Tell us about your first tattoo apprenticeship. What's something you learned that still rings true for you today?

I was taught how to tattoo by Jim Macairt; he gave me the foundations to begin learning about tattooing. Something he said to me that still rings true today is a question he asked me when he found out I wanted to learn (you have to realise also that I was a frightened and insecure boy so this blew my mind). He said: "What will YOU do for tattooing? You will get so much from it but what will YOU give back?" This is always in my head - how can I give back, how can I make something new and expand on what is already such an expansive wealth of inspiration and creativity.
[...]
In looking at your body of work, it's clear that you find beauty in repetition. Why is this, and where did you draw inspiration from as you developed your personal style?

I love repetition, and I realised its beauty in looking at traditional Japanese tattoos. Everything is the same but slightly different. I found inspiration in nature and I then started looking at the work of William Morris, Christopher Dresser and Ernst Haeckel - the former of which lead to my interest in textile design and repetitive patterns.