We recently connected with Dennis (Dizzy) Doan and have shared our conversation below.

Dennis (Dizzy), thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Walking this earth as an individual with tattoos, let alone being a tattoo artist, comes with it’s fair share of misconceptions and stereotypes. However, I have come to accept that these negative connotations come with the territory that I have chosen for myself. For the better part of human history, tattooed individuals have not only been associated- but portrayed and outcaste both in film and through the news media as a class of people with predominantly criminal ties or military ties . Whether I’d be walking down the street and get pulled over for no reason or in a business setting where I can feel the demeaning condescension, I had to bite my tongue for the greater good. I spent much of the preliminary years of my career not only trying to battle this typecast, but also fighting anxiously to become the antithesis of it.

It was difficult for my parents, being immigrants from Vietnam, to understand why I discarded my college education so nonchalantly to embark on a career that had no promise. And if I were to be completely honest, this induced me to also question and second guess myself every day as well. Even those closest to me told me that I would never get anywhere with this “hobby” of mine. I wasn’t “good enough”. I would never be able to tattoo at the level of the “White” artists. But rather than give in to this discouragement, somehow my hardheadedness managed to break through every single wall that was thrown at me throughout the course of my journey.

I was overlooked when I attempted to secure my first business location. I was not taken seriously, allegedly because of my “age” and my “lack of credit” or experience. But I knew from the looks on their faces that it wasn’t my history that was the issue. It was the sense of taboo that me and my business represented that they could not accept. Even my own Asian people refused to give me a chance of legitimately pursuing my dream. And those who DID accept me would undoubtedly rip me off for the “risk” that they would have to take by having my business exist in their presence. I paid a premium to start the race fifty yards behind the finish line with spectators cheering for my self destruction, but they had forgotten how much people love the underdog. With my foot in the door, I would unequivocally prove to the world that I had what it took to compete with the elite- whether it would take me one year or thirty years. I was turbulently fueled by the world’s underestimation of me.

My family didn’t take my career seriously until my former business partner and I had opened our third location. I repeatedly got questioned on when I would be re-attending school or whether or not my scholarship was still intact. I even had to lie for years and camouflage my tattoo career as one in graphic design for fear of bringing “shame” to my family and causing them to “lose face”. I hid my tattoos each and every day with pants, turtle necks, and beanies everywhere I went for fear of being judged. I changed the way I dressed so that I could fit in with “civilized” society. I would change the way I spoke just to be taken more seriously in regards to business dealings. I hid for a long, long time so that I could erupt and rise with no signs of infirmity.

I worked harder than anyone in any room that ever existed. While the world slept, I fed off of the crumbs of other artists. I won my clients’ hearts and their loyalty through understanding their financial predicaments and my connection to their stories and the meaning behind their artistic desires. I sacrificed my financial gain for peace of mind when it came to the sentimental tattoos. I believe that morality will always trump greed, and that the riches that come from authenticity and humility will always have a longer lasting imprint on your career and your reputation than selling out for our own desires.

I have used the voice that I have earned to unilaterally give a voice to all Asian Americans and Artists alike. The art that I have created has been able to send my message to the world, reaching the depths of people who- in the past, would not have batted an eye in regards to the recognition of a “tattoo artist”.

This mischaracterization of myself and my struggle to prove my worth has since inspired me to help other minority teens trying to find and feed their purpose but feel like they aren’t getting support in pursuing their “passions”.. I highlight these circumstances and predicaments in my memoir/self help book “Memento: Embracing The Darkness” that will be releasing in September 2022. It is also the principal reason why I have started The Doan Foundation- a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating scholarships for underprivileged teens seeking to establish careers in the Arts. There aren’t enough resources, awareness, let alone support for these kids nowadays. I’d like to echo the message that there is opportunity and a future in skills that society has deemed “pointless”.

I am not a rich man, nor do I know EXACTLY what I am doing in regards to this newfound activism. But I am not a man that will remain idle as I watch the children of our society go down a hopeless path with no guidance. So I will keep doing everything in my power to put a dent in the disfunction and the neglect.

Dennis (Dizzy), before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started tattooing on myself at the age of 15 years old (something I would highly advise against). But I made the sacrifice of my own skin in order to ensure that my clients would reap the benefits of my experience and not have to become my mistakes themselves. I had never intended to take on tattooing as a full time career, for it was not a lucrative profession at the time and it simply allowed me to make some money on the side to fund my life while I was attending college. I was Pre-Med in college in hopes of securing a career in plastic surgery all while working at a tattoo studio full time. After two years attending college and my passion for the medical field disintegrating, I made the leap of taking on tattooing at full force. It was extremely nerve-racking, as the benefits of social media to present my work were not made available yet at the time and I relied solely on word-of-mouth and door-to-door marketing. The only advantage I had was that I had nothing more to lose. I got my neck tattooed on that same day that I dropped out as a way to give myself NO OPTION to look back. I would make this last resort work for me and do whatever was necessary.

I went above and beyond for the clients that were kind enough to put their trust in me. I picked clients up and dropped them back off even for a measly $20 tattoo. Some may say that these efforts sacrificed my dignity, but I say that it engraved humility. It was more about getting to know people and their stories that fueled my passion. The benefits of word-of-mouth recommendations was inevitable. A lot of tattoo artists approach their clients in a way that make them feel as though they are being used for the sole purpose of financial gain- and this is detrimental for the retention rate of their patrons. What sets me apart is that I undoubtedly, authentically care about each and every one of those people that put their trust in me. I remember their names, their stories, and I feel for them like family. No matter how slow you feel your progression may be going, have confidence that those who operate their business with pure intentions and true passion will always inevitably earn immortal success.

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

Being an artist is, in a way, a vector to immortalize yourself. In the regards of being a tattoo artist, your thoughts and perceptions are forever engraved onto a human being’s body- an image that will stay with them way past their life’s end. It serves as a timestamp of the thought processes of the client at the time, marking the milestones in their lives. Being able to take the thoughts that someone has and create an image for them to remember that dream by is truly rewarding.

I am deeply grateful to have been able to get to know all of my clients on a level deep enough to help me in my own life, and in return, I in theirs. We, as human beings, not only get to share the stories of our mistakes, but also the stories of our triumph with one another. I have learned a great deal from being fortunate enough to follow the progression of my clients’ lives as the years have gone by.

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

I think the most difficult parts of being a creative and pursuing any creative career is the ability to discipline yourself to wake up each day and instantly get into a creative state of mind. We must be able to operate as a hybrid of both businesspeople AND artists. If the balance is off between those two self entities, we run into other problems.

There are many artists out there that are financially struggling because they have too much ego and pride. I personally know struggling artists that will refuse work just because it isn’t their “style”. The only thing I have to say to that is “beggars can’t be choosers”. You cannot “specialize” in something until you have mastered everything else. Nobody is “too good” to refuse a chance to practice their craft, especially at the beginning of their careers.

Vice versa, there are also many artists who sell themselves out for monetary gain. Some will do every tattoo that walks in even if it defeats their moral values, harms the client’s futures, or offends others. Other artists may reach a certain level in their career, they are quick to shut out those who helped them get their start. This is the perfect “career-ending” recipe. As most of these artists’ work plateau and they start to care less and less about the significance of each piece and more about how much they can make in the least possible amount of time. This is shameful.

When I began my journey as a tattoo artist, I had no choice but to adjust my “style” to “whatever the client wants”. This has allowed me to attract thousands of clients, however, it definitely slowed down my rise to perfection. When you are trying to focus on a little bit of everything, you will undoubtedly be slower than others who start off with a “specialty” from the start of their careers. However, the true reward is not being bored and not plateauing. I truly enjoy the randomness of the work that I am presented with and I am grateful to have reached a point where I can say that I am proficient in each and every tattoo style you can think of.

A lot of artists make the unintentional mistake of letting their ego take over them. This is detrimental to their goals more than they know. They are quick to blame the customer, the business over, the shop- without taking a hard step back to reflect on themselves. The responsibility of becoming a successful artist and the journey towards that success does not have anything to do with anyone else but yourself. It is your job to push yourself to the peaks of your potential and keep growing each and every day. When you have learned how to be your worst critic, you will inevitably succeed. Do not blame the negatives on your surroundings but fail to blame the positives on them as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blvcklotvs.com
• Instagram: @dizzydoan
• Facebook: facebook.com/dizzydoan
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blvck-lotvs-tattoo-and-social-club-san-diego?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
• Other: www.blvcklotvsthreads.com www.doan-foundation.org