We were lucky to catch up with Keith Kiernan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Keith, 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?
By creating more, doing more and motivating myself to do something creative when I don’t feel motivated. Sometimes even then some of my best ideas come to life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve been an artist, as long as I can remember Ive been drawing since I could hold a pencil/pen and I would draw everything and anything. I got into comics and cartoons and would draw my favorite characters. I’d draw people or animals and just have always enjoyed learning as I finished another drawing.
Going into college I started out at a community college for an associate degree and later transferred to an art college.
It wasn’t long till I came across tattooing. I’ve always been interested and mystified by the art form and process. I looked at magazines and books before social media was a thing. I started my first apprenticeship in 2010 after walking into a street shop. They had many apprentices before me that didn’t last long but go figure I was one of their first that could actually draw decently so they had me draw stencils at the time before I used a thermofax. Going forward I moved from this shop after a couple months and was asked by my mentor at the time to work for him at his own shop.
After a year in of my apprenticeship, I’d help build this shop, I was helping with floor tiles, drywall, painting walls and after the shop opened I did a lot of grunt work from from scrubbing tubes, cleaning the shop, going on missions and even spinning a sign on the street curb. At one time after opening I went around town with flyers on my skateboard. I would be at the shop 6 to 7 days a week from noon to close.
Unfortunately being in school and having a side job this was no easy task! I found myself being cut thin and not progressing at all in my tattooing. My art wasn’t growing I lacked motivation or any inspiration at this shop. The other artists all had attitudes and drama and I was over being hazed at this point. I was forced to quit my first apprenticeship given these circumstances.
I went back to school and tried to finish my bachelor’s degree at the school I transferred to. This was 2012 I was back at square one.
after another few years I tried tattooing here and there I tried to get a job at a shop but I still needed to learn and develop more with my tattooing.
It wasn’t till my last year in college that I ran out of all my student loans and not even my scholarship or grants would cover finishing school. I felt robbed and like I wasted my time and money and it would be something I’d pay for years later. I didn’t give up though! During classes doing projects I realized how much my art was more leaning toward tattooing and I couldn’t ever really get away from it. I’d hear about it from conversations I’d have my peers talk about it and I ran into tattooers all the time. It’s like the universe was telling me something. So eventually I decided to start over. I went to a different shop and I told them what I knew but I just needed to get this and do it all right. I faced many failures and struggles and my dignity was left at the door but this type of training truly shaped me and I didn’t notice it until after I started professionally tattooing that I developed a respect and work ethic for this industry. I truly care about doing good tattoos for my clients. We do this for our clients even if it’s art I produce that they appreciate it’s them wearing it for life so it dawned on me how important and cool that is. I love what I do and I’ll always be learning and growing I won’t ever stop trying to grow and not just be stagnant. My goal is to do every tattoo I did last that the next one will be better.
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?
Looking back I believe that what I wish I had done before going into my first apprenticeship. Was that I did more research on what to expect and what artists and shops I could look into and getting tattooed by them before even attempting to ask about an apprenticeship. What I had discovered by not doing that I got accepted into a shop as someone that was used for labor over education and the education part was less than the shop work. Which is also an important part of the job and is all valid for your future career. It’s like the karate kid wax on wax off paint the fence all that is like being in an apprenticeship and the labor is part of that education so I don’t discount that in my experience. However, I still think that I could have done some more digging and created some familiarity with the artists I wanted to learn from before just walking in with a portfolio. Even if that is your reason for going in it’s better to get your foot in by making connections with the artist and shop you vibe with.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Im gonna have to give my mentors teachers and friends and family that hand. Just because it was those people that shaped me. The good and the bad, some times embarrassing or shameful times it was all worth it because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Those that struggle the most can either grow to be the strongest or be defeated, either way there’s only one way to go and that’s forward. However long it takes to figure out that path karma follows. I can say I learned that from these people and learned it the hard way. I feel at times kinda like a late bloomer because the fact I did multiple apprenticeships, schools and jobs to get my feet on the ground. I can say now after taking my time and determining my goals, I transformed poison into medicine and was able to stabilize my foundation. I truly owe that to my family, friends, peers and mentors.
Contact Info:
- Website: Deaddrifttattoo.com
- Instagram: Keithkirin_tattoos
- Facebook: Keith J Kiernan
Image Credits
Pictures come from photos I’ve personally taken and posted onto my social media. Facebook and instagram.
