We recently connected with Abi Kovacs and have shared our conversation below.

Abi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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.

In 2022, I quit my full-time job with no plan or job prospects. I was experiencing intense burnout working for a global nonprofit. Up until I quit, I had only tattooed myself and close friends, but I knew I wanted to go down a new path of working for myself. Picking up tattooing was a challenge I was aware of taking on; I wanted to get better at drawing, feel more comfortable with clients, and build a business from scratch. It was a risk to leave my salaried job without a clear idea of what I was going to do next. With a lot of support from my friends and community, the risk paid off over time, and I don’t have a single regret.

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

I’m a self-taught, trauma informed, handpoke (sometimes machine) tattoo artist, and I believe art is for every body. My tattoo philosophy is heavily influenced by my queerness, socio-political beliefs, and the idea that body modification = body reclamation = body liberation. For women, femmes, queer + trans folks, and people of color, our bodies are often the site of judgement, lawmaking, and political discourse. Many of my clients fit into one or more of these categories, and often share the sentiment that getting tattooed is a way for them to experience body liberation. In a society where queer/trans/womens bodies are constantly under a microscope, it is often vital to seek acts of body reclamation such as getting tattooed.

I view each tattoo session as a unique energy exchange, where energy can travel back and forth thru the needle and thru body contact throughout the session. Getting tattooed can, for some, be a welcome invitation for pain. Many of us have experienced trauma that we did not consent to, causing us to feel unsafe in our bodies and/or the spaces we occupy. Inviting in consensual moments of pain can be a place of healing, as the individual is asked to remain still and calm throughout the process, knowing they can choose to stop/take breaks at any time, and that the pain is only momentary. Once finished, my client walks away with a beautiful piece of art, tending to their own physical healing as the tattoo settles. At it’s best, getting tattooed is a sacred site of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

As someone who has had awkward and negative experiences getting tattooed in a traditional shop environment, my goal is to offer a space where my client’s comfort is the #1 priority. I’m not a therapist, an activist, or a perfect person, but I believe care and compassion should be offered in abundance when it comes to body modification and tattooing. The tattoo industry has been steadily evolving, as many tattooed folks move away from traditional shops being the go-to. Tattoo lovers increasingly want more out of their tattoo experience: they want to walk away feeling like they matter, their opinions and feelings matter, and trusting that their tattoo artist has their best interest at heart.

My tattoo journey has had its challenges, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to be entrusted by my clients for their body mod choices. Tattooing is a service unlike any other: it can be very intimate, meaningful, and sacred. Tattoos can last ‘forever’ or as long as the body lives, and it is an incredibly special thing to have someone choose your art to live on them for as long as they do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of tattooing is the vote of confidence in my art, energy, and skill. Tattooing is such a special service to offer, a unique energy exchange between the tattooist and client. With an abundance of choices of who/where/how an individual could get tattooed, its a really sweet and special feeling each time I get a new appointment request. Also, a chance to share my philosophy, intentions, and practice with a client that resonates feels like I’m on tour sharing the tattoo gospel (lol). It’s really cool.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Tattooing As Liberation Work by Tamara Santibañez. This book is the pinnacle and the foundation of the work I aim to do. When I first started reading, I was impressed by how much of the discourse around tattooing, care, and intersectional liberation work was already swimming around in my head. Having recently participated in Tamara’s workshop ‘Trauma Informed Tattooing and Beyond,’ I feel even more grounded in my intentions with this work. The philosophies and concepts Tamara has studied and shared prove vastly important as we move into a new era of community care and collectivism.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Venue.ink/affirmatttions
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/affirmatttions
• Other: https://Abikovacs.com