Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Ivy.
Hi Alex, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story of how I became a tattoo studio owner is not conventional by any means. I have always done art growing up and I always had random businesses from the age of 13. But I did not think to put the two together for quite some time.
When I was freshly an adult and working on a design, an old-school biker came up and asked if I wanted to learn how to tattoo. I thought it sounded interesting and took him up on his offer. I soon learned that he had no formal training and had learned in prison. He created his own tattoo machine for a blow, dryer motor, unwrapped, and filed guitar strings into needles, and created his own pigments. For as wild as that sounds, I was very impressed at his ingenuity, and that these things actually worked. The funny thing is, the style of his machine is now the style that most of us use today working with a rotary and pen style machine as opposed to a coil machine. He was ahead of his time and didn’t even know it.
After working with him for a while and being put in precarious situations, I quickly learned that this was not the best way to go about learning the craft. Although I will say, about 20 years later, and still doing it, I have used every single thing he taught me at some point throughout my career.
I went on to get professional of apprenticeships and learned everywhere I went. Every teacher and Mentor that I had taught me something different and in the end, I discovered that I was very different than most people within the industry. I’m not super edgy or fit in with the typical crowd. But I found a lot of wonderful people there.
Because I couldn’t find a place that was just my flavor, I decided to strike out on my own and create my own space. Along the way, I discovered that a lot of people were looking for exactly what I offered. A peaceful, non-intimidating, creative and relaxed space. I’ve never cared much about being the coolest or most intimidating person in the group. I just wanted to space where I fit and in doing so I hand build a team of people like-minded that has turned out to be one of the best teams I could’ve imagined. We have had so many achievements over the years from global recognition in magazines to awards within our city and regional awards as well. Being a business owner is never easy, but I would rather be doing this with the team I have than anything else. It really is true that the people around you have a direct effect on your quality of life. And I’m happy to say that I am thrilled with the people that surround me. I am grateful every day for my studio, the reputation we have all built within it and the quality art and piercings produced from it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any business owner can say it has been a smooth road. When I started, I was not in a great place with my health, but it was necessary for me to strike out on my own so I could control the chemicals within my environment. I ended up in a space that unfortunately had chemical leaks from different businesses connected within the building. One being a hair salon and other being a car painting warehouse. The fumes would seep into my upstairs space which caused even more massive health issues. We also learned that the walls had been painted with lead paint and my health quickly failed to the point of needing to relocate.
I had to move locations within a year of starting up. It was a beautiful surprise when I found the location I am currently in. I was so excited for a clean environment and an opportunity to grow with a large larger space.
Unfortunately, the neighbors there had chemical issues of their own, which seeped into our space consistently making people sick. It took several years, but we finally have that under control as well.
There are so many unforeseen risks and expenses, when starting any kind of business. From build outs to leases, furnishing and replacing broken things. The expenses of inventory and everything in between.
I had not been opened very long before Covid hit, and we were shut down for three months. Then later that year catching covid and being out for two months myself. A lot of really amazing studios went out of business during that time and it was very sad to see. Fortunately, I was prepared enough that we survived through it.
But there were so many ups and downs along the way. Staff coming and going, landlord, issues, and simply inconsistent seasons, as anyone in the tattoo industry is aware. But somehow we are still standing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my training, I believe I was trained to be a well-rounded Tattoo Artist. I can do a plethora of styles without being stuck in one specialty.
But somewhere along the way I had someone come to me with a terrible scar. It was a skin transplant that was needed after a terrible motorcycle crash. I had never worked with skin this different or damaged and they said no Artist was willing to work with them and they just wanted it covered. Unfortunately, at the time I had to turn him down because I had no experience or support in learning how to work on scars. I often think about him and wish I knew him now so I could help him now that I have experience.
Along the way I had multiple others have come to me and they allowed me to practice on their scars, knowing full well that I did not have the experience to do so. I learned a lot and everyone left so happy and feeling better about themselves that it became a passion of mine. I now specialize in scar covers as it is not something many artists can do. I will say a majority of them are self-harm scars. When we cover them, it is a way for them to move on from their past with something more beautiful. The scar is no longer the first thing people see and when they leave with the art, it’s like watching a new person walk out the door. While I spend this time with them, they also share with me their story which can often be incredibly emotional, but also cleansing for them. It’s something incredibly tense, but special that I fell into. It is always a bit nerve-racking when I get a new kind of scar to work on that challenges me because I don’t wanna make something painful worse be emotional or physical. I have received so many referrals for this that I found it to be a very important part of tattooing. It’s not just about getting something fun on the skin, altering your skin can alter your life.
Aside from that, I do enjoy doing black and gray realism as well.
What matters most to you?
I guess it depends on what we are referring to. As far as what matters in life in general, it is definitely my family. We are all very close and I would not have gotten this far without them. Most everything I do is wrapped around the best interest of them and our future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.ivyinktattoo.com
- Instagram: @ivy_ink_tattoo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IvyInkAndCraft
- Youtube: @ivyinktattoo8097
