Dean Fleishman: How Japanese Tattoos Help Overcome Imposter Syndrome
In the tattoo industry, where new names and styles emerge daily, discussions about doubts and insecurities sound particularly sobering. It is precisely about this – about imposter syndrome, which doesn’t let go even after ten years of practice – that Dean Fleishman, a tattoo artist and visual artist from the University Heights neighborhood in San Diego, California, talks about. His specialization is large-scale works in the Japanese style, and it is this choice that he calls not just aesthetic, but almost therapeutic.
Fleishman honestly admits that he hasn’t “conquered” imposter syndrome, but has learned to live with it. Every trip to a convention or guest spot, every scroll through a feed with others’ perfect works, reawakens in him the feeling that someone else is doing everything better. According to him, social media has turned comparison into a constant background: we continuously measure ourselves against others, and for many, this is not motivation, but a source of anxiety and dissatisfaction. The key conclusion he has reached is simple: the only real competitor is yourself from yesterday.
Why the Japanese Irezumi Style
In the last few years, Dean has consciously narrowed his focus to the Japanese tradition. He is attracted not only by the subject matter itself but also by how these images “work” with the body. Dragons, warriors, spirits, and ghosts, combined with flowers, water, fire, and wind, carry eternal stories of resilience, redemption, and rebirth. Such compositions are well-read both up close and from afar, and they age gracefully over time – another argument in favor of a style that is designed for years, not just a season.
An important detail that the artist emphasizes is that Japanese tattoos are designed as a system that grows with the client. A half-sleeve can become a full sleeve, a back piece can flow onto the legs. This makes an order not a one-time event, but a long-term process where each new part logically continues the previous one.
Three Qualities That Truly Move You Forward
If we were to distill all the skills down to the three main ones, Fleishman highlights the following:
- An open mind and the rejection of obsessive perfectionism. Each work is a step towards the next, not a final verdict. Striving for perfection is normal, but it shouldn’t take away the pleasure of the process itself.
- Stable work habits. Inspiration isn’t turned on and off like a faucet, so routine daily drawing practice and constant reference study save the day. Social media only shows victories, hiding hours of failures, and this distorts the picture.
- Environment and community. The right people around – colleagues, clients, like-minded individuals – can completely change your trajectory. Honesty and openness attract those you want to work with, not those you have to “sell” to.
The Ideal Client and Boundaries of Trust
When asked about the “hated” types of tattoos, Dean replies that there are none: he loves working in all styles and is grateful for the opportunity to “draw on people and create magic.” However, there is a type of client that is tiring – one who doesn’t trust the process and tries to micromanage every stroke. He uses the analogy of building a house: you can give the contractor all your wishes, but they hold the hammer, and at some point, you have to let go of control.
At the same time, the artist emphasizes that he works in customer service and is willing to consider almost any idea within reasonable limits. If a task falls outside his expertise, he will honestly refer the client to a more suitable artist. Trust here is two-way: the client trusts the artist in their work, and the artist trusts the client in preparing for the session and caring for the fresh tattoo.
For those choosing between different traditions, it’s useful to remember: Japanese irezumi is not just a collection of dragons and waves, but a philosophy of a holistic image that is built over years. If you have found a master to whom you are willing to entrust this journey, the result will justify both the time and the patience. Large-scale works are not for the faint of heart, but they are precisely what turn the body into a complete, living story.