We recently connected with Olivia Tawzer and have shared our conversation below.
Olivia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve always loved tattoos. As a kid, I had a jar, labeled “TATOO MONEY” that I would put spare change in to save up for when I was old enough to get them. I was also the kid who was always drawing horses at recess and trying to sell printed-out copies of my art on cheap paper. I pursued art in college, choosing painting and drawing as my major. I also started getting tattoos. My dad mountain biked with a tattoo artist named Duffy, so I started going to him. I drew the designs that I wanted tattooed, and we talked about art during my appointments. I asked him what it would take for me to be a tattoo artist and learned that I would have to have a mentor agree to teach me for a year before they could sign off on me. I told him I wanted to tattoo, but the shop owner told me to focus on college and check back in if I was still interested. This went on for three years: me getting a tattoo, mentioning I was interested, and politely being told there was no space for me. However, the summer before my last year of college, I was getting a tattoo and telling Duffy about how much I hated my insurance job and basically told him I would email my two weeks in right then and there if he would let me apprentice under him. A few days later, I got a text that he had talked to his boss, and I was in! During my last year of college, I worked evenings and weekends at the shop. Apprenticeships are like college, but instead of paying tuition, you volunteer your time and labor to the shop. I was also working as a delivery driver for Door Dash in my spare time to pay my bills. At this point, almost a year after getting my license, I make a full-time living off of tattooing. The great thing about this business is that the general public is more willing to pay for tattoos than other forms of art. Businesses can try to take advantage of artists and underpay them for things like branding, murals, paintings for their lobbies, etc, but no one is going to ask you to do a tattoo for free for “exposure” or “advertisement”. This allows me to not put pressure on myself to make money through my paintings (though that would obviously be wonderful) and just focus on creating for myself. Instagram is very important for my business, and I bring in most of my clients this way. I make my own schedule, and can pretty much work how ever much or little I want to. Being in control of my schedule has allowed me to devote specific days to painting studio time every week. This freedom has allowed me to cultivate my voice as an artist, and I am starting to get new opportunities like being invited to show at galleries outside of my city and being accepted into my first residency. I hope to be able to supplement my income with art sales in the future, but for now, I am grateful for the flexibility and income I receive working as a tattoo artist.
Olivia, 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?
I got into tattooing by being very persistent and showing I was constantly working towards improving my drawing skills. I was told “no” for three years before I secured an apprenticeship. In jobs that are competitive (all creative jobs), making sure you’re the first person on someone’s mind when an opportunity opens up is how you get success. I had to be very patient, and at times I felt annoying, but it paid off and now I have my dream job and work for myself. The squeaky wheel gets the oil! My job pays well, but it requires me to be self-driven and a good time manager if I want to balance it with other creative pursuits, my health, and my social life. I spend more time corresponding with clients, scheduling appointments, and designing tattoos than I do actually tattooing, which is the only part of my job that I get paid for. I have had to think about what my boundaries are and how I can streamline this process to work best for me. Right now, that looks like a form I have people fill out, where I state what I expect from my clients and what they can expect from me in return. Tattooing requires a lot of trust, and I don’t take that lightly, but at the end of the day I’m not the artist for everyone, and that’s okay. The scariest part about tattooing is the possibility of making a mistake, but I have learned that the best way to avoid this, especially as a new tattooer, is to be transparent with your clients about your skill level and experience and to let them know you will do your best to make them happy but they always have the right to walk away. I am most proud of the personal style I have been able to create through my designs. This has created a return customer base who genuinely like my style and want to collect my tattoos. Another amazing thing about tattooing is that I can barter with other artists/entrepreneurs for their goods and services. For example, I tattooed a nail technician, loved her work, and now we trade and I get my nails for free and she gets a huge discount on tattoos. My main hesitation with tattooing is that it’s a job with a lot of homework, and I am more well known in my city for tattoos than for painting. I love tattooing, but painting is where my heart is, so it’s always a balance of where I can put my time to feel the most fulfilled. In both painting and tattooing, I get to meet amazing people, have vulnerable conversations, and learn more about what it means to be a human trying to make it, so I am just very grateful that the things I spend the most time doing reward me in this way.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Show up. People make art to be seen. Try to stay aware of shows, talks, and other events happening in your city that you can support. If you start going to events, you will notice who in your community shares your interests. Also, openings are the best times to actually meet new artists and make connections that can aid you in the future. With art, I really think the support you give is the support you end up receiving, so always hype people up when they get opportunities and trust that if you keep on working towards a goal eventually you will reach it. Also, I think the DIY spaces people make are so important. Art can feel exclusive sometimes, so if you see a need in your community, you can be the person to provide it! I have a friend whose roommate’s dad had an unused warehouse, and they started hosting a monthly art variety hour that invites any type of creative to come and talk about their work, and I have become familiar with so many new local artists because of this. Also, the more intersectional spaces we can create, the more vibrant and complex our creative community will become.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Feeling connected to others. I feel seen when people engage with my art, and I feel like a part of a community when I listen to others. In tattooing, people are vulnerable with me all the time and it can be really special to make a tattoo for someone when it means so much to them. In painting, it’s so validating to know people are connecting to my experiences and what I have to say. I feel so blessed that I can make a living creating art.
Contact Info:
- Website: oliviatawzer.com
- Instagram: @oliviatawzertattoo / @oliviatawzer.art