Daily Inspiration: Meet Tayler Wooten

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tayler Wooten.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
My name is Tayler Wooten. I grew up in Southern California and have always had a passion for art in all forms, primarily drawing and painting. I started drawing at a very young age. I also loved music, so playing with bands and being a part of that creative world was also a big part of my teens and 20s. I did a lot of freelance illustration jobs throughout high school and college. Tattooing presented itself to me a couple of different times in my life. Once in the mid-90s as a teen, and again in 2009. The first time I was young, it was a completely different time in the tattoo game. I apprenticed for two years and parted ways with my mentor, but I stayed in touch over the years. Fast forward to 2009, I was living up north.

An opportunity to earn a spot back into tattooing presented itself again, and I took it. Since then, I’ve worked in California, Washington, and Nevada, and now I live in middle Tennessee with my wife ( Who is a featured wood maker/ artist) and sons. Tattooing has been worth all the hard work and long days. I am forever grateful. I specialize in, what the industry would call, Neo Japanese, which means a new take on the traditional Japanese style. I do enjoy taking a more illustrative approach to American tradition as well. I like making it clean, crisp, and bold, and I’m not afraid to use black. I’m a fan of seeing what your sleeve looks like from 10 feet away. I don’t want to get up next to you with my eyes squinted to figure out what’s happening. I’ve met so many awesome artists in the last 13 years of doing this, and I learn something new every time. I take so much pride in the small or big tricks and secrets I’ve learned along the way from other artists. I still find it extremely sacred.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As much as tattooing has been a gift and a blessing for me, in no way is pursuing any career in the art smooth; it’s never easy, And it never comes without struggle. There’s more struggle than not. It’s not a dealbreaker, though, Because every little micro-moment of joy and success makes the struggle worth it. I’ve moved from state to state over the years, having to start over with building clientele. That’s always hard, especially when your family depends on you. I’ve had nothing but incredible support from my beautiful wife along the way. To have extra support along the way in this industry is always a plus because, especially in the early years of tattooing, It Has to come first. If you don’t put your craft first when you are learning it, the art, the scheduling, the hours, you’ll never be as good as you could be. I’m grateful now that I can have a decent balance between tattooing and being a husband and father. There’s always some new obstacle; you never stop learning something hard. I think that goes for any industry, but you never have it fully figured out in tattooing. And as intimidating as that sounds, it’s also the beauty of it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I grew up drawing the things I saw on the bottom of my 80 skateboard decks. Or the things I saw on album covers bold things that would catch my eye: crazy comic book illustrations, And wacky cartoons. Over the years, I guess it translated into a certain style, especially when trying to find work as an artist anywhere. I always wanted to have a style. I knew when I started tattooing early on that I wanted to learn more about the Japanese style. But it was tough. In my opinion, there’s no in-between; it’s either not good or good. Everything in between was just forgettable. I did a lot of traditional in my early tattoo years.

I also did a lot of what the industry would call neotraditional (a new traditional style). Still, I found myself always flocking toward the Japanese Irezumi style. It always caught my eye; my eyes would stare even if I saw somebody wearing it. Over the last few years, I’ve learned from a few different people in the industry how to make that transition into more of that style. I couldn’t be more grateful for everything I learned from these folks. They know who they are. I’m proud of every season of my career so far. Although I’m not going to lie, I was terrible the first couple of years. Like, bury my head in the sand terrible. I had to be bad to figure it out.

I think it’s always smart to work with people who are 10 times better than you in whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of working with many artists who smoke me at tattooing. In My opinion, that’s how you get good. Always surround yourself with better people. That stuff is contagious. One of my earlier mentors said, and I’ll never forget it, the first few years of tattooing, you’ll want to quit, you’ll want to break your fingers, and you’ll get so discouraged that you can’t stand it. Don’t Stop getting better. That’s what Will set you apart from the others.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
100% find a mentor. Find somebody that you can trust. Find somebody that won’t hesitate to push you beyond your comfort zone in art. Make sure you like the tattoos they do. Make sure who you are learning from is consistent in their work ethic and their actual tattoos. Don’t just choose anybody, and don’t just let anybody choose you. And by all means, do not pay for an apprenticeship. I may be alone in this, but I think paying for an apprenticeship is highway robbery. I should pass it down to you. I believe that the payment for learning this amazing craft should be paid in dedication, blood, sweat, and tears.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Taylerwooten

Image Credits
Eric ahlgrim (photographer) Nicole Thompson (photographer)