Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Spice.
Hi Meagan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My whole life, I have always been an artist. In high school, I excelled in art and digital design. My mindset was to go to college for digital design but I had some mishaps with admissions and just never went. I started getting tattooed at 20 and made friends with local tattoo artists. I started participating in local art shows for charity events and getting my name out there. I found a job as a front desk receptionist for a Greenville tattoo shop to get my foot in the door. I started drawing tattoo designs/flash and made a good following for myself on instagram. I worked at that shop for a few years but an apprenticeship was never offered. I left that job to use my time to better my drawing and meet with local tattoo shops for apprenticeship opportunities. My mentor reached out to me via instagram and told me to come to his shop and see where we could go with me as a shop apprentice. I had a couple of side jobs to keep me afloat during my apprenticeship. When I wasn’t working, I was at the shop doing everything besides the actual tattooing part. I learned a lot from my mentor and shop. I drew for real clients, redrew classic tattoo designs, built my own tattoo machine, tattooed fake skins and fruit, and learned a lot of different methods from all the resident artists. After a year and a pandemic, I was able to start tattooing myself and my friends. After a couple of months of having my mentor watch over my every move and answer any of my questions, I was able to be set free and take on my own clients with custom designs. I stayed posting and showing my growth as an artist on instagram and have been able to have the clientele stay appointment only. I’ve been tattooing for 2 years this Halloween. I’m constantly learning and growing as an artist, even two years in. I’m thankful that I stayed dedicated and took my time with this career. I am jealous of others that got to start sooner, but I trust the timing of my life.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It took me a long time to get my foot in the door and find a mentor suited for me. There’s a lot of “gatekeeping” in the tattoo industry and it still is a male-dominated field. Once I found my mentor, it was smooth sailing. He was familiar with my work and was not out to exploit me. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and am thankful he took me on knowing very little of me. He’s one of my best friends and I’ll always have my career to dedicate to him.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create tattoos in a fun/feminine neo-traditional style. I specialize in unique designs and using fun color palettes. I’m most proud of being able to draw designs I want to tattoo and clients requesting them instead of a custom design. I love doing custom work, but it feels really good as an artist for people to get your original designs.
Being a female has definitely set me apart the most. Most of my clients are female/non-binary and find my company more comfortable to be around for hours while they sit in pain. I pride myself with asking for consent and checking in on clients regularly during our sessions. It’s a simple thing to do, but you wouldn’t believe how many tattoo artists out there that don’t take the time to care.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
In middle school, I took a career aptitude test and my top results were bartender and tattoo artist. So, I guess that was somewhat legitimate.
Pricing:
- Minimum price is $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ladylibertytattoo.com/
- Instagram: Instagram.com/spicygirlart
- Facebook: Facebook.com/spicygirlart
