Meet Zoey Taylor | Tattoo Artist

I really started my first shop out of a need to have somewhere to work that would give me the freedom to just do my work. I wasn’t one of those people who looked forward to being an owner or a boss. I think I was like many artists, who don’t want to worry about the business side of things, but simply want to tattoo. When I did it, it was reluctantly and as a last resort because I couldn’t find a shop that would treat me respectfully, have my back, and allow me the freedom to work as much as I wanted. I very much learned along the way, often by mistake, in both business and tattooing.

When I started I didn’t have any advantages or teachers or guidance so it was a long road, and I made all the mistakes. I’m happy that I hung in there, I almost quit a few times. I do good work now, and I teach young artists to be better than me by giving them the guidance that I wish I would have had. I’ve learned how to do what I do well, I can choose what I want to work on now, and people seek me out for the very style I love doing. Learning to teach was tricky for me because I never really had a teacher, but I’m learning that too. I predict that in ten years from now, I will have had part in creating a dream team of young artists who will be at the top of our Industry.

I’d definitely find a social dance to take them to. We could either go to The Mayflower for my friend Steve Sayer’s social swing dance, or to the cowboy palace for some two stepping. I’d love to watch an old movie at an old theatre, maybe the Egyptian, then go visit the actors on the screen in the cemetery. For breakfast everyday, blu jam cafe! I remember when he first opened on melrose when I was working at a shop there. Then for dinner cactus or el compadre. Or a picnic in the park. And bring your tap shoes.

The three people that I think had a great impact on my career in a positive way would be: Clarens Monroy, my friend of almost 22 years, one of the first people I watched tattoo. Roger Rodriguez, owner of Ancient Adornments, who was at one time my boss, and taught me everything I know about customer service. And Mike Sandoz, who originally started out as a client, and became my business partner. These three have helped me be better at what I do.