We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Speer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.
Beth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
The career of a Full-time artist is so romanticized in our culture that there are sayings we all know like “do what you love and the money will follow” or even, my favorite, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”. And, to that last one especially, I call BS. There is work involved in making a profitable business, always, and that work took me about 3 years of focused dedication and business building to be able to make art as a living supporting a family full time. I did that work outside my career as an art educator, on nights, weekends, and in pockets of time.
Sometimes the financial aspect of a career in the arts feels like a dirty topic or the expectation is that one must trade-off an arts career for financial stability. I think my parents cried when I told them I wanted to go to college for art and I hear that from a lot of creatives. We hear often about people who go to college for “basket weaving” then wonder why they can’t get jobs. Well, I know a few “basket weavers”, and I’m here to say, that even basket weavers can make an amazing living when they get their business house in order and focus on creating a profitable business. What I don’t think creatives talk about enough is how having financial stability frees you up to allow for more creativity, experimentation, and focus on the art.
Going from a teacher to tattoo artist/shop owner took planning, work, consistency, risk, and a little luck! It also took building a team of professionals (accountant, tax person, insurance agent, mentors, lawyer), teaming up with other creatives, sharing our gift with others, a client first approach to business, eliminating debt from our lives personally and professionally, and sticking to a business plan, marketing plan, and daily routine over years and years to get to a level of success that provides consistent and predictable income that will build wealth and security for my family as well as allows me to grow creatively.
Beth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Color and whimsy rule my World as a tattooist and artist. Bright color, splashy movement, and pretty blends inspire me and help me create whimsical creatures, scenes, and florals in paintings, drawings, and tattoos but the heart of what I do is listening to people’s stories and ideas and bring them to life in an imaginative way.
Free consultations online or in person are the core of the offerings we do in our tattoo shops. Having a client come in or chatting with them online allows me to get to know them, listen to their ideas, and make really personal and meaningful art that is unique and perfect for them. I love hearing birth stories and how you came up with your babies names. I am honored to bear witness as you share intimate details of how you survived a tough season and work with you to create hope on your skin. I am humbled to tattoo handwriting from a loved one giving you a little comfort with you always. This curiosity, compassion, care, and love for my clients and their journey helps me to create amazing and intimate relationships that foster trust and give the best results, even if it’s just for your tattoo and design process. At the core of what I do is bring client’s thoughts or visions to life.
Watercolor and illustrative tattoos will always have my heart. As an art teacher and children’s book author, it’s just what my hands have had the most time to create and fits the whimsical art style I’m most drawn to creating. I also like to get dark and creepy in a feminine or cute way when possible!
One thing I absolutely LOVE that most artist’s hate is a Laundry list tattoo. A laundry list tattoo is when a client brings in a list of a bunch of ideas but doesn’t know how to get them together into one piece. That creative challenge always inspires me to push myself creatively and to come up with design solutions that fit the client’s personality and vision.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFT’s have been on my mind lately. I think that there are ways that tattoos fit into that conversation and I’d love to incorporate NFT’s in a way that honors the uniqueness of a tattoo and design and also lives on beyond the life of a person’s skin. I think that NFT’s or something similar will be a way to pass on the design rights through generations.. There are a few others pursuing this in our field, and I’m excited to see how NFT’s and the conversation around them continue to change our industry.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I don’t believe in Guru’s but am often drawn to high-control groups, and have had to make a conscious choice to diversify the input I consume. I think you should borrow lessons across disciplines and learn from multiple people at a time so you don’t find yourself turned off from critical thinking. I am always listening to a podcast or audio book, and switch between finance, art, leadership, and business each day. However, there are a few books and podcasts that truly changed the direction of my life.
In finance I follow Dave Ramsey and his team for some financial and debt avoidance lessons. Paying off our first home was the single most rewarding financial experience so far, as it allowed me to start to give in ways I never dreamed before. I also have a financial mentor(s) that I ask questions and learn from. I read Jocko Willink’s books Extreme Ownership and the Dichotomy of Leadership at least once per year and encourage my teams to as well. This way of thinking changed my life and career even before he put it in writing. Even if you are not interested in Military concepts, I wasn’t, if you read these they will change your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: washedashoreink.com
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