We were lucky to catch up with Mila Franco recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mila, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Ever since I was a child, my parents were very supportive of my artistic pursuits. They turned one of our walls into a “gallery” of my art, which really made me feel proud, and encouraged me to try to fill up the whole wall. My dad is also an artisan and loves what he does, so when I was a kid I just thought that people chose jobs based on what they love to do. I eventually saw the reality show NY Ink, which is about tattoo artists. Watching those artists doing what they enjoyed and seeming to live nice lives, I thought, “If they can all have a nice life doing what they love, maybe I can too.”

Mila, 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?

I’m Mila, a tattoo artist in NYC. I love the little things in life: bread, tea, coffee, and my new lamp from Ikea that looks like a donut. I love libraries and museums, and also I grew up in Colombia, so I’m very attached to and inspired by nature. My style is illustrative, inspired by fantasy storytelling, art nouveau, and Colombian folk art. I like animals and bugs, and like to incorporate them into my art because they are the essence of life itself; if you strip away civilization, all that’s left are bugs, animals, nature, and death. I love creating designs that capture emotions and individuality with a nostalgic touch—tattoos that feel like heirlooms, a moment in time, or cherished memories.

In college, I was more interested in drawing than in studying. There were more drawings in my notebook than notes! Once, when I skipped class to get tattooed, I left my notebook open and my tattoo artist said “f___ yeah, do you want to learn how to tattoo?” So of course I said yes!

It makes me really happy to see people happy and excited about the tattoo I gave them. It’s an incredible honor to have someone trust you with their health, their body, their skin. To me, tattoos are like decorating your house: adding a nice porch, or nice lights. For some people, tattoos are a way to increase your love and respect for your own body. I’m honored to be a part of that process.

One of my favorite parts of being a tattoo artist is chatting with clients and learning the stories behind their ideas. It helps me craft tattoos that truly reflect their emotions and experiences. What I’m most proud of, though, is carrying on the artisan legacy of my family. My ancestors worked with leather, wood, and metal, and now I continue that lineage as a tattoo artisan.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Discipline is the most underrated quality for an artist. You can be super talented, but if you don’t have the discipline to keep practicing and learning, others who do have discipline will surpass you. It’s a constant process of learning and working on your skills: both artistic skills and soft skills. You have to constantly keep up with new technology, trends, changes in culture, but also practice the basics of drawing, every day if possible. Even if it’s just doing a sheet full of circles, that will help you stay on top of your field. Practicing is also a way to explore new things you can do with your art.

Non-tattoo-artists might be surprised at how physically and mentally demanding the profession is. You have to take good care of your body and mind to be able to be present and tattoo for hours straight. I think of being a tattoo artist as sort of being an artist-athlete.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a tattoo artist is seeing my client’s reactions to the finished piece. There’s nothing quite like watching their faces light up with happiness and excitement. Moments like that make all the hours of studying, researching, and perfecting designs completely worth it. Knowing that my work resonates with someone on such a personal level is what drives me to keep pushing my creativity and delivering the best experience I can.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milafrancotattoo/