Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Varney.
Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I distinctly remember walking into my first tattoo shop at 16 years old. I had went with my friend who was getting tattooed. I remember walking in and there was artwork and tons of weird little knick knacks (my fave) covering every inch of space. The music was awesome and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I remember asking the artist who was doing my friend’s tattoo, “Man, I bet you love your job.” He replied, “Well yeah, I get to do art, listen to music all day, dress however I want, say whatever I want.” And at that point, I was convinced this is what I was going to do. I remember going home and telling my mom I wanted to be a tattoo artist, and then several days later sitting at the dinner table as she told my dad my newfound dream. I remember them kind of laughing like “Yeah, okay.” As time went on and they realized I was actually serious about it they became my number one supporters. I begged for a tattoo for my birthday and that kind of locked everything in for me. I decided to attend the vocational school my junior year of high school for cosmetology. I had planned to get my license to do hair and work my way through my tattoo apprenticeship and eventually own a tattoo/beauty studio. I didn’t complete cosmetology school and instead got a job at McDonald’s that I worked insane hours at for a high school kid. I eventually started working as a supervisor at a small retail store in my hometown where I remained until I started my apprenticeship in 2014 at 19 years old. I gathered a portfolio of all my artwork, which at this point consisted of a ton of charcoal and graphite pencil portraits and sketches. I took my portfolio to the same shop that made me fall in love with tattoos and I remember just being so excited when he said he wanted to take me on as his apprentice. I honestly didn’t expect it and had other shops in mind as backups. I spent the next year working harder than I ever had and by Spring of 2015 I was officially a tattoo artist. I started doing tattoos for free on friends, and then opened more up to the public and offered tattoos at an extremely discounted price. Within about 8 months I had become pregnant with my son, pretty much right as my career was taking off. I was super young and had no idea what I was doing. I took the next year off from tattooing and focused on preparing for the baby. Once our sweet Cash was born in 2016, I found myself hungrier for success than ever. I started working at a local shop where I spent the next 2+ years at. At this point, my (now) husband and I were living in a townhouse with a basement, so I spent about 8 months collecting things and filling our basement with everything I would need to start a tattoo business. I left the shop I was at, got everything I needed to legally operate a business, spent the next couple months searching for someone who would lease their space for a tattoo studio, had inspections done, got everything ready for our grand opening in the Summer of 2018, and it’s just been amazing every step of the way since!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Sometimes it’s smooth! And sometimes, mostly, it isn’t, but it’s always worth it! I would say my biggest personal struggle is being a young woman in a male-dominated industry. I opened my private studio, The Pretty Pin-Up Tattoo Parlor at 23 years old. There were many people who were impressed that I was running a business so well at such a young age, but there were just as many people who did not take me seriously. Mostly those on the business side of things. I’ve caught a lot of people trying to pull things over on me because I’m a young woman who “may not know better”. I think a lot of people from my generation are super driven and business oriented and are very underestimated. I also think there’s an “image” that a lot of tattoo artists still feel they need to fit and if you aren’t cool enough you can’t sit at the table. This is something I really struggled with in the beginning of my career, the whole not feeling accepted by your peers thing. However, I can say at this point in my life I feel totally confident in the person I am and the people surrounding me are awesome I get to doodle on people all day for a living and that’s all I need. Before I owned my own studio though, I had been in a shop environment where I personally experienced sexual harassment from both other artists in the industry and clients and had also seen artists in the industry be inappropriate with clients. I would hear from other (non-female) tattoo artists that I would “do really well in this industry because I’m a woman and men will want to get tattooed by me.” or “They’re only getting tattooed by you because they think you’re hot.” Or the constant “must be nice to have tits” comment. (Totally take this out if necessary 🤣) 95% of my clients are non-male though, so joke’s on them! The more situations like this I experienced and the more clients that would tell me HORROR stories about how inappropriate their artist would be with them during their sessions, and sometimes even after via text message/dm, the more angry I got and the more I wanted to do something different. When I opened my studio, I did so with the intention of creating a safe space for EVERYONE, and I think if it weren’t for all these experiences I’ve had relating to all the times I’ve felt uncomfortable in the workplace, I wouldn’t be the successful, empowered, and strong woman I am now.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Pretty Pin-Up Tattoo Parlor. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are an all-female-owned and operated private tattoo studio located outside of Cincinnati! We currently have 3 tattoo artists and an apprentice who is expected to finish her apprenticeship later this year. Each of our artists specialize in different styles of tattooing from black and grey realism illustrative styles, fine line, full color, and cover-ups. Some of my most proud tattoos I’ve done are 3D areola/nipple tattoos for breast cancer survivors, which I have done in the past at no charge to the client. I would say what sets us apart from other shops is the energy we put into what we do, the genuine love we have for our clients, and the love we have for each other. My artist Tyva has been with us since day one since we opened, I actually taught her how to tattoo, and our artist Alicia has been with us for 3 years. We’ve been together through some really difficult times in our lives and we know we all have each other’s backs always. We really are a family.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband and my parents have been my biggest supporters by far. My parents have always worked so hard and have instilled such a strong work ethic into me. I know if I had grown up any other way I may not be where I am. My husband is a stay-at-home dad. Our son has a rare disease called Mastocytosis, and we made the decision to homeschool. He is an amazing dad. My husband and teacher and has supported and never doubted me from day one. My son, Cash, is the reason I work as hard as I do, so he really does deserve a lot of the credit. He is almost 6 now and he’s an amazing artist. He loves watching me draw and seeing the tattoos I’ve done for the day. I also owe a little something to my mentor, JJ Osman, who is an incredible and extremely well-respected artist and has always been like my tattoo godfather or something. Lol.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettypinuptattoo/
Image Credits
Heather Beckman Photography
Mommy and Me Photography
Adored Images
