We recently connected with Katie Mizuno and have shared our conversation below.
Katie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with inspirations and heroes. Are there any historical figures you look up to?
In regards to tattooing, I don’t necessarily look up to one historical figure in particular, but rather a group of people. Lately, I have been reading about the history of tattooing and Polynesian tattooing in particular has had a significant influence on me. In places such as Tonga and Samoa, tattooing was preformed by priests and it was a very ritualistic practice and those who received tattoos earned a high level of respect in their communities. Nowadays, as tattooing becomes more mainstream and accessible, I worry that we are losing that sacred nature of the art. I am certainly guilty of using social media trends in order to increase my outreach and gain clientele, but after learning more about its history, I am being more careful about the part I play in it’s evolution. I spend more time and effort making sure that my tattoos are done to the best of my ability and less time worrying about how they measure up to trends on social media. I make sure that my clients aren’t getting tattooed simply for clout, but guided through a rite of passage that will transform them into a self that they can be proud of.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My husband encouraged me to draw and then to tattoo when he saw a glimpse of potential I had in illustration and saw the happiness that tattoos gave me. Without his help, I would not have had the confidence to make a career out of it. I also owe a lot of gratitude to a dear friend of mine who got me hooked on getting tattooed in the first place. Unfortunately, I found that the industry itself was not as kind as my closest supporters. Like many tattoo apprentices, my lessons were scarce and the skills I wanted to learn felt just out of reach because of the secrecy of the tattoo industry. I tattooed myself, somewhat in desperation, but found that in doing so, I could learn safely, without causing harm to others, and in a self-taught manner. The portfolio I built on my skin eventually helped me get hired at a reputable shop in San Francisco where I continued to learn and my love for tattooing became an obsession.
I am nearly six years into my tattooing career and I am proud of my skill level. There are certain tattooing techniques that required a lot of research and experience to do successfully, and when I reached those milestones, I was sometimes moved to tears. That being said, I have so much more to learn and fine-tune and I am hyper aware of that. I wonder where I will be decades from now and I am excited for the journey, especially as it pertains to my art. My goal is to make and tattoo designs that are trend-setting and unlike others that I’ve seen. In congruence with that I tattoo my original artwork, which tends to be texture and pattern-based and stems from inspiration I find from the natural world. I tattoo large-scale pieces with the hope that my clients’ tattoos feel as if they are part of them, rather than a separate accessory. This year I am also transferring many of my designs onto merchandise which has been a fun experience and allows others to wear my art, even if they are not ready to commit to a tattoo.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I have a lot of return clientele, which is extremely humbling, especially when I consider the level of trust required to let me permanently alter their appearances. Unlike other art forms, my canvas is alive and also in pain so I am aware of the roll that I play when it comes to making them feel as comfortable as possible, Tattooing is a team effort in this regard so it makes sense if we can come out of the experience with a feeling of closeness within a relationship that is still professional. I always try to understand my client’s tattoo journey and guide them accordingly. I encourage them to think big picture, as in, if they will continue to get tattooed, we should have a game plan so that their art is cohesive and they are happy with their skin in the long run.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I think Instagram is still the current most popular platform in terms of tattooing and gaining clientele. Since it is constantly changing, it is important to be educated on the various ways to work the algorithm to your advantage. That is my current task that I have been working on and it has increased outreach for me significantly. That being said, social media can become all-consuming and I encourage those who are just starting to not lose sight of the most important aspects of tattooing including taking care of your clients and producing the best possible art and tattoos. During the pandemic, when the state was in lockdown and I could not work, I spent a lot of my down time scrolling through Instagram and comparing myself to other artists there. I began to feel self-conscious about my own abilities. I handed over my password, and took a month long break from social media to do nothing but create art. During that time, I finally had the mental space to find the art style that I currently tattoo. It also taught me to have a healthy relationship with social media and I’ve been building my audience more successfully with this mindset and authenticity. Instagram can be both a blessing and a curse for tattoo artists, so it is important to use it wisely.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katiemizuno.com
- Instagram: katiemizuno
- Other: My multimedia work can be found on Instagram @___dark_water___ See more at www.darkwater.ink
Image Credits
Photographer: Kento Mizuno