We were lucky to catch up with Kate Serova recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kate, appreciate you joining us 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?
I’m tattooing for almost 7 years now and at first when I just started tattooing in New York I should say that I balanced between two jobs – I worked as a canvas painter for a very good and cozy company and then I tattooed my first clients in a free time. All I wanted was to create freely, share my art and love with the world, be independent and successful and meet amazing people and it all came to me with time and a little bit of good work! I was and I am still very inspired with what I do from the day one and I’m so grateful! Then I had much more clients for tattoos and I said goodbye to my first job and rented a couch in a beautiful beauty studio and then in one year I opened my own cozy and magical studio in Manhattan, New York and now I have my amazing studio here in Houston, Texas and me and my great clients created so many beautiful tattoos together! Dreams do come true! And I’m so happy!
Kate, 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?
Hi! I’m Kate and I’m a fine line, floral and micro realism tattoo artist and tattoo mentor/teacher and the owner of Kate Black Pen tattoo studio here in Houston, Texas. I enjoy tattooing black and gray as well as colorful tattoo art pieces so much! And it makes me and my clients so happy! Each tattoo session is a special experience, I take only one client a day and prepare a unique tattoo design and I can’t imagine my tattoos without my clients and their incredible ideas, so it’s always very rewarding, detailed oriented, personalized and lovely tattoo experience every time! And I also teach tattooing for the beginners or already experienced artists who want to elevate their skills, I teach an individual in person classes where we learn all the theory and practice a lot on a tattoo models so it’s also great and so inspiring! I have 13 students who are now a professional tattoo artists! And I’m so proud!
How did you build your audience on social media?
I always say to my students that there’re three the most important things in tattooing career – to draw and build your own style little by little, practice tattooing of course and working on your social media. You can draw even 10 minutes a day, use your clients ideas or draw the things that you love the most, tattoo on a fake skin or clients (start with small simple works that are easy to understand for you) and then post everything on the social media page that you have. I recommend TikTok and Instagram and of course people, talk to people and ask them if they want a tattoo, you’ll be surprised how many people have tattoos at this time and they always want more. Find tattoo artists on the internet that you like and learn from them, what are they posting and doing and do it your way, make people see you and trust you! If you don’t have time or energy post 1,2 stories a day, just be consistent and present. Boosting posts work or target on Facebook+Instagram is great too, I have my target team working with me. Lower your prices at first, do 30$-50$ tattoos but never do it for free because clients will not value your work. Don’t worry about number of followers, believe me even with 500 followers you can be crazy successful and make a great money! You don’t need just followers, you need real clients who love you and will share your work too! Don’t give up, go at your own pace and create with love!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Yes, it is! If I close my eyes and relax and imagine my work and what I’m doing I can always see myself and amazing people around me and that I give them something beautiful and shiny and warm and feel good, grateful and happy! I believe I’m doing something good, share my light, kindness, love and Art with the world and I love what I do! In tattooing you can always grow, trying different styles and techniques, create something and show yourself on a social media, meet inspiring people, travel! It is never boring!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kateblackpen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kateblackpentattoo
- Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kateblackpentattoo
