03/13/2023
To all my friends and customers of Custom Ink (from Dan),
It has been a crazy couple of years at the shop, from trying to avoid complete disasters such as the furnace fire or the roof coming off the building to COVID and the economy desperately seeking to end small businesses. The shop has managed to survive these circumstances, but they have taken quite a toll on me. This is why I decided to pass the torch and sell the shop to Aleigha.
So, with the help of my wife and friends, Aleigha and I set on the journey to fix up the shop and for her to take over. This has been a challenging transition. Working full-time, as well as renovating the storefront, was an exhausting period of time. So, I decided at that time that I would take off a couple of months and then return part-time to tattooing.
I tried to return to tattooing only to find I am not prepared mentally to tattoo at this time. It is a great thing to see Aleigha have so much success right out of the gate and the shop still moving forward, but it is very hard for me to let go of. Custom Ink represents a large part of my life, and I consider a lot of you my closest friends and family. It has not been kept a secret from anybody that this was coming and I am not saying that I am completely done. After talking with Aleigha, I have decided, for right now, I am not returning to the tattoo parlor. I do not have a scheduled return date.
I know this is not very convenient for those who have work that I have yet to finish. I do not expect anyone to wait for my return to work on their tattoos. I will let you know that Aleigha is very busy. If you would like to work with her, show her some patience, as this puts a lot on her back. I have decided to focus more on my woodworking in the immediate future. I am going to take this time and work on the start of my new business. This is a chance for me to try and find the love I once had for tattooing again. Those of you who are my friends do not have to be strangers, and I will still come to the shop for visits. It is just something that I need to do for my own well-being. Thank you, everybody, for your understanding.
Dan