We recently connected with Jin Chong and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Being a tattoo artist had always been a dream job of mine. Towards the end of high school, when it was time to apply for colleges and think about which major to pursue, I really wanted to tattoo. However, I deemed it unrealistic at the time, and ended up getting a BS in Construction Management (and a Minor in Business Administration). After college, I spent ~5 years with a local Civil Engineering firm; then a few years working for the State of Alaska. It was during this time when the pandemic started.

When the pandemic initially hit, it didn’t sit right with me that I didn’t even try to pursue my dream job. Didn’t even attempt once. My first couple tattoos were designed by myself; and I had previously drawn up designs for some friends/family. It kinda felt like a ‘now or never’ opportunity, and ultimately I decided to put forward the steps in motion to ask my dream mentor for a tattoo apprenticeship.

During the pandemic, I was able to sit down and draw a lot. Often using it as an escape, after a rough day of work for example. Eventually, I built up the courage to send over a batch of both hard-copy and digital drawings of mine to Laura and asked her for an apprenticeship.

Jin, 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 name is Jin, and my brand is ‘Jin Ink’. I’m Alaska’s first (and currently only) Korean-American tattoo artist, and I just recently started my second year of being a professionally licensed tattoo artist. I tattoo over at ‘Brightside Tattoo’ located in south Anchorage, AK! I would say that my style of tattooing is predominantly ‘neo-traditional’, with influences/inspiration pulled from ‘Japanese traditional’, ‘American Traditional’, and ‘Neo-Asian.’

I love doing color tattoos; and I have a strong passion for doing color tattoos on melanated skin. I’ve been collecting tattoos since the day I turned 18, but had been told along the way that black/grey tattoos would look better, or heal better, than color tattoos, because of my skin tone. I first met my mentor as a client of hers; and she was able to do the dopest color tattoos on me. Back then, when tattooing was merely a day-dream of mine, I knew that if I ever did tattoo, I would want to learn only from her.

I don’t think a lot of Korean parents tell their kids that they should be tattoo artists when they grow up. However, I love that what I’m doing is unprecedented; and only hope to be an inspiration for younger Koreans/Korean-Americans who have the same dreams as I did. I’d like my potential clients/followers/fans to know that I’m only just getting started; and there is so much more to come. Please stay tuned!

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

I love the appointments where a client will send a little doodle of what they had in mind, and collaborating with them on their design(s). Then after the tattoo’s all finished, having them go check it out in the mirror and seeing their face light up. Hearing things like “this is beyond what I even had in mind” make my heart full; because I used to say the same exact things to some of the extremely talented tattoo artists that I’ve had the privilege to be tattooed by!

Additionally, I love seeing a design start off on a sketchbook with colored pencils (with my bare hands). Then taking a photo of it with my iPad and tracing that digitally on Procreate. Then finally tattooing it on a person the following day. Something about that full circle moment makes it very rewarding.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Quite the opposite actually. My mentor has been tattooing for over 13 years, and grew up in the tattoo industry when deodorant sticks were used to help transfer the stencil onto skin. I now have a creamy stencil transfer lotion that smells really good lol. If the client wanted a tiny little tweak to their design, the entire design would have to be drawn all over again. Because Procreate/iPads didn’t exist, and everything was done by hand. Technology as a whole was inferior. I try to constantly remind myself that I’m actually quite blessed and probably spoiled to be alive and tattooing at a time like this. But it also gives me a greater appreciation to those who tattooed before me; who put tattooing on the map to where it’s at today. I personally wouldn’t be where I’m at today, without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brightsidetattooak.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jin_ink_/

Image Credits
N/A (all owned by Jin Ink/self)