In this episode, tattoo artist and winner of Ink Masters season 7, Anthony Michaels, joins host Aaron Della Vedova for a candid conversation about the challenges and rewards of being an artist. They discuss the merging of personal identity with public perception, the importance of staying true to oneself, and the journey of finding the balance between success and maintaining authenticity. Anthony shares his experiences on the show, its impact on his career, and the ongoing process of integrating his true self with the persona created by his victory. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the intersection of art, fame, and personal growth.   Chat Breakdown:   00:00:00 Technology and art merge naturally. 00:07:18 Reconnecting with our inner child. 00:11:03 Follow your passion and dreams. 00:16:37 The power of tattooing. 00:24:39 Ink Master is a humbling experience. 00:25:58 Challenge of staying true to oneself. 00:32:08 Letting go of identity expectations. 00:40:26 Lost balance in pursuit of success. 00:43:02 Importance of self-care and reflection. 00:51:18 Self-forgiveness is necessary for growth. 00:53:48 Forgive yourself and keep evolving. 01:01:47 Embrace discomfort for personal growth. 01:07:45 Growth requires letting go. 01:13:43 Tattoo industry losing human connection. 01:16:00 Human connection is irreplaceable. The timestamp in the podcast where it starts to discuss the merging of man and machine in tattooing is 01:21:04. The merging of man and machine in tattooing. 01:26:00 AI can enhance creativity responsibly. 01:31:26 Stay true to yourself. 01:38:22 Authenticity leads to personal growth.   Quotes: "Do I think it can do mass destruction? Fuck yeah." "Art started for me as a child. I had trouble speaking, and I was able to show up, even though not verbally, I was able to show up through art." "I can take somebody's emotions, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and physically alter their appearance for the rest of their life." "First, I'd like to sincerely apologize to my therapist, one of my therapists, because he's been trying to get me to stop running from this experience." "The challenge to stay true to myself and not become a TV sensation, that was fucking hard." "Hey, Anthony Michaels, fucking winner season seven. It's like, thank you. But I am, I am not that. That's just something I did." "Because now what they get when I come home to dinner and sit down at the dinner table, whether I hide it or not, is a man who hasn't forgiven himself." "Maybe you didn't realize you were being selfish because your intention was to fix yourself, step back, and let the other things handle themselves, but you built this and then you just, because you were overwhelmed, fucking freaked out. That wasn't your intention. So let that go." "I don't believe that the core of tattooing is gonna be phased out just because of technology and money." "I make fucking mistakes all the time, all the time, but I just, I want to do right." "You can only give others what you have."   Connect with Mike:  IG:https://www.instagram.com/antmikes/ https://www.instagram.com/twenty_five_twelve/   Connect with Aaron:⁠   Website: http://www.chatsandtatts.com⁠ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatsandtatts  IG: http://www.instagram.com/chatsandtatts Chats & Tatts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/chatsandtatts Aaron IG:⁠ http://www.instagram.com/aarondellavedova⁠ Guru Tattoo: http://www.Gurutattoo.com