We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Max Chenxi Cao a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Max Chenxi, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Overall, I believe my confidence and self-esteem stem from recognizing that what I do is meaningful—especially when it not only fulfills me but also benefits others. Reflecting back, the first time I genuinely felt confident was after I transferred schools in fifth grade. I got involved in various campus activities, contributing to the community and helping teachers and classmates, which earned me recognition and appreciation. Experiencing the joy of helping others left a lasting impression, and perhaps due to my young age at the time, I developed a tendency toward people-pleasing.
As I grew older, I began to look inward. Being a sensitive person, I realized that overextending myself for everything and everyone was also draining. In recent years, I’ve become more intentional about putting my own feelings first. I still love helping others, but now I pay more attention to whether it’s something I genuinely want to do and whether it holds personal meaning for me. Gradually, I’ve developed a more complete understanding of myself and am now very clear about where my confidence and self-esteem truly come from.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m currently focused on building a career as a tattoo artist, an art form I’ve been drawn to since middle school. After getting my first tattoo in my freshman year of college, I formed a close friendship with my tattoo artist, who introduced me to the world of tattooing. As someone who’s always loved drawing figures, I’m captivated by the way our bodies display natural balance, harmony, and the flowing curves of their forms.
Rather than using tattoos to make bold statements, I see them as adornments that enhance the body’s natural beauty—like a piece of jewelry that gracefully follows the lines of the neck or chest. My designs are meant to complement the skin, coming to life only in harmony with the body’s own elegance and form.
Recently I just started producing some video clips to document my experiences in tattooing. Both the documentation and editing parts comfort me as a tattoo artist an observer of life.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As someone still finding their way, I believe that the most essential qualities for growth are consistent practice and a bold heart. Practice is critical for a tattoo artist, given the permanent nature of our work and the responsibility we hold in caring for others’ bodies. At the same time, once we’re prepared to make that commitment, we should carry a sense of confidence and bravery. Mistakes may happen, but the fear of making them can be more intimidating than the errors themselves. Even when we stumble, most things can be fixed. Mistakes, after all, are there to teach us.
Another key aspect is discovering our personal style. I used to ask my teachers and professors constantly, “How do I find my own style?” There was never a single answer, but I eventually found it through continuous drawing. Style is something that naturally emerges; it’s often present in those spontaneous images we sketch without overthinking. When we find a style we can return to again and again without losing interest, we’re onto something with the potential to become truly unique.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
As a recent college graduate, I’m incredibly grateful to have a full-time job as a graphic designer while continuing to build my side hustle as a tattoo artist. Lately, I’ve been focusing more on putting myself out there, especially on social media. I understand how essential algorithms and online marketing are, yet I’m still excited and eager to try out different strategies and explore new possibilities to build my own online presence. My biggest challenge now is figuring out how to finish everything I want with the limited energy I have. Managing energy is definitely tricky when you want to accomplish so much!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://maxchenxi.cargo.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maimaitatt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-chenxi-cao-20158a23a/
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