We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Hargett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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.

Although it seems like a natural fit for me now, a career as a tattoo artist was not something I had ever imagined for myself, and diving into an apprenticeship in my 30s felt like an intimidating risk at the time. I had taken a slow journey through higher education and wasn’t sure what my next step would be. I was freelancing as an illustrator for a few years to keep my portfolio up to date and had my heart set on an animation program – though the thought of taking out student loans was making me hesitant. Essentially I was in the state that so many creatives find themselves in: unsure of how to make a stable living doing something I loved, and not knowing if the work I was already doing was sustainable long-term.

Within a few months my choices narrowed significantly when my spouse landed in the ER with a brain tumor. As we went through the motions of navigating the medical system and trying our best to keep our life from falling apart, I realized that I needed to pursue a trade – something steady, something that I could support my family with if the worst happened. The idea of going back to school for a career that felt like my “dream” but that might not pan out felt foolish. Diving into trade work I was unfamiliar with felt equally scary.

I ended up reaching out to a friend of mine, Josh Presley, who had encouraged me to look into tattooing in the past. He knew I was passionate about making art and thought it would be a good fit for me. At the time he was considering taking on an apprentice, and the timing felt like fate. I was understandably apprehensive – I hadn’t grown up anywhere adjacent to the culture of tattooing. I wasn’t sure how I would navigate it, but the day my apprenticeship began something clicked.

I’ve never loved a job more than tattooing. It is all of the things I love about the artistic process, but on a deeper and more personal level. I get to connect with clients in a way that I never did in any other medium. I found a niche style that propelled my career forward much faster than I anticipated, and for the first time in my life I feel like the art that I’m making can support my family.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a tattoo artist from Gulfport, Florida and I specialize in making 1950s-1960s inspired tattoos. I draw my inspiration from advertisements, mid century modern furniture and housewares, Googie architecture, and UPA-style cartoons. Since I am a short drive from Disney and Universal, my client base is made up primarily of people working in the immersive entertainment industry who have an appreciation for all things “retro”.

My artistic background is in realism painting, but upon entering the tattoo industry I realized that realism artists were everywhere, and in order to stand out I needed to work in a style that I wasn’t seeing very much of. Since the 1950s-1960s is my favorite era of illustration, I thought I would start there. It’s been very rewarding to push this style forward and to have the chance to collaborate with so many interesting people over the years.

My goal as a tattoo artist is to offer a unique experience for my clients. I have curated my work space to feel like the work itself, creating an immersive environment that is focused on client comfort. The majority of my clients are women or members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of which have had poor experiences with tattoo sessions in the past. I strive to create an experience that changes the tone of the traditional tattoo experience – making it kind, empowering, and fun.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I often hear the same phrases from people that don’t consider themselves to be creatives – “I can only draw stick figures!”, and “I just wasn’t born with the creative gene”. And while I do think artistic talent comes easier to some than others, I truly believe everyone is creative and can make good work, they just don’t know what that work is. Most children stop drawing and creating visual art between ages 9 and 13, due to a lack of encouragement and self-esteem. We push the narrative at a very young age that creative expression is something to be “good” at, rather than an exercise that helps everyone access various parts of themselves. If you play piano every single day, you’ll be much more adept than someone who tinkers around every so often. Rendering can become a finely honed skill for anyone with enough time and effort, and inspiration can come from anywhere. My journey became my own simply because I didn’t want to stop making things, and I think that’s something that anyone can access if they wish.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I was working as an illustrator I heard an interview with Seth Godin on The Creative Peptalk Podcast (episode 211) and it changed my thinking entirely on marketing myself as an artist. I had always been told to just “make authentic work” which felt incredibly vague and wasn’t a clear cut method for finding success as a creative, especially when there are so many negative feelings around “marketing” in the art world. I highly encourage any artist I meet to give that interview a listen. The concept of finding your audience and respecting their time has made a huge difference in my creative practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepeachmoontattoos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepeachmoon?igsh=MWx3bnd4dXZtM25mOA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr