Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joey Gonyea. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Joey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I would have to say I’ve wanted to pursue some form of art as a career back when I was in junior high. Art has always resonated with me since as far back as I can remember. Everything else I tried just never felt right, and then when I was a young kid seeing tattoos on adults just blew my mind. I thought it was the coolest thing ever to have all these permanent designs put on your body. And at the time I first saw any type of tattoo I knew then that is what I wanted to do with my life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Joey Gonyea and I have been professionally tattooing in the metro Detroit area for nearly 15 years. When I first got into tattooing I started getting tattooed myself and asked as many questions as I could think of. From this moment I knew I wanted to tattoo but didn’t know the right way to go about it. At first I did what most people do and I ended up buying a ‘tattoo kit’ off an old friend. I tried learning myself at home which wasn’t the right way to go about it. And after a lot of patience and diligence I ended up receiving a formal apprenticeship under Aaron Ruby. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knows for about two years. During that time I learned everything about the craft. Fast forward years later, I am now pushing myself harder and trying to learn new skills every day. I like to specialize in black and grey and Japanese traditional tattooing. My main focus lately has been black and grey, leaning heavily with dot work and floral. And for every client that comes to me for a design I like to give them %110 in every part of the process. From customer service offering them a safe space to get tattooed at, to taking the extra time customizing there design making sure each tattoo is suited for the client and that they will be happy with the end result. My ultimate goal is to treat others how I like to be treated. Customer service to me is key, because at the end of the day nobody wants to be tattooed by a jerk. This is a life altering commitment that you’re creating for the individual and I’d like each experience be positive in every step of the way. I think I’m most proud of how far I’ve come along over the years. And how much hard work and time I have committed to the craft. I absolutely love tattooing and I wouldn’t want to do anything else set aside this. I feel very blessed to have such an amazing wife and two children at home who support everything I do and I want to continue to strive and work harder to create an amazing future for them as well

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think my mission mainly is to provide a safe environment where everyone from all background are welcome in the studio. And my goal each and every time is to create a beautiful tattoo for each client. I think every day or every week I try to set goals as well, and for one day be able to pass on the information I learned to help others succeed.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This has always been a tough one for me. I could probably talk for hours on social media marketing, but I spent months and months learning and studying marketing for social. To me I didn’t want to pay for followers and do it the cheap way. Where instead it’s been a slow and steady method. I more or less have asked my clients what they want to see and I apply that feedback over the years to the content I create. It’s always a game of go fish essentially and to see what sticks to the wall. As we all know, things evolve and change on social. But I think if you be yourself and try to be creative in your own way than keep going with that. I still have a long way to go for my own goals on there but I try to have fun with each video I create on Instagram. For any advice to grow on there, I would definitely say to be consistent. Post more often but don’t worry if it does great or flops. Don’t take things personal and just have fun with what you’re creating. It’s always subjective but if you keep it consistent and to think of what people want to see then you’ll do just fine

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.joeygtattoos.com/
• Instagram: @joeygtattoo
• Other: TikTok/ @joeygtattoo

Image Credits
@jessicascalf_photography Jessica Scalf photography