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

Hi Cabos, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

My start in tattooing started off kind of rough actually. My “apprenticeship was about 3 months and the rest was just me trial and error tattooing my friends at their house lol. Looking back now I wish I would of learned from a more reputable artist and get the right guidance to avoid a lot of rookie mistakes early on. Some of the most important skills to have in tattooing for me are strong work ethic, consistency, and having your own style to stand out in the industry. It was difficult at the start because no one knows who you are and you have to prove yourself constantly and improve your art as you grow. its like crawling to walking in a fast paced environment surrounded by all the other art kids.

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

So my start in the tattoo world all started back when I was doing a lot of graffiti and working a medical job at the same time. It was like living a double life a lot of the time, having to be in the corporate world and being something completely different at night. I had to choose to fully pursue some kind of art related job and tattooing just found me at the right time. I met a female tattooer who showed me the ropes early on and tattooed me a lot and I picked up the basics fairly quick. I just went on working at various tattoo shops after that learning as much as I could from all the artist I would meet along the way. Total of 6 shops in 4 years really helps speed up the progression. I’m an artist who dabbles in many mediums like aerosol, inks, and watercolor painting but currently I’ve been more focused on tattooing. To me its one of the most real and rewarding forms of art. Something I think sets me apart from others is my style of lettering I tattoo. Its based on calligraphy with my own weird dark twist to it. I strive to make it truly unique and recognizable as my own. I want people to know I did it as soon as they see it out in the world. I’m really proud of the impact I’ve created in the lettering world and how I’ve been able to guest spot at various tattoo shops in Texas. I want people to appreciate the work that went into the art and be proud to wear my designs.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being artist to me is the freedom that comes with it and the opportunity to be able to create art and make a living of it. I don’t know what I would do without art, it has become such a big part of my identity at this point. Its something I will continue to do regardless of life situations.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a few goals in mind but for me its more about the creative process and experiences. Creating is one of the biggest factors I focus on, being able to create something original and cause an impact is really important.

Contact Info:

• Website: cabostattoo.squarespace.com
• Instagram: cabos