We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nic Crawford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nic, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is something that every business owner will experience at some point in their career. As a woman and fineline specialist, the imposter syndrome hit especially hard as I was entering the world of tattooing. The tattoo industry is a heavily male dominated community that has gatekept the skills and talents needed to be successful. The traditional norms surrounding those wanting to learn to tattoo include extensive and unpaid apprenticeships with long hours and disrespectful treatment. For women, these apprenticeships can be abusive and degrading. In regards to the client perspective of tattoos, women have long expressed feeling belittled, uncomfortable, and even assaulted by their male artists in some fashion. Further, the growing popularity of fineline tattoos has been under scrutiny from traditional male artist with claims that they ‘aren’t real’ or ‘won’t last’. Knowing this, women have more recently begun to take an alternative route to empower themselves and learn the art of fineline tattooing without traditional apprenticeships in traditional tattoo shops. I chose the alternative route when beginning my tattoo career and opened my own private suite shortly after learning how to tattoo. I made it my goal to create a safe environment for other women and anyone who might not feel 100% comfortable walking into a traditional tattoo shop. In the beginning of my career I had moments of doubt and days where I felt that I didn’t belong or that I wasn’t good enough. As time progressed I refined my skills and grew my clientele. I began to create monthly flash sheets with designs that were built from client suggestions. These were decently popular but they were not designs I was passionate about drawing. I began to shift and draw flash sheets that catered to my interest. Specifically, Taylor Swift, as I am a fellow Swiftie! This was a big jump for me to be so vulnerable and put my passions out for the world to see. I risked being laughed at and being belittled by traditional male artists for creating feminine, dainty, Taylor inspired designs. Then I reflected on why I wanted to open my own tattoo suite and why I entered this community in the first place. It was to create a safe space for people to be authentically themselves, without fear of judgment. In order to sustain such an environment for my clients, I had to support this belief within myself first. Giving myself the permission to draw designs that were of interest to me, and putting them out for the world to see was the first step in overcoming my imposter syndrome. Showing up for my clients as my authentic self has opened doors and connected me with so many fellow Swifties! I have had the privilege of tattooing women from around the United States with my original Swiftie designs. Over the last year and a half I have grown in my confidence and know that people want to come get a tattoo from me because of who I am, because of the environment that I have created and because I have shown up as my authentic self. I have created a safe space for women who want to get cute, Taylor inspired tattoos without the judgement that is typically projected elsewhere. Finding support and community within my clientele has given me the strength to overcome my imposter syndrome and embrace my passions. I would not be where I am today if I did not have the courage to put myself out there. I am truly grateful for all of my past clients, repeat clients, clients who have traveled over 2,500 miles to see me. I encourage you to always be true to yourself, the right people will find you and support you!
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?
My name is Nic, I’m a fineline tattoo artist. The Ink Bar is my own private suite located in north Peoria, Arizona. I specialize in linework and this coming summer I am expanding my speciality to include stipple shading. My favorite custom designs are handwriting. I have also created several Taylor Swift inspired flash sheets and am a huge Swiftie! My goal in opening The Ink Bar was to create a safe space for the girls, gays, and theys, for the global majority and anyone who might not feel completely comfortable in a traditional tattoo shop. I have created a space for you to be your authentic self where you can share your fun, girly-pop tattoo ideas without judgment. In addition to tattoos, I am also certified in lip blush permanent makeup, areola reconstruction and scar coverage. I also offer permanent jewelry and tooth gems. I have always had a passion for the arts and grew up writing and illustrating my own books. Entering the world of adulthood I followed a more traditional route and became a teacher. I worked in education for seven years before burning out and wanting a more creative outlet. I am currently getting my doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in adult learning. Soon you’ll be able to tell your employer that you have an appointment with a doctor and come get a tattoo without being completely dishonest, haha! I am so grateful to all of my previous clients, my repeat clients, and my future clients who I have yet to connect with! Thank you for trusting me to bring your ideas to life!
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?
Reflecting on my journey as a small business owner, there are a few qualities and skills I am grateful to have implemented from the beginning. The first quality is having clear and firm boundaries. From the beginning, I outlined my business policies and have stuck to them. Whether you are a new client or one of my OG repeat clients, everyone is held to the same policies and procedures. I learned very early on that clients who are comfortable disregarding your policies are not your people. The right clientele will respect you and uphold your policies, always. The second quality is having a group of empowering and supportive women in my corner! I have so many friends who are also fellow business owners and I utilized their knowledge, experience and resources as much as possible when building my brand. It truly takes a village and the industry is very small; networking is essential.
The third quality is persistence. You have to be dedicated to your business and bet on yourself, always. There will be times where you feel like you’re in a rut. The important thing to remember is that one bad day is not forever. Learn from your experiences, and be open to feedback and growth. One piece of advice that has always stuck with me is not to take criticism from those you wouldn’t take advice from. Similarly, don’t listen to criticism from people who are not capable of doing what you do.
I highly recommend surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and support you. Give yourself grace on hard days and trust that you will be successful if you put in the effort to refine your practice.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
I have been extremely fortunate to have the best clients! Most of them are repeats or were referred by a previous client. My ideal client is someone who respects and upholds my policies. Someone who follows the proper steps when inquiring about a tattoo design, providing direction but allowing me to have creative freedom. Someone who has an ideal and realistic budget prepared when inquiring about a tattoo and does not attempt to barter or negotiate pricing. They listen to my recommendations for sizing, detail and placement and are open to my creative and professional opinion. They also follow my recommended aftercare and properly maintain the integrity of their skin and tattoo. My clients are familiar with my speciality and are aware of the vibe at The Ink Bar. It is a safe space for the girls, gays, and theys, for the global majority, and all body types. It is a space where those who do not inherently benefit from the patriarchy are welcome without judgment. My ideal client is someone who is coming to The Ink Bar to be tattooed specifically for the environment that I have created. They have done their research and are coming specifically for me and the speciality that I provide. The Ink Bar is not your traditional tattoo shop and I am not your typical tattoo artist. My clients know this, appreciate this, and respect the space that I have curated for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aztheinkbar.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: az.theinkbar
- Other: TikTok: @az.theinkbar
