We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phangs. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phangs below.

Hi Phangs, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

For creatives, I believe it takes a combination of passion and self-discipline to become successful. Passion provides innate motivation and drive, while self-discipline allows you to actively and consistently pursue it.

Enduring my apprenticeship was one of the most difficult points of my career, and I would not have gotten through that time period without the combination of passion for tattooing and the self-discipline to show up every day to improve. There were many moments where I felt lost due to feelings of inadequacy and frustration. But to succeed and surpass those difficult beginnings, I believe it is crucial to have a genuine enthusiasm for your craft and to remember to keep that fire alive.

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.

I am a tattoo artist currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with occasional guest spots in San Diego. When I was in high school, I discovered the art and culture of tattoos in magazines at my favorite bookstore. The art style really resonated within me, and since then made it my lifelong dream to become a tattooer.

I have always been fascinated with utilizing the human body as a canvas. With my clients, I focus on how the tattoo can flow with their body’s landscape and to find a natural composition that works well. My art style also has a more graphic look in which I use a lot of thick line weights, to ensure legibility from afar as well as longevity of the tattoo. However, in my art I also try to capture finer details to add more complexity to the design. I’m most interested in Japanese style tattoos and neotraditional.

I’m most proud of how far I have come as a tattooer – being Asian and female, it was difficult for me to find other tattooers (or artists in general) whom I could look up to. If I was born at an earlier time period, becoming a tattooer would literally have been an impossibility, due to rampant sexism in the industry. However, I’m proud that I persevered through my apprenticeship and am able to exist in the tattoo world. I hope to inspire and show other younger female artists that there is a space in this industry for them as well.

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

That this is a lifestyle, and not just a career path. For many, being an artist/designer/tattooer is a job that pays the bills (which, for me, it is as well). However, I consider my passion for tattooing to encompass the majority of my life – it is the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last when I go to bed every night. We sacrifice much of our time in other commitments to pursue tattooing, and to improve a little bit more than the day before. I have an obsession with drawing and tattooing, and it is what I live and breathe for. In addition to this, most creatives are self-employed people. This comes with other responsibilities, labor, and mindset that I believe 9-5 employees may not understand.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I get to live my dream job every day while I am alive. I can survive and make a living in this world by doing what I love. Growing up, I have been told countless times from loved ones and from society that it is unrealistic to pursue art. Although I understand where these comments are coming from, as this path can be extremely difficult and uncertain, I also believe that if you love something enough you will make it happen at any cost.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phangs__/?hl=en
• Other: Email for inquiries: [email protected]