Meet Darcell Clinton

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

Hi Darcell, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

Any accomplishment I have achieved in my life was solely out of spite. Now, as bitter as this may sound, it is true and should not always be perceived in such a negative light. I am a self-made business owner, pursuing higher education and I have yet to touch my twenties. Out of all options, I chose to follow the industry of body art which is a heavily male and white-dominated field. Even though the population of young, black, female tattoo artists continues to grow, most of the time it results from the support of strangers who see their potential. Therefore, it is a mission of mine to show out for the same 16-year-old girl who found a passion for ink with nothing but humble beginnings and slender support from friends and family.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Born and raised in the garden (state of New Jersey), Inkbunnii is a self-taught rising tattoo artist who believes connection in expression is a blessing. It all started at 16 years old while the world was still recovering from the global pandemic. I had fallen in love with tattoos and piercings after going with a friend to her tattoo appointment and binge-watching Ink Master. My mother did not want strangers in the house, so I had the opportunity of building clientele since she had just given birth to my little sisters. Fortunately, that allowed me to avoid the negative “home tattoo artist” stigma.
Tattoo shops would turn their backs on me because I was a minor. Regardless, apprenticeships are not always easy to come across in general. I had no choice but to travel to the clients who would see my mediocre work and give me a chance to make something great. The main downside was that I could not drive yet so I heavily relied on public transportation as I continuously learned on my own, made connections, and built my clientele from the ground up. All of these barriers made it clearer to me every day that tattoos and body modifications were so much more than the dramatized version released on television.
Clawing my way to the top as a young black woman in a white male-dominated field was something I never thought I would have to struggle with while trying to share my passion for art. It is a mission of mine to make sure that one more person each day can appreciate the art and creativity that lie on the backs of black women. Three years later, I was hired as a new artist for Blue Bird Tattoo Gallery as I studied to obtain my business degree. My journey is just beginning as my newly found joys subsides in connecting with other business owners and local creatives. Therefore, I plan to host interactive community events and collaborate with more talented individuals who have wild dreams they are craving to bring to life. In my world, expression Is endless.

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?

The most impactful pieces of knowledge I have ever received in my career were to invest, promote, and connect. These three components may seem simple, but following through with them can be more work than people assume. When investing is mentioned, I do not mean investing your wealth; I am talking about equipment. Constantly investing in your equipment allows you to see your full potential as an artist. Low-quality materials can play a big role in holding your artistic skills back so you must upgrade your materials, which results in an overall investment of yourself.
The second and third traits of promoting and connecting go hand-in-hand when chasing success. Talent is unlimited; everyone has something that they are brilliant at. However, talent and skill can only get you so far when promoting and connecting comes into play. The ability to put yourself out there makes the individual recognizable and unforgettable. Current studies show that extroverted people are 25% more likely to land opportunities due to their confidence and increased chances of meeting people. If you are introverted, this does not mean your personality will hold you back from success! Nonetheless, you never know what valuable person you might be talking about your business to. They could be an agent or investor interested in giving you that big break to change your life.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

It is crucial to work on being well-rounded by improving in other areas. Doing so will open doors for new connections and opportunities with all sorts of demographics. Additionally, it is almost important to remember that comfort is not always positive. If you do not feel at least a little uncomfortable, anxious, or fearful of failure about trying something new then this means you are not pushing forward the proper way. Growth was never about comfortability.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/inkbunnii
• Instagram: @_inkbunnii

Image Credits

Snowtastic Shots and Chase Alaina