We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alex Butler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alex below.
Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
I had connected with a social media influencer 2 years into my tattooing career. We had made an agreement to do a trade, she would do a few videos showcasing her experience in exchange for a free tattoo. We originally decided to do a spiderweb on her elbow, however there is some stigma around that design and placement (it has ties to some prison/gang symbolism). I agreed to move the design to her knee, even though the piece would be much larger. Somehow I got talked into doing both knees as a matching set. We break the whole thing into 3 sessions, so I was expecting to see at least 3 videos. After our first session she did post one video and I felt good about the situation. I had gotten one tattoo inquiry almost immediately. 2 more sessions go by and I’m expecting to see the videos at any point. They never showed up. She only ever posted the first session video. At the end of the day she ended up with probably 3k worth of tattooing for free. I definitely got taken advantage of. I felt like her large following would be an easy way to grow, but I learned it’s best to just do good work and only rely on myself.
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.
My name is Alex Butler. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA, but I mostly grew up in Harrisonburg, VA. I started my tattoo apprenticeship in 2019. I always knew this was my dream job, I just always felt it was impossible to break into. I had a lot of self doubts that were furthered by being in an abusive relationship at the time. When I got out of that situation it really felt like a rebirth and I felt like then was the best time if there ever was one to try for my dream. I was working in my apprenticeship 50+ hours a week for free. I had quit my job to pursue this full time. I am so thankful I later started dating my now husband who was able to support us financially during this time. In VA there is no safety net for apprentices. You need 1500 hours of training and my mentor had taken me to 1300 hours before kicking me out of the studio. I now don’t believe he had any interest in helping me grow my career but just wanted some free labor around the shop. What he didn’t realize was that he had taught me more than just tattooing techniques, but actually how to run a full business. I later found another studio who was willing to take on my hours and help me finish getting my license. I was very thankful for the opportunity, but I later found out that the booth rent I was paying to be there was the rent for the entire building. I was also supplying all of my own materials and booking my own appointments. I figured if I was already running and paying for an entire business, I might as well go all in and open my own studio. I owned a private studio for 2 years before I decided to take my career to the next level. I moved to Sacramento, CA in 2024 to work and learn around amazing artist and further my skills in this industry!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I’ve always struggled with working what would be considered a formal job. My mom owned a food truck that I worked for a long time. I was a server in college. I had a brief stint with office work. I was good at these things, but I was always just mindlessly doing it to get by. Now that I work for myself and I literally make a living off of my art I could never go back. It’s true when they say when you enjoy what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. I will always create art. I’m beyond thankful to be able to survive off of it.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal is always to make people happy. I do a lot of pop culture or anime work and so the clients I get end up being people I have a lot in common with. I always draw tattoo designs as things I would actually consider getting myself so it always feels amazing when people relate to the same things I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexbutlertattoos.com
- Instagram: @alexbutlertattoos
