We recently connected with Jahnova Kamil and have shared our conversation below.
Jahnova, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
If you were to ask me 5 years ago if I believe I could make a living off of art I would have said no. As a child, I’ve always loved drawing and over the years I started to post my art on social media. After gaining some attention online a tattoo artist in Atlanta reached out to me and offered the opportunity for an apprenticeship. I packed my bags and left California to pursue art in Georgia. For two years I worked as a middle school art teacher during the day and apprenticed at the tattoo shop in the evenings. Once the shop owner said that I’m ready to tattoo I started taking clients. At first I started off doing free tattoos and then I transitioned to charging $25 for small pieces. I made a post on twitter about being a new artist and it went viral ; I was booked for the rest of the year. After two years in Atlanta I relocated back to California and am now continuing to grow as an artist. There are definitely challenges that come with being a (newer) full time artist and a lot of work must be put into my craft daily. Every season is preparation for the next season and this includes saving money and constantly working to improve. One day I hope to open my own tattoo shop and teach other artists that they, too, can make a full time living as a creative.
Jahnova, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My father is a visual artist and always encourages me to tap into creativity. I had the privilege of having a wonderful visual arts teacher in elementary school and fell in love with the arts early! In 5th grade I auditioned for the Performing and Fine Arts Academy in Sacramento and got accepted into the amazing middle and high school. At the time I really loved dancing and acting so those were my primary focus at school. Luckily, I still took visual arts classes and became inspired by Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. My favorite mediums at the time were charcoal and acrylic paint so I did (and still do) a lot of abstract work. As a teen I struggled with identity issues and one day my grandmother said to me, “Whatever you do, just keep drawing”. That really stuck with me because people seemed to marvel at my drawings and paintings, even as a young child. However, at the time I didn’t believe one could make a living off of fine arts. For my 18th birthday I took myself to the Royal Peacock Tattoo Parlor and got my first tattoo. I remember being fascinated with the process and I asked a lot of questions. I had no clue that this fascination would grow into a successful career! As my grandmother motivated me to do, I continued to draw and posted my work online. Randomly, a tattoo artist in Georgia reached out to me and offered the opportunity for a tattoo apprenticeship. I took the offer and moved to Atlanta to pursue tattooing. After two years I finished my apprenticeship and have now been a professional tattoo artist for three years. On top of tattooing, I also sell acrylic paintings to collectors across the globe. All of my pieces are unique and have a story that people empathize with. At the tattoo studio, I focus on facilitating a comfortable and friendly environment for all of my clients. I believe that tattoo sessions should be curated as a sort-of therapy appointment and I do my best to understand my clients needs. I care about the individuality and quality of every tattoo I do and put my love into every piece. I also make sure that all of my clients are comfortable with me and that we have a positive connection. After all, my art work is on their body for life! I am consistently working to become a better artist and this includes taking art classes to expand my knowledge. I’m currently on my first season of VH1’s Black Ink Crew New York and am using this opportunity to grow the “Jahnova” brand. I’m proud of successfully growing as an artist and a brand despite the real challenges of being a business owner and artist. My favorite saying is, “This is only the beginning of the journey!”
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is bringing joy to other people’s lives through my work. I’ve seen people cry, laugh, yell etc. expressing their admiration for my artwork. Whether it’s a graphic design logo, painting of a loved one, or a tattoo representing a memory- I love to get a reaction from the collector. Human connection is very important to me and humans have been connecting through the arts since the beginning of time.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think it’s difficult for non-creatives to understand that our journey as a creative is an intensely emotional process. Many artists are very empathetic and this can impact our process in a positive or a negative way. Non-creatives don’t necessarily have to tap into their emotional side to get their work done. Creatives use emotions as fuel for creating artwork. Sometimes emotions can be heavy and difficult to transmute into art. Although our work days as a creative may look different than non-creatives, it is still work!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jahnovatattoo.com
- Instagram: jahnovaa
- Twitter: jahnovaa