moisturize the area. After that, people need to not soak the tattoo for an extra two to three weeks after the peeling process starts. Avoid being in the sun for prolonged times without some form of SPF 50 or above on the tattooed area. I hope this helps a lot for newcomers who are entering into the tattooing world!
10. What is one piece of advice that has impacted you the most?
One piece of advice that has impacted me the most is that skincare is the key to a successful tattoo, and with tattoos, skincare also assists with the healing process. Without proper exfoliation, the tattoo will essentially be dug into the skin from the needle having to penetrate through too much skin to properly be introduced into the area. Pigments can only go so far through a clogged needle. Applying lotion to the area before getting a tattoo only makes it harder for the artist to cleanse the skin properly. Although it is keeping the skin healthy for us to work on, it is dampening the tattooing process if it is not cleaned properly. Skincare essentially needs to be practiced every day!
This article is a part of a series that is created and written by Tracey S. Yang called the Inspirational Women Series. This series is used to highlight and showcase inspirational women across the globe. Tracey S. Yang’s inspiration for this series came from the book Power Up, Super Women: Stories of Courage and Empowerment where she, in the book, is also one of the women coauthors.
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