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

Alright, Drew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Never in my life did I think it was possible, but I’m now at a point in my career where I can comfortably live off of my art completely. I’ve always been told my whole life that art is a luxury and not a means of monetary sustenance .
But because the tattoo industry has been growing so rapidly in the last decade, it has helped the general public connect more with it. 10 years ago, you would have to go to bars or hand out business cards to people to give to their friends, which is a hope that you’ll get someone in the door.
Now, you just need to create a social media presence, something that is easy to find and presentable enough to maintain engagement .

Honestly, knowing what I know now, I would have spent more time and resources in advertising myself and developing a larger following sooner. But my art has grown the way I think it needed to, so I have no regrets in that sense.

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’m a niche tattooer, I specialize in mostly nerdy subjects; such as: anime, video games, comic books, and cartoons. Being as there are a lack of Texas anime tattooers currently in the industry, I fill that niche as best as I can to help inspire others to break from the traditional sense of what people think tattooing is.

To be honest, I’d say the the thing I value most is the connection I have with my clients and peers.
I try to cultivate a community, rather than just focus on art alone. This way we can all grow together in the industry, while learning from one another so that we can provide the best work for our clients.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Easily , knowing I’m giving someone a piece of art that they will be able to cherish for the rest of their life. It’s a very special thing to be trusted with something so permanent.
That kinda connection with your client/customer is seldom available in any other industry .

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I actually started my social media presence prior to tattooing. My page was for modeling and photography , and I would connect with companies and people all over the country to work with on small projects; including clothing, skin care, and hair products.

The same lessons I learned from this networking applied heavily to my tattoo career when I transitioned into the industry.

The most important aspect is to connect with others in your industry.
Talk to other artists, share their work and support things that inspire you. Comment, like, share.
Making yourself more visible while supporting those you enjoy is not only good for them, but it’s an act of symbiosis . Through that visibility, you will also be recognized and shared. Social media for small business is essentially a more open “word of mouth” experience, so it’s best to treat it as such rather than only trying to chase algorithms and trends.

Contact Info:

• Website: Crookedcrowstattoo.com
• Instagram: @Drew.Blood
• Other: Tiktok: Satanic.senpai