Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Dawson.
Hi Ryan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
As a young kid, I was always interested in art and started drawing when I was around 10 years old. Mostly cartoons and anything that caught my eye at the time. My grandfather was my biggest influence when it came to art, as he loved painting and sketching cartoons. As I got older, I stayed with drawing and other forms of art but more far and in between. I started tattooing not long after I got my first tattoo in 2011. It didn’t last long because I didn’t know what I was doing or have any techniques associated with tattooing. Not to mention having little knowledge of the equipment. In 2013 my whole life changed; I was incarcerated and given a 10-year sentence. My grandfather passed away while I was incarcerated, and it broke my heart. I had just turned 23 years old, and it was a very surreal, helpless, sobering moment. During my incarceration, I focused heavily on my art as a way to escape. In short, art saved my life. It’s been close to 7 years now tattooing, and the feeling of creating and doing what I’m passionate about each day is unlike any feeling. People who wear my ink wear a part of myself within that tattoo, and that’s something I take a lot of pride in. Seeing the look of people faces when they see the finished tattoo is worth more than monetary value. Tattooing goes much further than just skin deep. Creating memorial tattoos and helping people with closure, or giving someone something that makes them feel beautiful or confident. Covering scars or just talking and listening to people while they are getting tattooed is like taking therapy to art form. Tattooing has came such a long way, even within society. I’ve met so many different people through all walks of life, cultures, and ethnicities. 2GroovyStudios is a story of divine intervention, love, and manifestation. Never give up on your dreams, and even within darkness, light still shines. Thanks to everyone who wears my ink and to my family for always believing in me. I love you guys, and stay GrOoVY!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As you can imagine, it’s been far from smooth. To be a successful artist you need to be well-rounded and versed in many styles. You need to be able to produce on the spot and improvise sometimes. Mostly, struggles where more in the beginning of my tattoo career. Trial and error. Learning to not overwork the skin, tattoo the right depth, being able to saturate the skin with the appropriate amount of ink, and much more. Being an artist is more than just what you produce as far as the tattoo goes; you have to be able to market, digitally design, create content, network. I’ve personally been working a lot on gaining knowledge on SEO and optimizing that value. You know, the daily struggles of being an entrepreneur while also being an introvert. I’m always trying to learn and progress. All in all, one of my favorite quotes sums it all up. “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” ― Zig Ziglar.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mainly specialize in black and grey style tattooing. Whether that be portraits, floral, anime, realism and just about any other design or style you want, black and grey is my passion. I also do quite a bit of color in many different styles, but something about B/G really captures me. It’s like a black and white photo. To myself, personally, it’s a timeless look. Something that separates me from a lot of other artist that people mention a lot is my patiences. Before being an artist, I was sitting in the same chair getting tattooed. So, for myself, I really want to make sure the client is getting exactly what they want in the design/ placement of the tattoo. Sometimes I have to read facial expressions because, believe it or not, some people are still hesitant to ask for subtle changes or moving a placement of their tattoo. I try to make the experience as comfortable and open for communication as possible. I operate off the golden rule. I’m not going to treat anyone any different than how I would want to be treated, especially when dealing with something as permanent as a tattoo!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk-taking is what separates the entrepreneur mindset from others. There is no investment without risk. A lot of my success has come from failing. Failing at somethings has only been a tool of learning and progressing. Risk has pushed me to improvise and get outside my comfort zone to adapt and learn. Risk-taking doesn’t always sound fun, but I think it’s almost a thrill factor for myself subconsciously and probably consciously at times. I don’t want to get too far down the rabbit hole with this topic but risk-taking while doing something as permanent as tattooing can go 2 ways. Big thanks to all the people who give me the ability to do me. I might not be as far as I am today without risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.2groovystudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2groovystudios
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/2groovytattoos
