12 Unexpected Things About Being A Tattoo Artist

Welcome to Tattoo Confidential, a new Cracked series where we talk to tattoo artists to get an inkling of what it’s like to work within the profession. 

We chatted with Xiaoling Li, also known as Kodsuno, about her incredible work as a tattooer, as well as common misconceptions people have about the profession. 

The New York City-based tattooer prefers not to use the term “artist” to describe herself because in Chinese "we don't use the word ‘artist’ as lightly as people use it in English. If someone calls themselves an artist, ‘艺术家’ on their social media, it sounds really narcissistic to me." She adds that the word needs to be earned, “If we say someone is an artist, they should be someone accomplished and known in the industry, like James Jean, Takato Yamamoto, or Alphonse Mucha."

She’s only been tattooing since April 2021, but her illustration background and extreme dedication to the craft make her an exceptional talent. Despite being fresh on the scene, she’s already cynical about the industry. “Tattooing seems like a ‘dream job’ where people earn money with their art and get mad respect,” she says. “Plus, on social media, it’s promoted that you can be whoever you want and everyone is special and everyone is boss. But that’s dumb. Because with that thought, people feel they are already the shit when they are actually just shits.” 

Above all, she holds herself to a high standard within her profession. “All the good tattooers kill themselves working hard and trying to be better every day,” Li says. “And I strive to be closer to their level.”