We were lucky to catch up with Isabela Livingstone recently and have shared our conversation below.
Isabela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?
The tattoo industry has historically been a male-centered space that suffers from a very insular culture, and remains oftentimes very damaging to female artists, queer artists, and artists on the spectrum. Consequently, many shops are workplaces that feel uncomfortable or unsafe for those groups. I have heard many horror stories from my artists, shop owners, and customers about their experiences in traditional tattoo spaces, everything from discomfort to assault.
I hope combat this directly through my business. June Bug Tattoo is, first and foremost, an inclusive environment for people of all orientations and identities. That mission is at the heart of all of the decisions that I make about the business. If I have any advice for others who care about this issue, it would be to make your stance on this clear, and keep inclusivity and accessibility at the forefront when operating your business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have always loved art and doing anything creative. Before I was a tattoo artist, I was a pastry chef for 10 years. However, even though I had put a lot of sweat into that career, I wasn’t satisfied with where I was creatively or financially, and I really wanted to be my own boss at some point. During this time I fulfilled my creative itch in other ways, crochet, painting, and of course, stick-and-poke tattooing. I had thought about becoming a tattoo artist since I was a teenager, but I hadn’t thought seriously about going for it until I was ready to make a career change. I talked to my husband about my dreams of this, and one Christmas he bought me a tattoo machine. I did my first tattoo with it that night, on his wrist, just a little quarter inch heart, but it officially set me off on my journey. I went for an apprenticeship, quit my restaurant job, and went full steam ahead on my path to achieve my dreams.
The tattoo shops I had experience in before opening June Bug Tattoo were the typical atmospheres of overstimulating music and decor. Working with people who were critical of how I dress, promote myself and who I knew, it became an anxious experience to go to work. As someone who suffers from sensory issues, I thought that we should be allowed a space that makes sense for us and for clients with the same needs.
The raucous environment has been a traditional staple of tattoo shops. Many shops seek to be portrayed as edgy and loud, but not everyone who wants tattoos is going to be into that. I decided to leave those places to find something that worked for me. I explored many of the shops in my area, but none of them guaranteed a better environment. I wanted to work in a place that was peaceful and positive, where I would be happy to go to work everyday, and where my clients would feel safe and comfortable. That’s when I came up for the idea to create June Bug Tattoo.
This is what June Bug sets out to do. Everyone that comes to the shop can expect to be treated with respect, no matter who they are, and find a spa-like, relaxed, quiet atmosphere to adorn their bodies. This ethos has been a huge boon to my business. For example, we have a lot of first-time tattoo clients that come through the shop, including older clients. As well, because we are woman owned, and we explicitly welcome people of all kinds and creeds, being a safe space for the Queer community and neurodivergent folks, people that might feel uncomfortable or unsafe at a traditional shop will find a safe harbor with us. Our clients love coming to June Bug for tattoos because of this.
I think the real test came when we lost our beautiful tattoo shop in the Eaton Wildfire. I had opened June Bug Tattoo in Altadena in April of 2023, and only been running it for less than 2 years before it was turned to dust. Having a tattoo shop run by women had been a dream of mine, as I wanted to create a space for people to feel safe and comfortable in a tattoo environment. And so, I knew that the path forward was to rebuild and keep this vision alive. It was difficult for me to ask for help, but I swallowed my pride and put out the call to our community for aid in the rebuild. The response was overwhelming. Our clients, members of the community, and even other women-owned tattoo shops donated money, space and supplies, and made our rebuild possible. It was clear to me then that there were so many people out there that resonated with what June Bug Tattoo is. The support from women in the tattoo community, the Altadena community, and our community at large has been heartwarming, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The Eaton fire was by far the biggest challenge we had to face. I had invested my life savings into getting June Bug Tattoo off the ground, renovating the space to meet health code requirements, and purchasing cabinets, tattoo tables, equipment, supplies, inks, expensive machines, and all of the decor and art. As much as I lost, my artists lost everything too. Thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies and equipment were reduced to ash. Because the fire happened so suddenly, we were unable to salvage anything.
Deciding to rebuild right away was not easy. I was absolutely devastated by the loss and cried for days. But I felt a deep responsibility to my artists, our clients, and the community to keep the studio alive. So, on the very same day a neighbor sent me a video of my shop in flames, while I was on my way to evacuate, I launched a crowdfunding campaign to help me and my team recover our lost equipment. I reached out for support, and another woman-owned shop, Rodeo Tattoo, generously offered us space to work until we could get back on our feet.
When we returned from evacuation, I immediately went to see the space where we are now located in Eagle Rock. From that point on, it was two months of fourteen-hour days filled with paperwork, renovations, equipment purchases, and building as quickly as possible. June Bug Tattoo in Altadena burned down on January 7, and I soft-opened June Bug Tattoo in Eagle Rock during the first week of March. We held our successful grand reopening on April 1 and have been operating smoothly ever since.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
Aftercare is a very important part of the tattoo process, and what you put on your skin after removing the bandage can make a big difference in how well and how quickly your tattoo heals. As a woman who loves crafts, I began making my own tattoo aftercare salve because I wanted an all organic, clean ingredient option that would be safe, effective, and actively support the healing process.
I did a lot of careful research into the process and what ingredients would work best before I started testing my product. It was really fun to create my own salve. I selected each ingredient thoughtfully, committing to using only organic materials. Everything is made in a sterile environment to ensure quality control, and the formula is herbalist-approved.
I’m very proud of my tattoo salve, it has proven to be highly effective in supporting healthy skin healing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.junebugtattoo.com
- Instagram: @hellzbellztattoo
- Facebook: June Bug Tattoo
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/june-bug-tattoo-los-angeles-3
Image Credits
Isabela Livingstone