We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Juan Cordova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Juan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I was tattooing in my free time while working at the post office full time. I did that for a few years i always knew if i wanted to really show improvement in my skill set, I would have to quit the post office and work on my craft full time. It was always a move i was scared to make. The post office was a safe bet for me, a full time well paying government union job. On the other hand tattooing is what i grew to love doing i wanted to spend as much time as i could doing exactly that. After a few years when i started to take tattooing more seriously i worked both jobs full time for three months. It took such a troll on me mentally and psychically. I was so scared to make the jump on leaving the post office but, i realized i was able to make more doing what i loved then i was at the post office. So i decided to finally leave and give all my time to tattooing, It’s a decision i am glad i made. Are there times i wonder if i made the right choice Yeah I definitely do but, i love how far i have come in my career so far. I honestly believe i owed it to myself to pursue my dreams, I firmly believe everyone owes it to themselves to follow their dreams. Its a risk i took and I do not regret it at all.

Juan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Juan Cordova but i go by Tokyo. I’ve always like to draw since high school It’s definitely something i stuck to doing as a form to clear my mind and escape from reality. One day i posted a drawing i did on Instagram and asked for feedback. Little did i know just by doing that it would provide me with an opportunity to make a living doing what i love. After i posted the picture i received a comment on that post, the comment was from a person who i now consider big brother Dominic Garcia. He basically told me he had his own shop and would provide me with the environment and knowledge i need to make money doing what i love. I reached back out to him and long behold took the opportunity i was blessed to get little did i know how life changing it would be for me. This is how i got my foot in the door to learn how to tattoo. I always treat my clients with the same respect i would want someone to treat my loved ones. I do my best to always try and go above and beyond and give my clients what they envision for what they’re looking to get done. I definitely spend my time trying to research what they’re getting so i can give them the best possible tattoo i can. I love what i do sometimes it’s just something spontaneous for friends to get, and sometimes it’s something deep like a memorial piece. It brings me great joy when i see how happy these people leave happy with their new art. I think what sets me apart is i am not afraid to get out of my comfort zone. I am also always willing to come in early, stay late, and come in on my days off to work on my craft. I am definitely proud of how much my work has progressed as an artist , i am also looking to try and further myself in my craft. I will always try to go above and beyond for my clients no matter how small or big the tattoo may be.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

i firmly believe you do not necessarily need to buy art to support an artist. I feel support can come in the form of simply sharing the artist art work. A share can go a long way and can draw potential future clients , its something that can easily be seen by people who you may not have direct access to. Even people that live in a whole different area word of mouth also goes along way as well. So i believe if you follow an artist/creators who work you enjoy seeing just simply doing that, it can help out a lot especially if it’s someone who is first starting off trying to make a name. You can also let said person know you enjoy their work and complement it. Oftentimes that is overlooked it may not seen like much to someone but, that could make their whole day. As an artist myself getting positive feedback always makes me feel good about my work and drives me to do better.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist for me is i am able to do what i love for a living. Oftentimes I was able to bring my clients idea to life and go above and beyond what they even expected. I’ve done memorial tattoos for people who’s loved ones passed away, covered scars, and even just a fun memory with friends. Being a part of that moment brings me joy to see how much of an impact a tattoo i did for them can be. Seeing the smile on their faces or just how much relief it brings them is probably thee most rewarding thing for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tokyo94tattoos
• Facebook: Juan MrChicano Cordova
• Other: snapchat; tokyo1994 email; tokyo94tatt2@gmail.com

Image Credits
Emily Kellison (photo of me tattooing)