A conversation with Jay Rose, new interviews every Monday.

Tattooing in London feels like its own world, how do you feel learning to tattoo in traditional shops helped you navigate the ever changing London tattoo scene?

I couldn't agree more, London seems to always be its own world in all aspects. Tattooing is no different. I feel really fortunate that I apprenticed and spent my early years of tattooing in street shops. It forced me to try absolutely all styles and pick up different tips and tricks and put that into my work now. I feel like it’s super important for tattooers in the beginning of the journey to focus on craft not style. But that’s just my opinion I guess. 

Do you think private studios are the future for tattooing? How do you feel about that?

I Actually really hope they are the way forward. I love tattooing in walk in shops and it does mean you get to meet more people and build a client base easier. However, from a totally selfish point of view, I love the chilled vibe of private studios. It’s so nice to know exactly what you're going to be tattooing, focus on your client, really have the day about them and just get in the zone. That’s not to any I still wouldn’t tattoo a live laugh love on the ribs any day of the week! 

You work in a space that is predominantly women, do you feel as though this is a more positive environment for tattooing?

Oh tattooing has always been a total boys club, so it’s absolutely amazing now that women are so front and center in so many studios. I think it’s all about balance and as long as everyone who works at a shop is amazing that’s what matters. It is lovely though not always being the only girl in a shop anymore! 

Social media is definitely a huge tool for creatives but ironically can be extremely damaging to mental health and self esteem. You are the first to point out how this has affected you personally and project a body/mind positive feed. How do you handle the growing pressures of keeping up with social media? Are there things you’ve changed/challenged as you’ve gotten older and more confident within yourself?

Oh this is a great question! So I feel like social media can be the best thing and the worse thing and it's often both at the same time. I feel like Instagram especially has just been the greatest gift for tattooers since mag needles. We have free advertisement for all over the world. I literally get all of my work through my social media and it’s amazing. Now that being said, fuckkkkk me ( I hope I’m allowed to swear) it can be rough. It was hard enough comparing yourself to tattooers you knew of or saw in magazines, now you are constantly comparing yourself to EVERYONE. Not only that, comparing yourself to a perfectly lit, composed and sometimes edited photo. You are also putting your art out there that has a piece of your soul poured into it, for the world to judge. That’s scary and really overwhelming. Granted not billions of people are looking at it but you get the idea. From a personal point of view, it's a nightmare. Don’t even get me started on how damaging filters are for young people’s self esteem. Back to the question, I just now try and take it all with a pinch of salt. It’s not real. Compare myself only to myself, try and be as authentic as possible and just not cry too much that my nose isn’t as tiny as those fucking filters make it. Also follow mainly pet meme pages, that shit soothes the soul. 

You give your own style to traditional tattooing that really sets you apart from other tattooers. Did you find it took you awhile to work out what direction you wanted to go in when you started out tattooing or did it come more naturally?

Oh it was so hard to know what to do. I started tattooing in Essex when everyone just wanted sleeves of black and grey clouds and Rihanna stars. It was hard to be creative and develop a style I wanted to do. That being said, I’m so glad I spent the first few years really learning a range. It just took me a while to figure it all out. It was like maybe three years in and I knew that my personal favourite type of tattoos were bold as hell trad ones and I thought ok fuck it, lets get a lighter on those liners and give this a whirl. I feel like weirdly enough though I’m doing a full circle and really enjoying developing my black and grey. Who wants a sleeve of clouds? 

Spider Sinclair left you some single needles that I saw you tried, the tattoos were beautiful! Do you think this is something you want to do more of?

Oh my love you are too kind. Single needles are not for the faint hearted and Spider is just a level 10 tat wizard. I am really enjoying doing some finer line bits now and feel super inspired but I think it's 3 liners for me. What a cop out right? 

Going forward, what are you focusing most on for the rest of 2020?

Well other then praying travel restrictions are lifted so I can see you again! I’m just focusing on enjoying tattooing as much as possible. Doing the best I can possibly do, and surrounding myself with excellent people. I would like another cat too. Yes 2020 another cat please. And to do a flash day of only live laugh love tats for charity. As a write this I’m like yeah what a total vibe that would be

Lockdown seemed to really help you mentally and creatively, you were producing a lot of smaller paintings. How did you find your perspective changed coming out of quarantine?

Lockdown was wild right? Dude I don’t even know if my mind has fully comprehended those few months. It was a weird one though because if I’m super honest, just before lockdown, I was planning on stopping tattooing. I had got so fed up of the entire industry and felt in such a rut with it all. So at first I thought it was great, could be a natural end for my career. So I focussed on painting cute little watercolours and just creating art for fun. Then like six weeks in I really missed it. Like missing Cadbury’s in those first few months of being vegan. I ached. I just fell back in love with it as cringe as that sounds. I pulled my socks up and realised with 666 tattooed on my face there was no other path and I needed to buckle down. I cut my days down, concentrate on doing new styles and stuff I really want to do and try and get that work life balance a bit better. I feel way more positive and productive then I have felt in years.