Lauren. Tattoo Artist

Lauren is a twenty-two-year-old tattoo artist from Hockley in Essex. She has been in the Tattooing industry for nearly five years.

How did you get into your field? What inspired you?

‘I studied Fashion Buying at University but quickly realised it wasn’t the right choice for me, so that actively motivated me to find out what was. I’d always loved drawing, having done it at GCSE and A level and found myself doing a lot more artwork at uni that wasn’t actually linked to my course. I didn’t have tattoos at the time but artwork I saw and loved online was often from tattooist profiles on Instagram or Pinterest and got me thinking and researching about it as a career. I was living at uni so it wasn’t easy for me to go and visit tattoo studios near my hometown but I started emailing around for advice and whilst some of the replies weren’t the most welcoming, they just spurred me on to find out more information.’

What did you study at school and university and did this help you get into your field?

‘Art had always been my favourite subject. My main A level project actually ended up revolving around tattoos and body art a great deal and probably influenced my journey into tattooing, more than I realise. I guess I thought fashion buying would be a good halfway point between art and other hobbies I enjoyed but the course didn’t have as much of an art influence as I would have liked and definitely pushed me towards finding something artier. I’m grateful that I chose to go to Uni as without those first few months experience, I don’t think I would have ended up in the career I have today.’

Do you recommend any particular studies, courses or degrees for your field?

‘In all honesty, tattooing is about having a passion for what you love doing and keeping yourself motivated to create. The best way to learn is in an apprenticeship and they can be hard to land but so worth the wait and dedication. Make sure to get involved with a studio where you love the work coming out of it and be prepared for what could be a long apprenticeship process but it’s the most valuable way to learn.’

What does an average day look like in your role?

‘I tend to pack my diary out quite full as I love keeping busy. I get to the studio for around 9:30am ready for my first client of the day who’s usually booked in for 10am. Typically this would be about a 2-3 hour appointment and then I’ll have a lunch break before my afternoon client at about 2-3pm. This is only a rough example as everyday is so different. I can have 1 person in for a full day session or 6-7 people in for smaller sittings. I try to only work a couple of late nights in the week, tattooing till about 8 or 9pm, usually I’ll finish about 6pm. Either way, as soon as I’m home I’ll finish off some emails and messages and get on with drawing for other upcoming bookings. Daily drawing has become a habit for me in my job but the variety in what I’m drawing for people keeps my inspiration going.’

What is the best part of your role?

‘The best part of my role is the feeling you get when someone loves your artwork enough to have it on themselves permanently. It’s a pretty overwhelming feeling when you first start out and I would say it’s stuck with me. Also being able to create artwork for people which improves how they see themselves, whether it means covering scars for them or helping decorate an area of their body that they don’t often feel confident about.’

What is the worst part of your role?

‘I do genuinely feel bad that tattoos hurt. I’m not brave when I get tattooed and my clients do amazingly but it doesn’t stop me saying sorry for hurting them.’

How important is work life balance to you and how much spare time do you have?

‘I feel very lucky to have a job where I am self employed and can adjust my hours to suit my social life. I do chose to work long hours and keep busy, it’s something I still need to work on and adjust but seeing as I love going to work and what I do day in, day out, it’s hard to turn down working those extra hours. Having a good work/life balance is very important to me but I think people around me would say I definitely need to put aside more spare time.’

Do you have any hobbies?

‘I love festivals. I always make time for festivals and music events every year and I would say this has taken up a lot of my spare time from work so far. I also joined a dance class last year which was so much fun and made me feel better for having exercise in the week. Besides that, I would say more art, I could happily sit and draw for any extra hours I have but I guess people would say that’s still somewhat linked to working.’

Do you have any advice for people looking to start a career in the same field?

‘Keep drawing. Work on your drawings and present them together in a portfolio. Build your portfolio by trying new drawing techniques and pushing yourself. Instagram is an amazing tool currently for tattooing, with so many videos from artists showing you the processes involved, so definitely find yourself some artists you love. Also make yourself known to the studios and artists you admire, go get tattooed by them and visit their studio to get a proper feel for the industry.’

Have you ever experienced any uncertainties about your career? What did you do to overcome them?

‘Within my career experience personally I definitely had moments at the start where I questioned whether it was the right path for me. This actually resulted in me quitting my first apprenticeship and it was the best decision I’ve made. At the time I hadn’t had the chance to visit any studios and experience the atmosphere before starting as an apprentice, so I didn’t know that studios can differ massively. All three I have now worked in have been so different and I am so pleased to be in the studio I work for now. All those times I felt it wasn’t the right career for me, I now realise it’s just down to the variety in the industry and making sure I’m in the correct environment and studio for me.’

Who is your biggest female inspiration and why?

‘I feel pretty lucky to say that a lot of the key female figures in my life are inspirational to me - women who achieve what they set their mind to and are kind and supportive to others. My mum is my go to and has always embraced my goals with me. I’d also say Elle Woods has always, for me, been a symbol of women challenging stereotypes and proving that you can make a success of whatever you aspire to do. I’m just fortunate that a lot of women I know also do those things and keep me inspired.’