We were lucky to catch up with Milton Holbrook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Milton , thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I hope to heal, inspire and help people transcend with art whether it be enduring a long tattoo project, displaying a painting in their home, or hearing the divine tones of the sitar. Since I was young I used art for my own sanity and emotional balance but over the years I have learned to heal and inspire myself and others simultaneously. Visual art, deep meditative tattoo sessions, music, and the conversations during, are amazing tools for deep metaphysical exchange.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been a visual artist since I was a child and a musician since I was a teenager. I’ve been a full time tattoo artist for thirteen years and have been playing sitar for the past for four. (Student of Indrajit Banerjee). This year, I opened a new appointment-only studio in beautiful Cibolo, Texas, just outside of San Antonio. My new studio is located in a historic house built in 1922, completely renovated and dedicated to tattooing. For a deep and enriching tattoo experience it’s important that my shop is peaceful. The scenic nature, transcendent decor, and the smell of incense all manifest a peaceful, relaxed, and focused space. I specialize in realistic and surreal custom tattoos. I love tattooing flowers, portraits, eyes, sacred geometry, animals and so much more. Before tattooing a client, I always have a consultation. During this time, we flush out and discuss all of their inner most creative ideas and inspiration, as well as the best sizing and body placement. It’s important to me that a tattoo is fluent with someone’s energy and character. A tattoo should look like it has always been on a person’s body, we just uncovered it. From my experiences in life and with clients, you always earn your tattoo internally before you do externally. Tattoos are a beautiful expression and a daily visual altar of your inner most passions.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Over the years, I have learned to let go of control and flow with the process. Everything cannot be worked out before the tattoo. If a client can trust the process with me, the details of the piece will reveal itself as we work together. Of course there is some planning involved, but I am so much more present while creating art. If I trust the process, and myself, I can give the work what it needs all while being sensitive to the needs of others. This approach leads to an empowering experience for all involved.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Tattooing, like all industries, fluctuates in how busy it can be. When business is slow, the cost of supplies, studio rent, home mortgage, and all the other bills in life are still due, and it can be really stressful.
During the Covid shutdown, my studio was closed for two months. During that time I still had to keep up my studio and personal bills. It was another lesson in releasing control and trusting myself.
I was challenged again at the end of 2022 when the lease was up on my old shop and it was time to try and find my dream studio location. Even though money was still a concern, I had to make this definitive transition. I have always cash flowed my business, and borrowing money was out of my comfort zone, but at this point I had to try something new if I was going to survive and grow as a business. Luckily, I was able to get a loan through a local organization called the Liftfund and Square. These two loans helped me finance renovations to my new studio. The new studio has been such an amazing and rejuvenating upgrade in all aspects. The process has taught me to be open to all possibilities and trust that I will find the answers to any problem. It has also helped me change the way I relate to money. A new, beautiful studio that represents what I want to offer as an artist, is worth a little financial discomfort.
Nowadays when tattooing is a little slow, I can focus on my oil painting commissions and have time to play more music. All of which lead to personal and financial balance. Tattooing is my main source of income, but I am just as passionate about these other mediums that can not only help a little financially but are also endless in their nourishment to my spirit’s purpose. It is not easy, I still feel the discomfort of slow times, but now I view it as an opportunity to nourish all the different sides of myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.SanAntonioRoseTattoo.com
- Instagram: @sanantoniorosetattoo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002453096179&mibextid=LQQJ4d