Meet Anna Kovalenko

We were lucky to catch up with Anna Kovalenko recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anna , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity is like a muscle. Of course, you might have some “athletic ability” from the beginning, but in most cases, it’s daily work. The secret is not to think of it as a job — better to think of it as a game. This skill definitely improves with practice.

I wasn’t very creative as a child. For many years in art school, composition — the discipline that opens up your creativity — was the hardest for me. That feeling of a white canvas in front of you and no specific task. I felt stuck. My imagination felt constrained. Each time, it was a disaster.

How do you start? With an idea or an emotion? With a figurative composition or something abstract? So many options. So many choices. Because it could be anything, you do nothing. You get stuck.

So, the best thing I’ve learned over the years is this: it doesn’t matter which first step you choose or what medium you use — just start. Make the first move. Any move or action. Then you have options: either you like it and continue, or you don’t and start over. It helps you understand what you like and improve on it. In both cases, what you gain is experience — the most valuable thing.

It’s much better than staring at a white canvas.

And remember, creativity is a muscle. It gets easier and faster with time. You start to feel freer.
The more books you read, the more museums you visit, the more you travel to different countries and continents — all of it influences your creativity.

And one more thing that helps me: listen to your customers. They might bring you strange or crazy ideas — something you’d never think of yourself. Combine that with your imagination, and you get something new, but still in your own style.

Sometimes, collaboration — or even just a conversation — with my colleagues gives me a lot of energy and inspiration.

Staying curious about life and always wondering “what if?” — that’s the key to creativity.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, and for the last 7 years, I’ve been working as a tattoo artist. I think it’s one of the most interesting jobs in the world. Just imagine—another person trusts you so much that they allow you to create something on their skin that will stay there forever. Goosebumps. Absolutely incredible.

Or even better—someone sees a person with your tattoo and says, “I know the tattoo artist who did that!” Breathtaking. One sentence that means so much. It means you have your own style; your art is recognizable. What could be better?
Well, there is something even better—believe me. It’s the happy eyes of your customers, the way they start to see themselves differently. Especially if someone had scars that we cover with tattoos. Or if the person didn’t like how they looked before. If someone loves your art on their body, they start to love their body too. So simple, it’s hard to believe.

This is why I love to create big projects, like full-arm or full-leg tattoos. The impact on the body is huge—and so is the trust and connection with your customer.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’d say persistence is the main quality. Quite often, you won’t see any results. You might feel like you’re stuck. Don’t stop. Try not to stress too much — just keep going. Progress is not a smooth curve; it usually comes in leaps.

Second — don’t compare yourself to others. You can get inspiration or a push from them, but compare yourself only to your past self. There are plenty of people who are better than you in many aspects, and plenty who are worse. Don’t think in those terms — you’ll either get depressed or start showing off.

And finally — you will succeed. There is no other option. Maybe it will look different from your initial plan, but you will succeed. I believe in you. Follow your passion. Daily. And you’ll 100% succeed.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I love reading biographies, especially about artists. They open up their world — their struggles and triumphs. You begin to understand that it’s so much more than just “of course, he/she had talent.”

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone is a historical novel about Michelangelo — a true gem. I read it when I was 17. The book is pure inspiration. It also helps you understand what it really means to “work hard” and “have passion.”

Michelangelo constantly studied, dissected cadavers to learn anatomy, and sculpted every time he had a piece of marble.

Talent is just the beginning — daily discipline creates genius. Nothing comes from nowhere. Don’t wait for inspiration or a miracle. Shape your future with your own hands.

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