Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay Swietkoski.
Hi kay, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up I was always known as the artsy kid. I have expressed myself with creative outlets ever since I can remember. From drawing to painting, singing to cosplaying, art is a big part of who I am. When I was in high school I was terrified of graduating and going out into the “real world.” I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I was going to go. However, one day my boyfriend and I decided to check out a new tattoo shop down the street. On his arm is a tattoo that I had designed, and as we were talking to the owner, Wolf, my boyfriend mentioned that I had drawn it up. Wolf showed interest in the fact that I drew and asked to see some of my work. Luckily I had plenty of my artwork to show on hand via my phone. We went through my artwork together and something I never would have expected happened. He offered me an apprenticeship. I had shown interest in learning how to tattoo previously and had looked around for someone who was willing to mentor me. After being turned down several times, and in not so nice ways, I had honestly given up. So being offered this apprenticeship felt unreal. I came home and said to my parents, “Guess what?” They expected to see a new tattoo, and instead got the exciting news that I had been offered an apprenticeship. From then on I wanted to put my everything into learning the craft. I had my ups and downs, my mistakes and my success. I continue to do so today. But the best part about tattooing is that you are always learning. I love that there is always something new to learn and to improve. Being only 20 years old I am extremely grateful to the opportunities I have been given and I am excited to see where we go from here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have had a lot of moments where I have been unsure if this is what I am meant to be doing. Trying to figure out if I am going to do any good at this, or if I am just riding on a dream that is not meant to be. I still struggle with my confidence some days. It is hard for me not to feel imposter syndrome, and I am extremely critical of every thing I do. While this pushes me to work harder and do better, it also tears me down from time to time. Building resilience and perseverance has been such a learning curve for me, and I continue to do so today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to work with many different styles of tattooing. Color is fun but black and gray is so beautiful to me as well. I love cartoony and dark designs, a little bit of edge is my favorite. While I do a lot of finer line type tattoos, I also love to do big and bold designs. Getting to fill up a big space with one cohesive idea is so satisfying and fun. I love to create a comfortable and fun environment for my clients. From a relaxing room and fun music, to banter and deep conversations, each client will have my attention and patience throughout the whole experience. I hope to give everyone a lovely experience that’ll make them want to come back.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
As someone so new to the industry that has already changed so much in the last 5-10 years, I am mostly just excited to see where things go. I am unsure how things will change or improve but I am ready for it and am excited to be a part of it. I think new styles and techniques are the most exciting, on top of new potential tools for us.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bugg.bitez/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CS6f4soTb/
