Teresa Andrews is a tattooer at Venom Ink in the very southern end on Maine.in the city of Sanford (home of famed drumstick maker Vic Firth). Teresa is a great artist and tattooer in a shop full of great tattooers who, like all of us, are stuck spending a lot of time at home in these socially distant times. We were lucky enough to catch up with Teresa and interview her at her home over Zoom and see how she's been spending her days. This is a series of interview videos so don't forget to check out the rest. Let us know what you think and drop a comment and hit the thumbs up.
Teresa Andrews is a tattooer at Venom Ink in the very southern end on Maine.in the city of Sanford (home of famed drumstick maker Vic Firth). Teresa is a great artist and tattooer in a shop full of great tattooers who, like all of us, are stuck spending a lot of time at home in these socially distant times. We were lucky enough to catch up with Teresa and interview her at her home over Zoom and see how she's been spending her days. This is a series of interview videos so don't forget to check out the rest. Let us know what you think and drop a comment and hit the thumbs up.
Hi and welcome to under our skin podcasts. We're here today with Theresa Andrews from Venom Ink in Sanford, Maine. So How you doing today, Teresa?
Teresa Andrews :
Hi. Doing good. How are you?
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Okay complain too much. Nice things going for you up in Maine.
Teresa Andrews :
Slow and steady. We're all just, we're just waiting. You know, everybody's just on standby. It feels like
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
has Maine been affected really by this Coronavirus? I mean, I know you're kind of more sparsely populated state than then some places, right?
Teresa Andrews :
I don't know anybody who has it. I don't know anybody who's gone through it yet. And from numbers and stuff like that, it seems as though there's not much going up here yet. We still are the last ones to open up. So it it's very contradictory as to why and, you know, we're just confused, more or less you know, what places are open. And then here we are, we're safe, working shop and route open. So
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
that must be a little frustrating when, in a situation where now when you when you don't know anyone and you don't see anyone directly around you that's getting it, it makes it seem a it makes it seem kind of like far off like it's not really that real in your, you know, in your reality.
Teresa Andrews :
Right. In my immediate reality it doesn't seem, you know, like, it just seems very, I don't know, sheepish in a way, you know, I guess we're just being herded it in a way, you know, and we're almost like we're following different states but we're not at the same time. You know, our governor is just doing her own thing. And it's hard to understand why she's doing what she's doing and other states are opening but, you know, we seem to be the last yet we have probably the least amount of cases andyou know,strange politics
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Yeah, it's funny funny how things work sometimes. I guess. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel in Maine? Like, as as of the date that we're taping this now? A lot of states have have reopened to varying degrees. Some states are allowing tattooing again. Some are not yet including Maine. Is there? Is there any tentative date set? Are you guys totally in the dark?
Teresa Andrews :
Our tentative date is July 1.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Wow. That's that's pretty far off.
Teresa Andrews :
Yeah. Yeah. When New Hampshire opening, I believe it'sJune 15. Possibly that there'll be opening and so we're kind of hoping that will follow suit with that and be able to come back sooner and see Hampshire but it's still unclear as to what's going to be happening and everybody's, you know, even nail salons and hair salons are kind of, you know, not really, we're all very unsure. It's very unsure. Now. It's it's a waiting Because you wait till the day that you're supposed to open, and then something changes and get pushed out again, you know, not really bidding on anything being exactly as It's said to be anymore.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Sure, sure. I think though the way stuff has been going for all around the country during this this situation is that everything is unknown and things have the dates are set and they change and everything is so is so fluid. It's the can't really peg anything down, you know? Definitely.
Teresa Andrews :
Right. It's scary, you know, not a, you know, if you're not prepared or people that are not prepared for situations like this, you know, and that are trying to do things that sell art and whatnot. It's it's great that that's happening and people are supporting, but it's also a reality check. It's a huge reality check.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Yeah, the reality of that the tattoo industry is not an industry to be slammed to a grinding halt. Right, right. Then it's hard for you guys as artists to, to support yourselves right? to stay in.
Teresa Andrews :
Right
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
in whatever to keep the to bring home the bacon when when you're not working.
Teresa Andrews :
Right, right. Yeah, it'sno, I mean, it makes you think twice of what happens so they bear what happened. You know what we have to pick up a second career would we have to, you know, like, how do we we take on something that would just be part time like, somewhere else? I mean, I don't know, it proposes a lot of questions. Definitely stuff that I've thought about for sure.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
I know a lot of artists have been, you know, taking Commission's or, or just or you know, selling, selling artwork or, you know, doing art related things. And have you been doing anything like that in this situation?
Teresa Andrews :
Yeah, um, I've definitely been designing a lot of things for some people and taking out some commissions for dog portraits and so forth. Now kind of getting into my own little thing. You know, it's been a long time since I've Unable to pay and create an actual physical piece of wire versus a digital piece of art. And it's nice, it's nice, you know, you finally get a little bit of breathing time and you're like, Oh, this is great, you know, then a couple weeks later you're like, Okay,
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
in theory for a lot of tattooers it's it's almost like a dream come true in a way to have time to work on your own stuff. You don't have to work on, you know, the piece you're doing today or next week or whatever. And, you know, you can work on your own art. And, you know, do your own thing. But I you know, I've spoken with a lot of artists who say they're just not able to, you know, even get the inspiration or just get the oomph to get going. When you're just sitting home all the time. And is that something that you've run into at all?
Teresa Andrews :
Oh, yeah. Yeah, big time. I mean, the first couple of weeks just binge watching you know, like certain things here and there and kind of enjoying the freelance of doing nothing for once you know, just completely a stay at home vacation or most, you know, To get back to your own core, you know, to understand, you know, like, okay, what's going on around me and you try to stay into it, you know, you start designing things on on the whim, you know, and then it kind of gets boring after a while because you're like, Okay, well, I want to do something else. So you start doing housework or you start gardening or you start, you know, something else. And then you then you're like, Okay, well, I'm done with this. Now what you know, and you just can't find like that, that point, you know, or you just you don't know what to do.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Not a good thing to have so much free time. It's, it's weird. It's, you know, double edged sword. For sure. Do you think when when you get a set in stone date, you think you guys are gonna go right at it. You say, Well, we can open July 1, and we're going to be open that day or you think you're still gonna
Teresa Andrews :
we all have pre booked appointments, you know? So we're just constantly rebooking people, putting them you know, as soon as we can get him back in back in. Yeah, so anybody who has initially been sitting scheduled, you know, three months or six months ago for July 1, you know, they're just luck of the draw. And hopefully, I mean, if COVID effect them to where they don't have the extra change anymore, or they lost their job or something like that there's gonna be a lot of open holes. You know, we're not going to really now do we start calling people once we find out that the day is a true date, to be able to know it's gonna be a little wishy washy, you know, but there's a lot of people that are trying to get in, you know, and just wanting to get tattooed because they got their stimulus check and
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Well, what's better than a stimulus check or your income tax rebate or whatever, then to get tattooed. Right?
Teresa Andrews :
Right, right. It's not a bad thing. But yeah, it's gonna be crazy. I think we're gonna all be working a little bit of overtime, you know, for short it because we feel bad. I feel like a like a jerk when I have to rebook somebody and and put them you know, back into fall or winter or something, you know, and I feel it's it's unfair, but same time, what else can I do?
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Not sure if there's any circumstances That, you know, you don't, you don't really need to make an excuse for yourself for this would probably be it.
Teresa Andrews :
Right, right. I mean, I really want to go back to work we all do
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
along lines, what you're just saying, is there a concern that a lot of people are going to not have the money to, to get tattoos after not working for 2, 3, 4 months, whatever it is for different people that even even though the desire is there to do it, you know, the money's just not there.
Teresa Andrews :
Right? Um, probably, I mean, I have gotten a few emails from people that have already been pre booked, you know, letting me know, hey, I lost my job. I don't think I'll be able to make my appointment. You know, and hopefully I get a lot of people letting me know ahead of time, you know, and stuff. Yeah, a little bit later. But so far, we've been lucky enough to, you know, be getting, you know, some conversations from some people, but you never know. I mean, some people are just irresponsible with money and probably shouldn't be getting tattooed. But same time, you know, yeah. So I don't know. No, that'd be nice though. I think having like a break here and there even if some people don't can't make their appointment that we'll be able to have some holes in how to not have to go straight into it and go balls to the wall. And it might actually work in our favor.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Are you worried about any kind of learning curve kind of going back or like, you know, being rusty going back? This is probably the longest you have been tattooed in a long time, right? Or ever.
Teresa Andrews :
They Yeah, since I started Yeah, this is the longest it's probably gonna feel weird holding machine again, you know, like for a slight minute. I mean, I still might be able to pick it up just like I do, you know, the other art projects and so forth. You know, just gives you a second to remember like, okay, yep, this is what I'm doing. Get into the zone. Go into it.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
I my job I'm an electrician in my in my real life. And yes, I have times you know, when I'm off sometimes for periods of time and a lot of times when I go back sometimes I start waking up early for a couple days before I have to go back to get back into the time scheduling. You know, sometimes when I'm out for a while, I feel really. I feel like I haven't done it forever. I feel like I'm just learning how to do it when I go back even though I've been doing it for over 20 years, but I sometimes
Teresa Andrews :
Yeah, well, I mean, I started an art project a couple weeks ago now, that is started and finished and it was with chalk pastel, which is my normal medium of choice if I can, art in anything would be that and just getting that set up and starting with it. I'm like, how how do i do what? My fingers right and i spirit? You know, so it took me like 510 minutes to realize, you know, how we used to do it, how to do it, you know, get back into the vibe of it, but I mean, I don't think ever you know, let's just
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
Like riding on a bike. Just need a minute to get back into it.
Teresa Andrews :
Yeah, yeah.Definitely.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
You know what? I think that's good. For us. I think we kind of covered what we're looking to cover here. Yeah. Thanks a lot, Teresa. I appreciate your time.
Teresa Andrews :
Yeah, no problem.
Keith Under Our Skin Podcast :
And, you know, good luck with your reopening to you and to the rest of the Venom staff. And so thank you so much and take care and good luck in the reopening.