Since he was young, Scott Day was immersed in drawing, painting and artistic expression. He would spend time watching his heavily tattooed father sit through sessions at various shops, absorbing the culture without imagining himself on the other side of the needle.

Day fell in love with painting and drawing while attending Rochelle School of Arts in Lakeland, Florida, but never considered being a tattoo artist. After graduating high school, he joined the Air Force and for a time thought he would spend his entire career in the military. But life had different plans.

“I liked getting tattoos,” Day said. “That’s why I started tattooing myself. It kind of just went from myself to friends wanting tattoos to friends of friends.”

That work kept Day busy as he drew and designed, keeping him so absorbed that he was unable to do his full-time job selling cars at the time. In June 2023, Day took the first steps into entrepreneurship, setting out to make his mark on the world.

The decision came together quickly when a friend offered him a space to rent. Day hadn’t committed to any action until that conversation made it real.

“I guess I just wanted a place to do what I loved doing,” Day said. “I wasn’t going around and asking shops or anything if they needed someone. I just was doing a lot of research on self-employment and owning your own business. It’s an environment that you can create yourself and it represents you and no one else.”

Within a week, Day got his certificates and everything he needed to start his own tattoo parlor, which he dubbed Day Tattoo. He gave his previous job two weeks’ notice and got to work.

Day knew he had the ability and passion to pursue his artistic endeavors, but it was the support of other tattoo artists in town that helped instill a higher level of confidence in him.

“There’s great artists in town,” Day said. “All of them have talent. A few of them wanted to meet and discuss opportunities and things like that and go over my skills.”

But it wasn’t just the support of other tattooers and creatives in the area but Day’s family, friends and clients.

“I can’t do it without the clients,” Day said. “I’m grateful that there were people that were like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m definitely getting tattoos from you.’ That also gave me confidence.”

Day says it’s the intimate, comfortable and clean environment that sets him apart from other shops, along with the positive vibe he tries to cultivate.

“I like to be more private,” Day said. “There is only one client in there at a time. There’s not any other artists, it’s a one-man show.”

From bold line to fine line, Day says he encompasses all styles, capable of traditional, realism and other forms of tattooing. He draws inspiration from shows like “Ink Master” and the millions of inspiring pieces of art and tattoos on sites like Instagram and Pinterest. Day absorbs everything, gleaning new perspectives and admiring the variety of impressive work from artists halfway across the world.

For Day, it’s the dedication of the people he interacts with paired with his love and connection to the community that keeps him successful in the Gate City.

“I don’t know what it is about tattooing, but when I’m doing it, I love it,” Day said. “Having to focus and concentrate, making people feel better about themselves. It’s super awesome when someone gets up and looks at their piece and they’re very happy with it. You can tell that they’ve got a little bit more confidence. That’s what keeps me going with the tattooing, just seeing the joy in people.”

Day acknowledges that success in the tattoo industry requires both technical skill and community connection, understanding the balancing act between relationship building and expertise.

“It’s a mixture of both,” Day said. “You need to have some talent to actually tattoo safely and have knowledge of it. Then you also have to know the people and be in an area where people know you. I’m not the best tattoo artist in the world by any means, but I’m glad I have the people who trust me to do it and know that I would give them my best. That’s all they want and that’s what I will deliver.”

In a city with numerous talented tattoo artists, Day has carved out his niche by being attentive, passionate and by caring about something that is deeper than surface level. Much like the art he inks onto the skin of his clients, Day’s work is multifaceted and full of complex layers.

For more information or to book an appointment at Day Tattoo, visit daytattoo.com or stop into his shop located at 403 S. Fifth Ave. in Pocatello from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

You contact Day via social media on Facebook at facebook.com/scott.day.56211497.