Meet Brittny Abad | Tattoo Artist

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

Hi Brittny, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
There wasn’t a lot of thought process behind it. I had quit my remote 9-5 office job and was selling drawings/prints/stickers while taking on as much commission work as I could before I started tattooing. I essentially accepted that I would rather do that and not know when my next paycheck would be, than return to a 9-5. Once I started tattooing it became a lot more consistent and it just developed into a business gradually over time.

What should our readers know about your business?
Honestly the thing I value most about tattooing is being a person that people like spending time with. Of course I care about my art and doing good tattoos, being professional etc. but I have a lot of clients who return to me because I’m an artist they enjoy talking to, spending time with, and most importantly am someone that they feel very safe and comfortable with. I may not be a master at any style and I don’t think of myself as a particularly incredible or niche artist, but I feel connected to the art that I do create and in turn connected to the people who get it tattooed by me. I love meeting new people and having new clients but it’s always extra special to have clients who have many tattoos from me collected over the years.

It was not easy and there have been many ups and downs due to life circumstances, social/global circumstances, etc. but the freedom and flexibility of being an artist is still worth the risk right now. I still have that, “whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.” attitude. I sometimes will imagine what life would be like if I broke both of my wrists tomorrow and couldn’t tattoo anymore — or anything else catastrophic. Where would I be? What would I do? I don’t know, but I have to have faith that I’d figure it out. Being supported by the people that I care about and the clients I resonate with is what keeps me going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love being outdoors and most of my friends are the same way — there are so many hidden gem parks, fire routes, hike spots, viewpoints, not to mention all the beaches, and other pretty places to check out in LA. Besides the obvious ones (Griffith Park, Elysian, etc.) Ernest E. Debbs park is really cool, and there are lots of random pull-off points in the valley.

When it comes to food I like going to local spots — the San Gabriel Valley has some of the best Asian food ever, including more traditional Vietnamese foods that are hard to come by in LA. Right by highland park there are lots of street markets, there’s the farmer’s market, taco trucks, and other hole-in-the-wall restaurants with really incredible food. My itinerary is to pick an area and just walk around and hang out. You really don’t need to break the bank to have fun or eat good in this area and that’s what I like to show my friends who don’t live here. The Getty is one of my favorite museums and it’s free.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If I had to narrow my thanks down to a single person it would be my uncle Richard. He taught me growing up to do whatever I want (as long as it’s not harming others), always supported my identity, my gender expression, my art, my independence etc. I am so, so fortunate to have had a person in my life who gave me a very, “whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.” attitude. I don’t think I would have ever made the jump to quit a job that was safe to chase something that was fulfilling. I don’t think he even knew that.

Besides planting those seeds, I can say I have hundreds of people I could thank for helping me and encouraging me on my journey. Every artist that I look up to, every artist that I’ve been tattooed by, everyone who has answered me questions or watched me tattoo and given me critiques. Friends and followers who allowed me to do my first tattoos on them and who grew alongside me. Richard helped me make the jump to start tattooing but literally everyone around me helped keep me going.

Instagram: blaabad_1

Twitter: @bblaabad

Image Credits
Dat Nguyen