Nick Masolijn
tattoo artist in Eindhoven

From the start I knew mostly what kind of shop I did not want. I have no time for posturing, needless rules, or an atmosphere where the tattooist puts himself above the client.

Working professionally and hygienically comes first, and I make no concessions there. But that does not mean a tattoo shop has to be a distant place.

Brought someone with you? Grab a chair. Want coffee? Get coffee. Join in, crack a joke, make yourself comfortable. As long as I can work safely, I think a relaxed atmosphere matters. We are just people. And honestly, I found something here I had never found before: a place where I feel at home.

Technically good work is the baseline. But you are probably looking for more than someone who can only tattoo well.

You want someone who is honest with you, who thinks it through with you, who charges a fair price. Someone who says when something is possible, but also when an idea is not going to work. And if you are in someone's chair for three or six hours, you want to feel comfortable.

If you walk out after an appointment feeling you have finally found your regular place, then I have achieved what I set out to do.

An appointment with me is really an appointment. I do not cancel easily and I think you should know what you are getting. If you recommend me to a friend, you are passing on a piece of your trust. I want that friend to understand afterwards why you sent them.

I know I can come across as fairly intimidating if you have never spoken to me. Maybe not immediately the person you tell half your life story to five minutes later.

As soon as we talk you usually notice there is another side behind that. I like listening and I do not judge people quickly. I have been through enough myself to know you never see the whole story from the outside.

Growing up I often heard I would not amount to anything. Hear that often enough and it does something to you. You start looking for recognition from others, while in the end I was mostly looking for recognition from myself.

When clients started coming back and people began recommending me, something changed. It was not only that my business was running. It was also: I built this myself, I can do this, and what I do has value. That is why Tattoo Nixxx means more to me than just my work.

Sitting still has never been my strong suit. Making and creating runs through everything I do. I sprayed cars for years and still enjoy it, along with decorative finishes, from marble and stone effects to entirely different projects.

Beyond that I ride a Harley-Davidson, train Brazilian jiu-jitsu and do a lot of sport. I live consciously, drink no alcohol and use no drugs. And when I want out of that busy world for a moment, you will find me by the water fishing for pike.

But the most important part of my life is simply at home. My girlfriend and I have been together since 2007. She has been there for nearly all of it, from the period when I lost my job to the family we have built together.

If there is one thing I want you to know about me before you walk in, it is this: with me you do not have to be anyone other than yourself. I do not care who you are, how you look, or what anyone else thinks of you.

The same goes for the tattoo you want. Maybe you have carried a story with you for years. Maybe you want something nobody else understands. Or maybe you just think an image looks great. All fine. It is your body, you are the one wearing it.

And if you come in with work from another tattooist that you are not happy with, my door is just as open. I am not going to tell you what you should have done differently back then. We simply look at what is possible now.

Whether it becomes your first tattoo or your twentieth, your own design or a cover-up: you are welcome.