Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Moroni.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to LA from Colorado in 2017 after studying Trumpet performance for two years and dropping out of music school. I honestly thought I was going to end up in finance, and that was the best choice for my future if I wanted to be successful. A lot of my musician friends struggled to find a job/struggled with low pay as a teacher, and I didn’t want to be in their shoes.
I wasn’t really into trumpet playing at that point, because music school just has a way to make you never want to play music again, haha. So my primary goal was to secure a job where I didn’t have to worry about money anymore. I started working at a financial management company, and every passing day became more unbearable than the last working in an office with a bunch of right-wing dads. I doodled on daily stock reports and proxies and then realized that I needed to quit and do something I actually enjoyed doing. I’ve been freelancing ever since! I worked my butt off for pennies at random galleries and ended up being studio manager at a local clay studio.
But I still wasn’t happy, because I felt like each work environment was too stifling. My ideas were shot down, I was expected to do too much for very little pay and really underappreciated to the point of ridiculousness. I quit all the freelance jobs at the beginning of the year and decided to make a plan to create my own business and be my own boss. I made prints, opened an Etsy earring business, I make custom ceramic pipes, and I stayed persistent on my primary focus: tattooing. I’ve always wanted to do it but was discouraged by a lot of the hyper-masculine culture in the tattoo industry, not to mention the difficulty of making it through a tooth-and-nail type apprenticeship. But I was seeing illustrators I loved turning too tattooing and I felt inspired to follow them down that route. Now I am regularly taking in clients and working on building up my portfolio. My next goal is finding an artist who is seeking an apprentice. I’m hoping I can find someone who is knowledgeable and kind!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been easy. Unfortunately, all my experiences working for independent galleries under a male boss has been terrible, even abusive. I have had one boss even regularly comment on my body, and gaslight me when I protested, saying I needed to loosen up or not be sensitive. It’s unfortunate because I initially wanted to be a sculptor (ceramic handbuilding) but I kept finding myself in isolating conditions with sketchy people over and over again. Many sculpting jobs require that you have a degree or give references, and when you have to literally flee from a bad situation in a job, all the work that you’ve done is for nothing because you can’t list that abusive person as a reference. That’s one of the primary inspirations for learning how to tattoo—so I don’t need to rely on anyone, I don’t need to subject myself to normalizing abuse for a paycheck.
Alright, let’s talk about the business-side of things. What else should we know about your work and what you are currently focused on?
I try to be a freelance chameleon in order to make as much money as I possibly can. I do photography, I make ceramics and sculptures, and I make fun jewelry. But my main focus is tattooing. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made in this past year. I converted my storage unit into a functional studio that I can disinfect and keep clean and organized. It took me a good seven months to collect all of the supplies I needed. I practiced on pigskin for a good three months and in that time, read books about tattooing, combed through forums, watched hours of video, got certified in California, and developed my illustration style. Humor is very important to me, and that definitely comes through in a lot of my designs. But color is the most important part for me. I want my tattoos to be very colorful! Something I like a lot about tattooing is connecting with people. It’s surprisingly intimate to tattoo someone, and as a sensitive person, I respond well to that.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could have done anything differently, I would only take creative jobs that have a positive work environment so that I am comfortable at work and I am in control of my own success. It’s really a shame that I have to say that, but I have had so many terrible and abusive bosses in the art industry that I feel like it’s safe to avoid situations where you may be isolated, or a subordinate to someone who is struggling with mental illness. It’s important to analyze your work relationships as if they are any other relationship. Is your boss gaslighting you? Commenting on your body? Are you and your work being valued? Do your bosses values align with your own? Do you feel comfortable being a representative of your employer? For me, most of the time the answer was NO. I have endured some bad circumstances for the sake of making money, or for the experience that I would gain, but truly there is no abusive situation that is worth putting up with, because you will be losing more than you will gain. I’ve learned that I can’t let anyone have power over my self worth, my creativity, or my body.
It certainly took a huge toll on my mental health for a long while, and I am honestly still recovering from those experiences. I think that there are many good employers out there, but most of the time you have to be your own advocate or you may be taken advantage of. I would love to reiterate that any level of abuse at a job is NOT worth the opportunity or the money, and you should never have to tolerate it in a professional environment.
I would also like to have started to surround myself with positive, creative people from the get-go. Creative friends help to inspire me and push me forward…I can always go to them for help when I need it. I started building my friend circle after about two years of living in LA, and that’s partly because of the isolating freelance work I was doing, but it is so important to build a community when you are working hard because you need a support system! Encouragement from my peers always gives me energy. My partner is my biggest supporter and I know for certain I would not be where I am now without him. I’m incredibly thankful for my friends and loved ones.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://softfury.squarespace.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/softfury
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