Tattooing, Business & the Art of Keeping It Human with Chris Lawrence

In Episode 4 of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with longtime friend and tattoo artist Chris Lawrence of Black Rose Tattoo in South Elgin. Chris has been tattooing Alyssa for years, so this conversation gets personal pretty quickly. 😂 They talk about what actually goes into being a tattoo artist beyond the hours spent with a client, including drawing, running a business, social media, managing a team, staying creative, and trying to keep up with everything when there never seems to be enough time. Chris also talks about the evolution of tattooing, how technology has changed the industry, and what AI is doing to the creative process. Sometimes it can help generate an idea. Other times it creates expectations that simply do not translate well to actual skin. In this episode, we talk about: What people don’t see behind the scenes of tattooing How much drawing and prep happens outside of an appointment Using AI as a creative tool without losing the human side of art Why some AI-generated tattoo ideas aren’t realistic on skin The pressure creatives feel to constantly make content Feeding the algorithm gods 😂 Why time is one of the hardest parts of owning a creative business Running a tattoo shop during COVID How Black Rose grew after the pandemic Tattoo stereotypes that still need to disappear Clients who changed their minds at the last possible second Passing out during tattoos and other memorable stories The traditional and personal side of tattooing Why a tattoo appointment can sometimes feel a little like therapy Chris’s path from tattooing at home to owning a shop Building a team without treating artists like cash cows Managing different personalities inside a creative business How tattoo machines and technology have changed over the years The rise of at-home tattooing and “YouTube University” Taking care of your body when your job has you hunched over for hours What happens when your hobby becomes your work Being your own toughest critic as an artist The growth and revitalization happening around South Elgin Keeping up with the business side when you really just want to make art Chris also shares how Black Rose Tattoo came together. After spending years trying to break into the industry and dealing with shops that didn’t always feel particularly welcoming, one connection finally opened the right door. That eventually turned into an opportunity to take over the shop and build something of his own. One thing that comes through throughout the episode is that Chris genuinely cares about the craft. For him, tattooing is not just about getting as many people through the door as possible. It is about the artwork, the experience, learning from other artists, helping everyone around him improve, and continuing to get better himself. And yes, part of owning a tattoo shop also includes chiropractors, back rollers and occasionally stretching in the break room. 😂 📸 Instagram: @tatsbyclaw 📘 Facebook: Chris Lawrence 📍 Black Rose Tattoo: South Elgin, Illinois 📸 Black Rose Tattoo: @blackrosesouthelgin Chris regularly shares his work online, and Black Rose posts work from the artists in the shop as well. Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️