Meet Eric Hodges

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Hodges. 

Hi Eric, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story truly begins with my father. He has always been my largest inspiration and role model. There is no way I would be where I am today without him. I come from a single-parent home which is not unusual but my father has been disabled my entire life. He has been steadily going bling since he was 16. He never let this slow him down and still does not today. Growing up we obliviously did not have a lot but I watched him do everything he could to make sure we had everything we needed. He taught me so much but the largest lessons learned were hard work, respect, and how to be humble. 

When I turned 18, I decided to join the USMC to create a future for myself and better my father’s life. I joined as a 1316 (metal worker/ welder). This set me up once I came to the civilian side with a solid set of skills. I was having a fantastic career and the two of us were much better off from it. At 21 I picked up my first tattoo machine. This was never a thought in my mind but I could never understand why everyone could not preform the beautiful work we all see in magazines and on the internet. (I soon learned why; IT WAS NOT EASY TO DO!) I quickly became obsessed with the art form and devoted every spare moment I had into research. I have always been a “self-starter” and with this mentality, I soaked up everything bit of knowledge I could find or figure out. This persisted for a few more years until I married, had a child and COVID-19 hit us. After my daughter Lucillea was born I knew something had to change. I was on the road a lot prior with my current career and I could not miss her life so my wife and I had a discussion. 

In July of 2020, I opened my studio Limitless Ink Tattoo Studio. By all means, this probably should have failed but with a little luck and a ton of hard work we are here today, busy as ever with a fantastic team of artists and a mission. I cannot imagine having this studio without Shane and Michael too work alongside of as well as the support if my little family. My wife was so supportive with this decision and she will never say but I know a bit frightened in the beginning. It was a huge risk for us and took a lot of faith in me. Now I have three sponsorships from companies I believe in and am so thankful for. Also, our mission is being brought to light more than ever and that is #changethestandard. This is simply our motto which means we wish to create a safe space for everyone to come to. As well we are doing everything in our power to exceed all safety guidelines while providing the best art we possibly can and a friendly face with great customer service to do so. 

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?
Along the way, there has been many obstacles. Of course, starting a business from scratch in a new area knowing nobody and having no past business experience was not easy. As well I am a completely self-taught artist and am still learning every day. Opening during COVID provided many stressful days not knowing if we would be allowed to stay open with the pending days ahead. 

One of the largest obstacles honestly has been social media and advertising. I personally am not vary tech-savvy and have never partook in social media much. With the tattoo industry today word of mouth is still very important but being skilled at social media advertising is huge in so many ways. I cannot say I am any sort of expert but we are getting better every day. 

A huge challenge I believe that is looked over within our selfs as artists is the ability to truly “find yourself” or to trust your art. For the longest time, I specialized in Transparent gray Realistic tattooing which I still do a lot of because I truly love it but it is not what makes my heart beat. Surrealism is where my heart lies. 

As a tattoo artist, every day is a challenge of some sort, being a studio owner you have more challenges depending on how you run your studio but never for one second think that being a professional tattoo artist is easy. This career completely consumes your life and honestly, it is hard to not let it. At the end of the day this is not just a career is it a passion and a love. No day is easy but every day is great. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In our studio, we are trying every day to #changethestandard. Part of this to us is an attempt to show the world that the general stigma is nothing but a negative connotation put upon this beautiful industry from a couple bad eggs. Every day we wish to show the world that tattoo artists are professionals of a craft. 

In our studio, we put on a uniform every day, a dress shirt, dress pants, a nice dress vest, and some days even a tie. This is just a small part of our brand but something small we do differently and hold dearly. We also try to work with our canvases as much as possible by making every piece of art custom to you. We want to hear your story and understand what this tattoo means to you and why. Just as important tho is making sure you have a great experience with us whether it’s the conversion or the ability to send you out the door with a bit more knowledge of this industry than you had before. We are always here to put the art before any sum of money. Of course, we have families to provide for but we always strive to put the art first and take a little bit extra time be make sure everything is right for you as the consumer. At the end of the day, we are nothing without our canvases. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
One of my favorite resources would definitely be FIRESIDE NETWORK. They have a YouTube channel as well as a podcast and I personally love their content. The main thing I appreciate about these guys is they ask the same question I do…. Why? I say this because I have an unwavering need to learn not only how to do something but why we do it this way, what makes it work a certain way and why can’t it be done another way. I personally feel the need to challenge everything. I lay in bed at night creating an infinite amount of theories about every tiny detail of the body art process. 

Personally, the most helpful tool has been an app PROCREATE. This is availability for IOS and I believe for the industry today it is a must-have. This has helped unlock my inner artist as well as made life so much fluid for me as an artist. The capabilities of this app to an artist is almost unlimited. I have only began to truly understand a small portion of the abilities this app has to offer to me as an artist but it has completely changed the way I operate and suggest into any artist tattoo or not. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/limitlessink2020
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/limitlessinktattoostudio 

Image Credits
https://painlesstattoo.co