We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya Wild a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

My tattoo journey has been extremely lucky—from the timing to having a great mentor and a reputable workplace right off the bat. I was able to earn a living right away, but the bar was pretty low for me as I had only worked minimum wage jobs in the past, and I was living very frugally. I started tattooing in 2020, and when I got licensed and started working, things were just opening back up and everyone was ready for a new tattoo. Plus they had some stimulus money burning holes in their pockets. I started off doing $60 flash and got booked up pretty quickly. Each month I’d put out a new flash sheet and make progressively bigger, more complex designs that I could charge more for while intentionally practicing new techniques. The Covid wave carried me until I became established enough to get by—even now, when tattoo business has been pretty slow for a lot of people. I’m super thankful to be staying afloat in uncertain economic times.

Maya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Maya Wild, and I’m at tattoo artist at Sub Rosa Tattoo Studio in Grants Pass, Oregon. I was always artsy and I felt an urge to decorate skin from a young age. I think it’s an intrinsically human urge that we’ve had for thousands of years. I take my clients ideas and turn them into body adornments that complement their body and portray their personality. The best compliment I can receive is when someone says they feel like the tattoo was always supposed to be there, or that they feel more like themself afterward. I’m very attracted to ornamental designs—shapes, patterns, mandalas and design work. I’m also a sucker for critters, bones and plants. Anything nature related really!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Oftentimes when people first come in to get a tattoo, they can be pretty nervous about the artwork, the environment or how they’ll be treated. It’s super rewarding to be able provide a setting where they can relax, be heard and understood, and go through the sometimes intense process of getting tattooed without judgement. It’s a good sign when I’ve just spent hours poking someone with needles and they still look forward to the next time!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My tattoo journey is just beginning, and I look forward to many more years and lessons to come. My main drive is to grow and nurture my skills as much as possible. Sometimes I get impatient and wish that I could skip ahead to some skill level that’s way down the line. But I know that things happen one lesson at a time and when it comes down to it, I wouldn’t have it any other way. We have so much technology that allows us to advance very quickly nowadays and I’m still learning to utilize the tools I have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Mayawildart.com
• Instagram: https://maya.wild.art

Image Credits

Nic Lebrun
Maya Uribe
Jorden Elizondo