Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Hughes.
Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
First off, thank you all. This is truly an honor for me to be able to share just a little of myself and my journey with you.
When I turned 19, I dove head first into my apprenticeship with my father. We both grew up in California, but when he moved to South Carolina in 2011, my wife and I made to pilgrimage as well after we married in 2012 to finish learning. I completed my apprenticeship in 2013 and worked with my dad at his shop in Greer for 7 years. We didn’t have a close relationship growing up since my parents split when I was 5 and I lived with my mom. When we started tattooing together it was like catching up on lost time. After Quarantine in 2020 though, I felt like it was time to pursue my calling. It was very hard for us both at first but he is very supportive and I am proud to carry his legacy.
The original plan was to work with a friend of mine and help him open his shop in Downtown Greenville. When plans changed, I wasn’t sure what to do. It was a whirlwind of emotions and uncertainty, but one day my wife sent me a post that Joseph Bradley was seeking a tenant for his new building in the Village of West Greenville. I had reached out to many others before about opening the shop downtown with no success. However, he was very optimistic that we could make it happen.
He called me and offered the space to me out of all the other applicants, I broke down with gratitude and knew something special was happening in my life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In hindsight, everything has worked out but the road was not smooth at all. The biggest battle wasn’t against the external variables, as frustrating as they can be, it was dealing with myself that generated the most turmoil.
Becoming the person you want to mean dealing with the person you are being. I was severely bullied throughout my childhood which contributed to a great lack of self-esteem in my life which hindered my ability to believe I was capable.
My parents being divorced had affected me more than I realized. In 2018 I had a very extreme manic episode.
Without realizing it, up until this point I had been coping with my past trauma with drugs and alcohol. One day I woke up and my reality shifted. I was experiencing a very extreme manic episode. I didn’t eat sleep or drink for a couple of days. After those couple of days, I had lost my mind. The details of what provoked this I’d like to keep private but I laid on a hill of fire ants and almost died. For the first time, I became aware of myself and the mind, body, and soul connection.
This has served me tremendously because since then, I have been able to shed more and more of the negative attributes I had adapted and learned how to be more resilient to the thoughts and doubts that birth from anxiety. I saw the worst of me but then I discovered the worth of me. My trajectory now is sending me down a path that is leading me toward new life and away from that person I was pretending to be. The external frustrations like money, time, and legalities were challenging only because it was all new but the hurdle of the mind was almost my demise.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a tattoo artist that specializes in traditional Americana, black and grey, and Japanese-inspired imagery. I have been tattooing for 10 years. It was my father, who has been tattooing for over 20 years, that taught me how to tattoo which makes me a 2nd generation tattooist. There are not many of us out there.
The world of tattooing is such a magical world filled with limitless potential and imagination. The stories. The imagery. The camaraderie. It was a secret society that you were either born into or invited into. This attracted me but the fact that my father did tattoos made it even more precious, valuable, and personal to me. When I was 13, I did my first tattoo on my dad. It was a very ritualistic experience that will hold a sacred place in my heart forever. You know that scene in Harry Potter when he gets his first wand? That’s what it was like for me when I held the machine in my hand for the first time. The feeling of electricity surging through my hands as I made a permanent mark on someone else was very intimidating but the magic of it was almost overwhelming. I knew from that point I was going to be a tattoo artist.
I am proud that I get to carry the legacy my father entrusted to me. The ancient tradition of tattooing is rich and sacred to me. I do feel like there is more of an expectation on me to become great at what I do but I like that because it gives me focus and purpose. Daily I seek to learn and grow in my craft with a passion to give these people the quality and experience they deserve while preserving the tradition I value.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I need the Bible first and foremost in my life. The knowledge and wisdom flow from what God says. How men and women of faith experienced God in a “digitaless” age teaches me how to connect with God and find ways to exercise my faith in a modern world through ancient practices. Plus it’s how I connect with my daughter Lennon. We read Harry Potter and the Bible every night. That is the highlight of my day.
Limitless by Jim Kwick changed my life. It helped me to learn about how to not only heal from my negative belief systems but how to tap into limitless potential and stay optimal.
Declutter the Mind by S.J. Scott taught me the skill of meditation is a vital exercise to gain natural awareness. It also deconstructed a lot of misconceptions I had and demystified the stigma I had toward it.
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz showed me that the world needs thinkers now more than ever. Not walking encyclopedias.
The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller shifted my focus from selfishness to selflessness.
Harry Potter keeps my imagination inspired as well as tapping into creativity. Plus as I mentioned, it’s how my daughter and I bond!
The Invisible Man by Ed hardy exposed me to how impactful creativity and ingenuity can be, His career is a constant encouragement that if someone else can do it, then I can too. I hope to share similar attributes and mentalities one day.
I love illustrative books or art books in general. I learn a lot from tattooing just by studying pictures of real life and fictional renditions of real-life subjects. Those I keep secret for myself though.
Contact Info:
- Website: Justinwalkertattoo.com & villagetattoo.net
- Instagram: @justinwalkertattoo & @villagetattoo.gvl
Image Credit:
Kaydee Hughes Photography
