We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, how do you think about risk?
From a young age I’ve always taken the risks. Hey…….what doesn’t kill ya, makes you stronger! I firmly believe the no risk, no reward motto. Take for instance, when I moved to Durango CO I didn’t know a soul and I had to build my clientele from scratch. Which meant taking on a second job to make ends meet. One month I only made $500 bucks. It was rough. With a strong work ethic, determination, and producing many beautiful pieces my name started flying around! My calendar started filling up and I haven’t had much time since, hahaha! Believe in yourself, work hard, and push yourself to never give up. Failing is part of life. Learning from the failure, getting up, and doing it again until one succeeds is a choice.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love doing a fresh original tattoo, but I feel most accomplished when I do a cover up. This is what I’m known for most. The look on someone’s face when you get rid of something they have hated for years is an amazing feeling. I love the challenge of taking a poorly done tattoo and transforming it into something beautiful. I have a traditional tattooing background however, I tend to lean towards new school and neo traditional styles of tattooing. I started my career in 2006 and it’s been a crazy 16 years in the industry filled with ups and downs. If it’s easy it’s not worth it. Overcoming challenges and hardships is what makes you who you are in this game of life. Hard work and the willingness to do what it takes to overcome any obstacles, like my mother instilled in me, is how I’ve made my success. “Life isn’t fair so pick up your britches and do what it takes to make it” (Lorinda Beckley aka my mom)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m pretty much a homebody nowadays, but my wife and I take motorcycle rides over Highway 550. I enjoy the beautiful scenery, and we like to stop and eat at one of great places in Silverton. I enjoy taking friends to ride along with us and we always make a stop at the worlds highest Harley Davison shop, also in Silverton. I’m always down to stop off at one of the surrounding casinos we have in the four corners area. Then a stroll through historic downtown Durango with all the cool shops and restaurants. And, of course, stopping off at the tattoo shop!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I began. My family has always been my #1 fans from day one. My mother has been a huge influence in my life. She put in the work to raise my siblings and I. I have never seen someone so selfless. She busted here ass to make sure we had what we needed. She always had my back. Even when I made some not so great life choices, haha. My dad went to prison when I was six. Before he was sentenced, he and my uncle went and got tattoos. When they got home, I saw the tattoo, and I was hooked! I said I wanted to be covered in tattoos when I got older. So he definitely gets the credit for my career choice.

Website: Heathentattoo.com

Instagram: @jasonthompson_tattoos

Facebook: Jason Thompson

Image Credits
@jacob_groth

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