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

Xana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I was working in a private studio with my mentor who helped build this business with me. This was a space with very white walls and almost everyone that walked in was there for their appointment. I felt really closed off from so much of the world though the quiet of the shop allowed me to easily make clients feel comfortable in the space and calm. I knew I needed a space that could be inviting and open to the community but maintain a coziness that wouldn’t be overstimulating like a street shop style can quickly become. I really looked into the what defines something as a third space and used that as the basis of what I wanted my shop to be. I’ve created this studio as a space you can come and learn or relax, find out about some of the many amazing artists working in so many mediums in our town. The tattoo element allows all of that to exist rather than being the purpose and that is probably the most unique element of The Artists’ Grove.

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’m Xana a queer tattoo artist and business owner in Denton, TX. I’ve been tattooing for three years now. Tattooing is a long game so I’m relatively new to the industry and I think that’s why I’ve maintained the drive to keep learning new elements of the craft but I hope that isn’t something I lose with time. As an individual artist I usually work in linework or blackwork. I treat my pieces as a collaboration and hope my clients feel the art is as much theirs as mine. I find linework the most interesting style for me because you can spend time building so much texture with different line styles and weights. When working with freedom I like to be more abstract with my pieces with lines that ebb and flow with an organic feel and use skin breaks when it can add something to the piece more than a line will. Though sometimes I also just make weird little guys. As a business my studio is here to be a safe space you can feel comfortable and respected in whether you’re joining us for an event, meeting us as we partner with another local business, or schedule a tattoo with us. My studio is called a Grove because I want my artists to be continually growing and I offer classes for them as well as events for the public like life drawing to make growing and being with community members feel as accessible as possible.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

We’re still pretty new so close calls aren’t as rare as I’d like for them to be just yet. Still looking for my core team of artists. This is a field that requires a lot of grinding to survive and it’s not uncommon for artists to experience burnout or overwhelm from this. I’ve had artists who needed to step back from tattooing or suddenly move and when they go, the burden of what money they were making for the shop falls on me. Months like these I’m spending 70 hours in person at the studio. I usually feel a bit like a printer as I try to put out more and more designs to catch the right person’s eye. These are the weeks I jump from tattooing at the shop for 4 hours then a venue for 8 more not including clean up time at the end. I’m lucky to have a fair amount of established clientele but I don’t have a huge reach and the artists who work with me are often newer artists or new to the area and building clientele. I’m able to push and make enough money to pay all the artists and the bills but this usually means I see little if any of that money. My chronic illness usually also tends to flare up due to stress and pushing my self physically usually means I’ll be out of commission soon after for a bit. It’s all worth it when it works out, but owning a business certainly requires the ability to put in the time, healthy mental health tools, and being really good at money management when things get tight.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Going out and talking to people has been the best way to meet people who want to work with me. Participating in the community goes a long way for having a support group in general but also connects you with people in real life where you can find those who can inspire you or that want to work with you. I try to keep up with social media as well but I think being willing to talk about what I do and listen to others passions has brought me the most clientele. I’ve had to really grow into being okay talking about myself and kind of selling my wares, but even just making friends with strangers at a drag show or a market, has brought forth some very rewarding creative opportunities. At some point I heard Chappelle Roan say we all have to be willing to be a little cringe in order to market ourselves and just allowing myself to be as awkward as I am and excited about what I do when I speak to people has helped me grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartistsgrove.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xanadoos.tattoos/profilecard/?igsh=amowMDN5MnZlYXhj
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xanadoos.tattoos?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theartistsgrovedentontx?si=Ix5wQMr1PA8asb5L
• Other: Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/u/The_Artists_Grove/s/JsoS2jqi4E