Nagtatrabaho bilang kusinero sa barko at tattoo artist sa Estados Unidos si Ryan Ocampo noong magdesisyon siyang lumipat ng Melbourne nang maging permanent resident ang kasintahan niya.
"When I arrived in Australia, I decided to concentrate on one career. I studied and worked as a cook because I wanted to have my own food business in the Philippines. But I decided to focus solely on tattooing and that still led me to having my own business," saad ni Ryan.
Ryan was a cook in the US before moving to Melbourne for his girlfriend. Source: Ryan Ocampo
Mula sa mga kalsada ng Maynila
Ayon kay Ryan, kalahati ng buhay niya ang nilaan niya sa pagtatatu.
"I was 13 years old when I first learned tattooing and that's also when I got my first tattoo. I'm 26 years old now. It was just me and my friends practicing on each other. I never stopped tattooing since I started, but I didn't expect it to eventually be my full-time job," aniya.
Kinakailangan ng pag-aaral upang mas mapabuti ang pagiging tattoo artist; ngunit ayon din kay Ryan, "experience is still the most important way".
"I never stopped tattooing since I started, but I didn't expect it to eventually be my full-time job." Source: Ryan Ocampo
At pagdating sa karanasan, nagkaroon ng mas malalim na pagkakaintindi sa pagtatatu sa Australya noong siya'y nagtrabaho para sa isang Melbourne tattoo shop at noong magdesisyon siyang magbukas ng sarili niyang negosyo.
"I posted my work online and there were shops that called me to work for them. I worked for a shop for six months, but that didn't work out. I decided to go solo. I got my registration, renovated my garage and turned it into a shop," pag-amin ni Ryan.
Ryan turned his garage into a tattoo shop. Source: Ryan Ocampo
Isang negosyante at guro
Mula sa kanyang home-based business, nakilala si Ryan bilang tattoo artist at nagkaroon siya ng oportunidad na lumipat sa isang tattoo shop sa Reservoir na nagsara.
"I was able to bring back the tattoo shop to life. We're open to doing different designs and I continuously study different styles of tattooing; but my signature style is still gangster designs - the theme I started with and the tattoos I learned from the streets," aniya.
Habang nagkaroon ng oportunidad si Ryan na matuto ng pagtatatu sa mga kalsada ng Maynila. binibigyan naman niya ng pagkakataon na matuto ang iba pang mga malikhain na matuto ng sining na ito mula sa kanyang shop.
From working in his garage, Ryan decided to take on the lease of a tattoo shop that closed down. Source: Ryan Ocampo
"I'm able to give opportunities to other artists, especially those from the Philippines, to be able to do tattoos. Actually, I was able to sponsor a tattoo artist from the Philippines to work for me. He's on a working visa. I've had quite a number of Filipino artists I've mentored. They started with me and I helped them figure out if this is the kind of work they want to be involved with."
Permanente ang tatooo, kaya ayon kay Ryan, kinakailangan muna dumaan sa ilang buwang pag-oobserba at pagsasanay sa practice skin ang kanyang mga tinuturuan bago sila makapagtatu sa mga kliyente.
Ryan with the tattoo artist he sponsored from the Philippines Source: Ryan Ocampo
"Unlike drawing on paper, you can't just erase a tattoo; so you have to be able to focus and you have to be detail-oriented. You can't take anything for granted. That's what I always tell people I mentor," saad ni Ryan.
Mas lalo pang tumibay ang pagmamahal ni Ryan para sa napili niyang sining noong siya'y maging guro sa iba pang mga malikhain sa Australya.
"Back in the Philippines, some still discriminate people with tattoos; but here in Australia, more people understand the value of the work and the skill of the artist. That's why I tell the people I mentor to focus not only on earning, but to continue on the path with humility and with the goal of learning and experiencing more."
A tattoo artist since the age of 13, Ryan shares that he believes in constant improvement through research and experience. Source: Ryan Ocampo
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
