desymbol: This 10 Y.O. Boy Wants To Be A Tattoo Artist When He Grows Up, So He Practices Every Day

When we were kids, most of us wanted to be actors, teachers, firefighters, and astronauts. However, times are changing and some unique aspirations crop up with new generations. This 10-year-old dreams of becoming a tattoo artist (and a special effects makeup artist as well as an actor) when he grows up. And Thomas is definitely working towards achieving his dream.

Thomas’ mother Katie Eklund shared some of the boy’s works on Facebook where they gained traction. Bored Panda reached out to the mother for additional details and she kindly provided some interesting info.

“My son’s name is Thomas Spring but his nickname is Bubba. He is the youngest of 5 siblings,” Katie said, “His father is a musician and drummer for formal metal band Brutal Demise, his mother is a fine art and fantasy photographer and creator of Horns & Halos Photography, and his stepfather is an Engineer who is also a talented artist and has done tattoos in the past.” The woman also revealed that the family is from Muskegon, Michigan.

More info: Instagram

Thomas Spring is a 10 Y.O. boy with a knack for art, especially tattoos

“Thomas always had a pen and paper in hand since he was around 2 or 3 years old learning to write and color,” Katie explained when the boy’s passion began. At first, Thomas was fond of drawing silly faces and animals, but soon he moved on to different subjects. “He started to develop a taste in heavy metal music since his dad is a musician and also covered in tattoos,” the mother talked about the boy’s inspiration.
“Thomas started tracing skulls and anatomically correct hearts, now he free hands and “eyeballs” all of those things, including characters like Pennywise and The Joker, and various DC and Marvel Comics,” she explained. “He loves face painting and turning himself into different characters too, often dressing up as The Joker and using household supplies to create SFX makeup,” Katie revealed some of Thomas’ other artistic passions.

“Along with making comics and face painting, I think tattoos is another way for him to create by also making other people happy,” the mother explained. “He gets inspired from his favorite movies, books, and the music he listens to,” she detailed where the boy draws inspiration for his current art.

Katie revealed that Thomas draws every single day and tries to do so as much as possible. “From the time he wakes up, when waiting for the school bus, on the school bus, and even in class,” she told us. Apparently, the boy’s need to draw and create was so big, he got himself in trouble at school for drawing all over his class assignments and homework. “That’s when he started drawing on himself but his 5th grade teacher this year, Mrs. Green, has encouraged him and supported him tremendously,” Katie revealed that a teacher helps Thomas out with his artistic passion. The mother detailed how it has improved the boy’s life:
“She informed me at parent teacher conferences that he will sometimes draw full murals on his desk with pencil, and she lets him do it to get it out of his system as long as he wipes it off at the end of the day. Ever since then, she has seen an improvement in his concentration and grades. She informed me that students will sometimes pay Thomas for his sketches. One day, he came home from school and said, “Mom can I give you a tattoo?” I agreed. And then we set up a station for him with gel pens and a tip jar, where he charged me 50 cents for each tattoo I got. Then his siblings all wanted one.”

“Thomas has expressed he wants to be one of 3 things when he gets older,” Katie said. It’s either a tattoo artist, a movie/sfx (special effects) makeup artist, or an actor. And the boy’s Instagram page definitely showcases his aspirations as it’s filled with images of his art, including face paint. “Anything that will let him live a life of expression and creativity, he wants to do,” Katie told Bored Panda.
Since the mother posted Thomas’ work on her Facebook page, the support from people has been overwhelming:
“He has had tattoo artists from Canada and Columbia reach out to him and commission him for some pieces. Tattoos By Skinny LLC in PA hired Thomas to create flash sheets for him, and every time someone gets one of Thomas’ tattoos, they will be sending a portion of the tips to him. Salt Water Tattoos in Canada sent out a gift package of merchandise. As well as other lovely people writing him letters saying he is inspiring and that they are artists who wish they were supported and encouraged at a young age like his family has been.”