Steve is not what I would call a typical tattoo artist. Given, he is almost completely covered in an array of tattoos; rumor has it that his left leg is dedicated entirely to a list of ex's and one night stand's names (this is a joke - it's actually his right leg) but that's where the stereotypical tattoo-type ends. The past year has seen Steve quit drinking, take up working out and go from an unhealthy 89kg to 71kg. He's now 81kg and that's bound to happen when you go to the gym every morning at 6am (no I don't know how he does it either!) but more on that later.
When Steve tells me the studio has been opened 7 years I genuinely can't believe it and sometimes he can't either. He got into the industry at 16 after David, a guy who hung around the same scene as him, offered him an apprenticeship. And he's been hooked on it ever since, assuring he's never second guessed his decision. And when he tells me how his mam supported his decision to leave school and take the apprenticeship you can tell there's a lot of love there from both sides so much so that he thanks her for giving him the push to start his own business.
Ok I'm pretty bad at accurately estimating how much time I need to get to a place and the day Steve agreed to an interview it was no different. It was lunch time on a Friday and Limerick traffic was insane and there wasn't a single parking spot to be found. I end up parking at the train station and as I rushed to the studio I said a quick prayer to every God that I don't get a parking ticket or clamp. When I say it to Steve he assures me I won't get a ticket, that my car will be fine and just like that I'm believing him (my car WAS fine by the way). It's just one thing I admire about Steve; he's an incredibly genuine guy and can make you feel so comfortable - the guy has tattooed my chest ffs and it wasn't one bit awkward.
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| The selection of tattoos Steve has done on me since 2013 |
So does he have a favorite tattoo? In terms of what he's tattooed he simply says his favorite is always the last one he's done and although he can't decide which one he would consider on himself he does admit that it would definitely be one of the smaller ones that might not mean much to look at but have a lot of memories attached to it. I had to laugh when he explained that his mam always warned him to never tattoo his hands so he decided to get "MAM" across his knuckle.
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| Some of Steve's latest work |
Steve has no time for the notion that there's "nothing to do", especially when it comes to your Irish lads and advises them to get down to the gym because of the trap so many young lads fall into where drinking at the weekend turns into drinking during the week and you're suddenly in your late twenties with nothing to show for it. But how did that change in mentality come about? Well once he quit drinking he needed something to occupy his evenings and he always wanted to do a long distance cycle so he started at 10km, then 15km and it went from there. And when it comes to motivating himself to go to the gym he simply said it's like a test; the day he decides to take a break will be the day he decides to have pizza for dinner and then - hey, why not - a few beers in the evening. As for advising anyone feeling stuck in a rut he tells them to start with one small thing you tell yourself you can't do and go for it. Because even if you fail you'll still sleep better that night knowing you've tried.
Finally, what's next for Steve? Content with where he's at, he says he can see himself in the studio for the next twenty years and praises his co-workers for making working life that little bit easier. When I ask would he leave Limerick he says he can't see himself going anytime soon because he loves the city. And that's Steve; a Limerick man through and through.
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| Find Steve here -> Instagram: stevesavage1 FB: Hard Knox Tattoo |
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Until next time...
Aimee♥
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