We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lexi Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lexi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.
Before I was able to start charging for my work, I had to complete several practice tattoos on my family. Thankfully, I was able to get those done rather quickly and move on to my next daunting task- tattooing someone I don’t know. It was a family of three that wanted to get a memorial tattoo. The design was the handwriting of a passed family member, along with their birth and death date. I remember that I was told a few weeks ahead of time and I would constantly practice the design on fake skin.
The day arrived and I was so nervous! This was my first time doing the entire process myself. I had to set up my station, walk through the paperwork with each person, stencil the design, and finally tattoo it. Once I had the needle on my client’s skin, all my worries disappeared. Everything felt natural and went extremely well! All three of them were happy with their tattoos, and they even reached out to let me touch-up their ink once I had begun to improve. It was exciting to not only have my first paycheck from tattooing, but to also know that people were interested in my work.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Lexi and I run Delicate Ink Tattoo. My mentor, Mad Ink by Stripes, welcomed me into her space and allowed me to create my own tattoo business. She and I both provide tattoo services, specializing in fine-line work.
I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist since I was around 13. At first, it was just an idea I was throwing around, nothing too serious or set in stone. As I got older I became more interested in the field, watching countless shows and videos on the art of tattooing. Eventually, I received a practice machine as a gift and things began to fall into place.
When starting something new—a hobby, a job, a side hustle—you’re not amazing at the get-go. I have had my fair share of torn-up fake skin, bent needles, etc. But that never stopped me from trying! Once I had the opportunity to pursue an apprenticeship years later, I was extremely motivated to make it in this field.
Being both women in this field, we find it important to make our clients feel safe. We want our clients to feel welcome in our space and not be afraid to express themselves. Getting tattooed is a very vulnerable thing to do, and we want those who want our services to be able to open up to us. I am very proud of all the special, meaningful tattoos that I have been chosen to do.
Even though I am constantly learning, I am very grateful to those who have let me practice on them. In years time, my hope is that Delicate Ink Tattoo will continue to thrive in the tattoo community and that I will be able to tattoo for many decades to come!
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
One of the hardest things in tattooing is keeping a steady clientele. It is critical to present yourself professionally, but also be able to create a relationship with your client. I try my best to walk my clients through my process and ensure them that I want to create an enjoyable experience. Especially since I am new to the field, it’s important to build that trust and to show my clients that I’m here to create a piece unique to them.
After each tattoo that I do, whether it’s a new piece, a WIP, or a touch-up, I will post it. I usually upload pictures from the session to my social media stories, that way people can quickly see the work I have done that day. I have had a few instances where people will respond to those photos and book with me or congratulate me on my art. This also shows that I am willing to post my work, no matter what the status, and show off the design my client chose. At the end of each month, I will do a large post and show off every tattoo that I had done. My hope is that when my clients see their tattoos posted, they are proud and happy of the work I have done for them.
As I keep improving, I notice I have an influx of repeat clients or referrals from past customers. It’s refreshing to see familiar faces and either give them a new piece or add on to something we have already started. Posting my improvement seems to help me garner more interest, and I am always honest about where I am in my skill level.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of my career is seeing my work come to life. Tattooing is a difficult, nerve-wracking job and watching a piece come to life is amazing. From the initial drawing to the stencil to finally seeing the finished piece, I can’t help but feel proud of my work. Having the support of my client helps as well, as I can gauge how I did based on their reaction. I can only hope my clients leave the studio happy and excited!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://webteam.my.canva.site/home
- Instagram: @_deliacte.ink
- Facebook: Delicate Ink Tattoo
