Meet Isabela Livingstone | Tattoo Artist and Tattoo Shop Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabela Livingstone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabela, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The tattoo industry has historically been a male-centered space that suffers from a very insular culture, and remains oftentimes very damaging to female artists, queer artists, and artists on the spectrum. Consequently, many shops are workplaces that feel uncomfortable or unsafe for those groups. I have heard many horror stories from my artists, shop owners, and customers about their experiences in traditional tattoo spaces, everything from discomfort to assault.

I set out to combat this directly through my business. June Bug Tattoo is, first and foremost, an inclusive environment for people of all orientations and identities. That mission is at the heart of all of the decisions that I make about the business. If I have any advice for others who care about this issue, it would be to make your stance on this clear, and keep inclusivity and accessibility at the forefront when operating your business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always loved art and doing anything creative. Before I was a tattoo artist, I was a pastry chef for 10 years. However, even though I had put a lot of sweat into that career, I wasn’t satisfied with where I was creatively or financially, and I really wanted to be my own boss at some point. During this time I fulfilled my creative itch in other ways, crochet, painting, and of course, stick-and-poke tattooing. I had thought about becoming a tattoo artist since I was a teenager, but I hadn’t thought seriously about going for it until I was ready to make a career change. I talked to my husband about my dreams of this, and one Christmas he bought me a tattoo machine. I did my first tattoo with it that night, on his wrist, just a little quarter inch heart, but it officially set me off on my journey. I went for an apprenticeship, quit my restaurant job, and went full steam ahead on my path to achieve my dreams.

The tattoo shops I had experience in before opening June Bug Tattoo were the typical atmospheres of overstimulating music and decor. Working with people who were critical of how I dress, promote myself and who I knew, it became an anxious experience to go to work. As someone who suffers from sensory issues, I thought that we should be allowed a space that makes sense for us and for clients with the same needs.

The raucous environment has been a traditional staple of tattoo shops. Many shops seek to be portrayed as edgy and loud, but not everyone who wants tattoos is going to be into that. I decided to leave those places to find something that worked for me. I explored many of the shops in my area, but none of them guaranteed a better environment. I wanted to work in a place that was peaceful and positive, where I would be happy to go to work everyday, and where my clients would feel safe and comfortable. That’s when I came up for the idea to create June Bug Tattoo.

This is what June Bug sets out to do. Everyone that comes to the shop can expect to be treated with respect, no matter who they are, and find a spa-like, relaxed, quiet atmosphere to adorn their bodies. This ethos has been a huge boon to my business. For example, we have a lot of first-time tattoo clients that come through the shop, including older clients. As well, because we are woman owned, and we explicitly welcome people of all kinds and creeds, being a safe space for the Queer community and neurodivergent folks, people that might feel uncomfortable or unsafe at a traditional shop will find a safe harbor with us. Our clients love coming to June Bug for tattoos because of this.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA has a lot of beautiful outdoorsy nature spots to visit. Beyond innumerable hiking trails are the Descanso Gardens, Huntington Gardens, and Griffith Park, where you can experience a variety of curated plant life. As for restaurants, there are so many wonderful places to experience food from all cultures of life. My favorites are Joy for Taiwanese food, Mercado for Ethiopian, and Kismet Rotisserie for Mediterranean.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had opened June Bug Tattoo in Altadena in April of 2023, and only been running it for less than 2 years before it was turned to dust by the Eaton Fire. Having a tattoo shop run by women had been a dream of mine, as I wanted to create a space for people to feel safe and comfortable in a tattoo environment. And so, I knew that the path forward was to rebuild and keep this vision alive. It was difficult for me to ask for help, but I swallowed my pride and put out the call to our community for aid in the rebuild. The response was overwhelming. Our clients, members of the community, and even other women-owned tattoo shops donated money, space and supplies, and made our rebuild possible. It was clear to me then that there were so many people out there that resonated with what June Bug Tattoo is. The support from women in the tattoo community, the Altadena community, and our community at large has been heartwarming, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellzbellzink/

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Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/june-bug-tattoo-los-angeles-3#location-and-hours

Image Credits
Isabela Livingstone