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

Eireanna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my tattoo journey January 2021. When I was middle school classmates pitched the idea to me about being a tattoo artist but I was too afraid 1 and 2 having my art on someone permanently was intimidating. There’s so much to learn with tattoos and the basics of drawing, and learning the foundations such as 2D art and 3D art. I was in school learning those principles and foundations. If I would’ve started sooner or if I would’ve took advantage of 2020 when Covid hit I feel I wouldn’t have had a lot of pressure on me in trying to hurry and learn. No, it wasn’t a rush but once I seen how life was after high school and how the economy changed I hustled hard so I wouldn’t be stuck in the routine of a 9-5 job. I’m still grateful and blessed for where I am now of course! And at least I started you know?

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

My name is Eireanna but I go by Lala! I got the nickname from my brother when he was little and that’s what he called me, and I’m very close with my brothers so it stuck wit me. What I’m about to say may be triggering but it’s the truth. I didn’t get into tattooing for money or for fun.I use to self harm and my therapist told me “instead of harming yourself, since you like art how about you draw on yourself instead.” So I did. And one day I drew a huge piece on my arm and I didn’t want it to go away. Oh man ,it was amazing and I was so proud of myself! That’s when I started thinking maybe I should try tattoos. When COVID hit and especially not being able to walk stage and have the graduation experience, I was devastated and wanted to relapse, but instead I overworked myself with a warehouse job and at the end realized it wasn’t for me at all! I loved the money but damn…12hrs in a block with no sun and we couldn’t talk to each other?? Absolutely not. So I switched to an “easier” job and told me my mom I was going start tattooing. She bought me my first Dragon Hawk tattoo kit on Amazon . It was a coil machine and once it came in it was that. It was no stopping or looking backward. I just went for it and started tattoing myself and family members and when I would post my work, that’s when others came along.
A lot of those get into tattooing for money or the lifestyle but for me it’s a coping mechanism. It’s not about the money to me , it’s about the experience those have with me and creating pieces my clients love. I feel getting tattoos is therapeutic and in a way you’re creating your own character in this world. We literally can be whatever we want to be and look however we want. And I genuinely love meeting people and learning different perspectives and that’s what sets me apart as an artist. I’m very open and I listen to my clients not just hear them. I use my experience and hear theirs and thats how I turn someone’s life or situation into a beautiful piece.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2022 I was getting burnt out from tattoos and I didn’t understand. End of 2022 and 2023 I wanted to quit tattooing. Until one day I was in my apt just laying on the couch and wondered what if it’s the designs I’m doing? My creativity was being limited and I didnt like that AT ALL. I was tired of doing monarch butterflies, names, and snakes. Ugh! And that’s when I realized I had to switch my audience also. A lot of people wanted to pay what they wanted to pay and didn’t care for my worth or the labor just that they were finna be tatted lol. I had to rebrand my entire business and go about tattoos in a different way and learn pricing, and how to actually start making designs on procreate like a tattoo artist. I had to learn how to communicate efficiently and set boundaries and that was very uncomfortable for me since I was a people pleaser. Learning those skill quickly def sent me for a loop, but I’m glad I learned them and I’m still learning but whew that was a lot to handle in 2023.

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

Living. Yes it’s a lot to being a creative but being able to create your own schedule, being there for your child and not having to ask someone if you can take a day off. Even when I was working and doing tattoos after work doing a tattoo was therapeutic to me so it backed out sometimes but I love transferring the energy into something positive. I’m so proud of myself and now I work in my own studio again and I love it! I never thought I’ll be working in the Stutz building and I’ve met so many amazing artist and it’s so rewarding. It feels like I’m right in the middle of what I been asking for. To just live and create.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Inkedbylala
• Facebook: Eireanna Rowley
• Youtube: Livinwityvette

Image Credits

@tee_shotit