We were lucky to catch up with Eleonora Balducchi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Eleonora, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
My journey into tattooing started with a career change. After graduating in architecture I worked for around 15 years as an architect, both in Europe and the US and at the age of 39 I made the decision to entertain a career in tattooing. Amongst many others, one of the things that I carried over from my previous experience is related to the process of designing for a client. Without trying to compare the much more complex architectural design process with creating a tattoo concept, it’s certainly true that the design process involves similar steps based on the ability of interpreting the client’s request, of communicating ideas and intentions with clarity and working towards a budget. As I love creating custom designs for each of my clients, having already consolidated this set of skills was certainly helpful when I started tattooing and allowed me to focus on other aspects of this profession.
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
When I look at my 6 year old son, constantly making things, drawing, painting, cutting, breaking, glueing, I see myself as a kid. Like him, I’ve always been very creative and my interest in the arts was obvious from an early age. Born and raised in Italy, I graduated from Università di Bologna as an architect in 2005. During university I had the opportunity of spending a year studying in Spain, and this valuable experience opened my mind to consider a wider range of future opportunities. Before moving to the US, I spent 8 years living in London, a place very dear to me, where I worked on some significant architectural projects. Living in such a prolific cultural environment fuelled different interests of mine, like the passion for tattooing. My first office in London was located nearby a legendary tattoo shop and I remember walking by it and feeling fascinated by a world that at the time felt completely inaccessible. Leaving Europe behind, in 2014 I moved to New York together with my partner. While in NYC I, once again, worked at a brilliant architectural firm and in my free time I kept nurturing my passion for art. This 4-year period was beautifully intense and marked by some major milestones like my marriage and the birth of our son. I still miss New York, the city, the people, the soul and the unmatchable energy that makes you feel like anything is possible, and that is exactly what I took with me when I finally moved to the west coast, 5 years ago. I always look back feeling bitter-sweet about this move, but I may have never left my job as an architect had I not moved to Los Angeles. While caring for our son I took the opportunity to invest more time in practicing art, focusing on painting and drawing; I managed to draw on a daily basis, exhibit some work in a few galleries, and ultimately build an up to date body of work that allowed me to secure an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist. I’m now entering my third year into tattooing and I definitely feel proud of my journey. As I said before, as a mother I want to teach my son to follow his heart and never give up on his dreams and there is no better way to do so than leading by example.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Definitely. Most people would find easier to understand a change of career from tattooing to architecture rather than what I did, from architecture to tattooing. In practical terms I may agree that a career as an architect sounds safer and more stable, particularly if you work as an employee, hence potentially a preferable option. But more often the judgment is based on the stereotypical image of the tattoo artist, something that is very hard to eradicate from the mind of more conservative people. In a place like the Unites States a person’s value is unfortunately often associated to their profession. I can speak for experience if I say that the effect I have on someone when I first introduce myself as a tattoo artist rather than an architect is very different, and I have more chances to be considered a more respectable and reliable person with the latter title. To a certain degree, I understand that it’s inevitable and we all are victims of prejudice for a reason or another, but that doesn’t justify the attitude. I don’t expect everyone to understand my choices, but I would like to be able to expect the same respect and consideration as a person regardless of my profession. If you have to attach a stereotypical image to me, please make it the typical Italian stereotype instead!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
My clients. I have always been lucky enough to deal with amazing clients. Witnessing their reaction when they look at their new tattoo, receiving their gratitude -that comes in different forms- and seeing them coming back is by far the best reward. I really care about client experience and comfort and I do my best to share a memorable time. I am truly grateful to each one of them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @balducchitattoo
- Other: TikTok: @balducchitattoo
Image Credits
Action shot by Anders Tse @anders_studio