Customer Calls Being A Tattoo Artist A Hobby And Expects A Free Tattoo, Gets Put In Place 2026

Nothing is free in this world.

Even things that you see being advertised as free have some sort of gimmick attached to them. They might have a lot of shipping fees or the company might be trying to hook in new customers, whatever the gimmick might be, it always ends up in a monetary loss for the customer. Well, I call it a loss but the thing is that no service or product is completely free and that is just how the world works. I understand that paying exorbitant amount for things that you don’t necessarily need is not a joyous experience but it is what it is.

However, this simple fact is not understood by everyone and that is where choosing beggars come in. They think that some jobs are not actual jobs and people only do them for hobbies. You know the old saying ‘If you turn your hobby into a job then you basically don’t work a day in your life.’ Well, I used to think that way and I did exactly that but let me tell you it is never as fun as it sounds and the pressure of work gets to you after a few months and sometimes this can lead you to hate the hobby of yours that got you the job in the first place. But we still need to do it because the world sadly runs on money.

This customer could not understand that though and they thus wanted a free tattoo. As you can imagine, the tattoo artist was not happy with this. Scroll below to read the full story for yourself.

Source: Reddit

Right from the start, the conversation just seems weird.

Lost them at money? If they can’t pay for it, simply don’t get a tattoo. It really is as simple as that.

Enjoying something doesn’t mean you have to give it away for free.

Whether it is for a child or for themselves doesn’t even matter.

This person is an actual idiot in my opinion.

Do they really think that being a tattoo artist is not a real job?

What did this person think would happen? Did they think that the tattoo artist would give them a tattoo for free after this person was rude to them? I honestly don’t understand the goal here. I would call them naive but honestly, they seem like a complete idiot to me. Even I wish that tattoos were cheaper to get but that is not how it works and the ink is going to be on your body for life so it is better to spend some money for peace of mind.

Maybe, they did want that confirmation.

Honestly, I would have done the same.

And it always surprises me with this sort of stupidity.

Some people only want to pay you in exposure.

That might be it.

See how dumb that sounds?

I hate when people say it is just a hobby!

It’s insulting though. These people trying to barter certainly don’t go into their supermarket or travel agent and try to get the price down. It’s ok if people cancel last minute, or fail to turn up, as they think we can just do some drawings to fill our time when we should be earning money. In the last couple of years, there’s been a rise in entitled, over-bearing, and spoilt attitudes from a certain minority that think the sun revolves around them… when it doesn’t! It shines out your tattooist’s butt!

Many see freelancers, particularly in the creative sector, as hobbyists and believe they can get away with ‘paying’ in exposure. They leverage their audience size, their brand name, or the allure of gaining recognition. This is why services in exchange for exposure is commonplace in glamourous sectors such as fashion, music, and film. From a freelancer’s point of view, they are often told that working for exposure is a rite of passage or an essential part of building a portfolio by their teachers, college professors, and peers. This has created a culture of exploitation that we must address at both ends. –David McKinlay (Tattoo Artist)

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I can only hope that people understand this simple concept.

Who needs money anyway?

Any type of creative career understands this interaction.

That is just not how it works in the real world.

Groceries can’t be bought with experience or exposure.

Simple as that.

What are your thoughts on this choosing beggar? Have you ever had to deal with such a person? If so, what did you do? Comment down below and let us know. Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends so they can join in the discussion as well.