We recently connected with Zach Tso and have shared our conversation below.
Zach , 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 being creative differently! I am interior design by trade, however, I also tattoo, design posters and books, and photograph; having multiple hobbies/disciplines and interest has allowed me to explore different areas of art simultaneously, and if there were ever instances where I feel burnt out in one area, I can shift my focus on developing and exploring other areas.
There were times when I was burnt out in school studying interior design, designing posters @ BadAdviceForGoodPeople (@ba4gp) has allowed me to continue exercising my creativity, only in a different area. And when I felt burnt out designing posters, tattooing (@chain_mail_amor) gives me a chance to use those artistic skills in another area. I bounce back and forth between art disciplines, allowing all of them to influence and inspire each other and in the process, you create something completely new.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a multi-disciplinary artist, interior design by trade, but I am also a self-taught tattoo artist. I began my journey in tattoo at the beginning of the pandemic, early 2020. My friend and I found an online class on tattooing, having gotten tattoos myself and always been interested in the art form, we saw that as a sign to start doing it.
I tattooed my first “live skin” – myself at a new year’s eve party in California. An hour after that I tattooed my buddy in the garage. A year later, I started tattooing for a living to makes ends meet, a stressful start all be it but I got my foot in the door.
In stressful times I find myself tattooing as coping mechanism, I’ve given myself 5 tattoos in 2 months. In a chaotic world where I have no sense of control, I tattoo myself as a way of taking that control back, I seek refuge in the idea that I can reclaim my agency over a small part of my life, over my body, and I tattoo as a form of self healing.
I believe that tattooing is a powerful tool and experience, and one that can connect people across all cultures and experience.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Stay hungry, you are only as big as your ambitions are. Continue practicing, continue improving and continue to be hungry for more.
2. You are what you eat, put in effort to curate who you follow on social media, you can grow so much by removing unuseful followings and begin following art, music and things that inspires you.
3. Be attentive, inspiration can be found everywhere.
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?
Saying goes: “a jack of all trades is a master of none” most people often forget that there is a second part that follows: “but oftentimes better than a master of one”
I think my multi-disciplinary practices has helped me create work that blends that boundaries a lot, and that would not be possible if I solely focus on honing my skills as an interior designer. I’ve come to learn that having one strong suit often falls short handed when that skill doesn’t apply, being more well rounded allows other areas to fill in gaps and allow you to stay creative despite what life throws at you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zachtso.cargo.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_zachtso/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-tso-509b69203/
Image Credits
Portrait: Lucas Tam (@lucastamphoto), https://www.lucastam.com
