positive feedback and rejection?

I live in Raleigh NC and I've been looking for an apprenticeship and walking into shops for a little over a year now. I have gotten a lot of positive responses, but unfortunately haven't landed an apprenticeship yet. I think in total I've been to 21 shops/private studios in Raleigh/Durham/Carrboro. While it has been really reassuring that tattoo artists think my portfolio has some merit, it's also been a little disheartening to see that no one from any of the shops I like have any desire for an apprentice. I feel like it's a really hard sell to walk in and ask an artist/owner to suddenly drop everything and give you undivided attention to teach you the trade, even though I would be working for free or paying hundreds/thousands to be there - it feels like a lose/lose deal ! I guess I'm just venting, but if anyone has any artist recs in the area let me know ! I've hit up oak city, raleigh tattoo company, eye heart, golden coils, marie reverie, who knows, sweet roll, dogstar, blackkdogg, 14//17 tattoo, apocalypse girl, triple moon, the studio, welcome tattoo, twin suns, sacred mandala, golden falcon, black hive, aether tattoo, bold house, and tattoo honey with no luck :( but if I've missed any in the area lemme know ! theres gotta be more shops, right?

I've added some of the pieces of my portfolio also for CC, any advice is helpful !