Whether we all like to admit it or not, there is an undeniable attraction to tattoo artists, as well as artists in general, by the public. There is an attractive sense of mystery about us, an untouchable quality, something akin to being a rockstar, highly desirable. And as silly as those ideas are (because some of us just juvenile goofballs), that strange perception of artists will persist, most especially inside a tattoo shop.

Despite the fact that us tattoo artists are looked at in such a strange way, I've done my share of slipping up and accidentally dating clients, and guess how many times that's worked out? Here's why.

In the real world, when you meet someone and set up a date (or in our generation when you right-swipe someone on Tinder) you do so having a decent idea of who the person is, but no overwhelming certainty that you'd ever continue dating them. You get real-world signals from people during dates in public settings. You start out hesitant, you get to know a person, you find out if they're a weirdo or not, things progress to friendship (or not even), then to intimacy, and finally you wake up in a daze at 40 with two kids. Things work a little differently when you decide to date your tattoo clients.

For one, the obvious fact is that there are some people who are just out to date a tattoo artist because of his or her social status. We are a rare breed who seem to have some creative success and an interesting lifestyle. And that's where the attraction begins for clients interested in dating artists. Not because of our personalities (or our Tinder profiles), but before they even meets us.

Now, some of us really enjoy this aspect of dating clients, and I think that's awesome. Go for it and have fun. But if you're looking for actual relationships, you're going to have to look elsewhere. Bookstores. Concerts. The gym. Life outside of work.

Because let's get one thing understood. People who are attracted to you because of what you do (instead of who you are) are called groupies. Dating a groupie and carrying out a two year relationship with them doesn't make them any less a groupie, because as soon as a bigger "rock star" comes along, you're out of the picture. That's how groupies operate. They live on the thrill of getting attention by someone they consider influential or out of their league. They aren't concerned with real world issues like children being involved or wrecking lives. They simply want in with the cool club and a possible free ride on your income.

Don't get me wrong, there are lots of quality friendships that come from meetings in a tattoo shop, and those friendships may inevitably lead to relationships once things progress naturally. But that isn't what we're talking about.

You, as a tattoo artist, or concept artist, or a music artist, or whatever else, might definitely give off an intimidating or attractive vibe just from being who you are, but it's a good idea to beware of people who might only see you for those things, and not the real person you are. Call them groupies, call them leeches, call them superficial, call them for some fun, just don't call them genuine dating material.