We recently had the chance to connect with Andrew Garinther and have shared our conversation below.
Andrew, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Ideally, I have at least 90 minutes in the morning to prepare my mind and body for the day ahead. This line of work is more physically demanding than you may think! I feed my cat so she’s content, then meditate for 20-30 minutes, stretch and do yoga, drink lots of water, maybe some tea, and take a cold shower. Overnight, my mind may have worked out the final details of my design for the day, and I’ll finish it up on my ipad. Then I’ll eat breakfast as late as possible.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Andrew Garinther and I’m a tattoo artist based in Los Angeles. I mostly work in an illustrative style that incorporates some elements of etching/engraving as well as dot shading and sometimes red accents. I also really enjoy heavy blackwork and black out tattooing and am open to taking on a wide range of projects!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
The impression I got from the world around me was that I was meant to follow a certain template for personhood. Where I grew up in suburban Maryland, this meant going to school, looking presentable, getting a nice sensible job- which was decided upon at an extraordinarily young age, and using the income from that job to live a comfortable life- and not ask too many questions about why it has to be this way. I never could quite stick to it. I no longer believe comfort to be beneficial to my growth, nor do I conform to any particular model of success. I still ask lots of questions and rarely get answers
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I would say I almost give up multiple times a day. The way that I’m able to grow is by constantly toeing the boundaries of my comfort zone, which is where I often find myself hanging out. As an artist, the line between life and work is incredibly blurry. The perceived struggles in my life fuel my work, until they are no longer perceived as struggles and just become another stage in the process.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie the tattoo industry tells is that it’s an industry. An industry is built on competition and is a zero sum game. I’m part of a community of artists all working to support and empower one another to continue to grow and do what we love. This is collaborative, not competitive. I want to see my friends and colleagues booked and busy with projects that excite them. At least I hope that’s why we’re doing this, because it certainly isn’t for the pension.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
The only time I am fully able to turn off my mind and enter a flow state is when I’m tattooing. If things are going as planned, there isn’t a thought in my head while the needle is in the skin- everything just falls into place. This is why I usually ask clients to carry the conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://andrewgarinther.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewg.ttt
