We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Fox Richards. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Fox below.

Fox, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

My interest in tattoos and becoming a tattoo artist was sparked at an early age. I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where there’s a strong appreciation for the arts in many forms and tattoos are a big part of that. As a kid I was always painting or drawing so it made sense that I was designing artwork for friends wanting to get tattoos by the time I was in high school. I applied for college knowing it wasn’t necessary to pursue my dream career, but getting a full-ride academic scholarship allowed me to further my skills. The timing of starting my apprenticeship was almost perfect as I dove in while still in my last semester at UNM and made me really thankful I had the work ethic needed to be successful in tattooing.

It was a life-consuming journey, but hitting the milestone of earning my license as a tattoo artist was huge. There’s a lot that goes into being a tattoo artist than just showing up, doing a tattoo, and then going home. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had taken some business and accounting classes! For me it’s been a continuous trek of learning and improvement in all aspects. Being able to earn a full-time living from my artwork and knowing others appreciate it has made it worth all the highs and lows!

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.

I really pride myself in creating a welcoming and safe space for clients at my private studio named Coven. It has very bright but cozy vibes where clients share the space with just me, my dozens of plants, and my prized collection of animal bones (that sounds weird, but you have to see my wall.) This setup works great for me because I can give my clients and the artwork I’m making for them 100% of my attention.

I specialize in black and gray illustrative tattoos that hold a lot of attention to detail. Whether it’s an animal portrait, a floral and botanical arrangement, a mythology-inspired scene, etc. getting the particulars just-so is super important to me. The artistic freedom my clients give me is an incredible gift! Getting to know them as we chat or just sharing the same space as they relax brings its own element into the artwork as well.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a tattoo artist and an artist in general is the ability to constantly be curious and use that in my pursuits. I’m always going down internet rabbit-holes when researching topics that interest me or relate to what projects I’m tattooing. Not many people need to study the differences of feathers of a crane versus a heron one minute, and then pull ideas from a fantasy book series the next! Being an artist lends its own perspective of how you look at and engage with the world around you.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Everyone is going through their own struggles, but art in all forms can be helpful and even necessary! Because I primarily see through the lens of a tattoo artist, I get to witness how much a tattoo can mean to a person and it also gives them something to look forward to. I think supporting local artists is a great way for people to engage with their community. That can take the form of purchasing their art, going to shows, sharing their work on social media, or just telling a friend about them.

By making support of the arts a priority, people can give to the creative ecosystem while receiving something in return that probably holds a bit of the artist’s heart in it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.foxrichards.com/
• Instagram: @fox_richards
• Other: TikTok: @fox.richards