My name is Jeremiah Ward, but I got the nickname Bully Jey during my apprenticeship, and it stuck.
I've been fascinated by tattoos since I was a little boy, but never pursued those interests until my early 20's. I, like many others, did not start tattooing the correct way. In 2003, my roommate at the time, bought a tattoo kit online, gave it to me, and said he wanted a peon (from the video game warcraft) on his ankle. Well, that was it. Off I went without knowing what the hell I was doing. I would say this lasted for 6 maybe 7 months; the more I researched online for tips and tricks, the more I kept coming across terms like scratcher, kitchen magician, or basement butcher. And then came the day I realized that I was one of them. I don't remember the exact day but I remember immediately throwing the entire "kit" away, everything, every damn thing. Not too long after, I started putting a portfolio together of sketches and small paintings, and a separate one for tattoos I had done. I went to the two shops near where I live, and several more a few cities away, hoping to get a foot in the door, with no luck, but got an ear full of valuable advice: get tattooed, draw tattoos. So I did. It wasn't until 2009 that I got lucky. A friend of mine seen my artwork and some of those early "tats" I did, and introduced me to her tattoo artist, Sandee Williams (PussTat) out in Lorain at SpeakEazy Tattooz. She took me in. What followed was the best and worst three years of my life, plenty of drama and heartache, but a blessing so profound I couldn't possibly find the words to describe it.
Well, that's the gist of it. So there you go. Thanx for reading, and may the tattoo gods smile on you.