Meet Izzy Bump | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Izzy Bump and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Izzy, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I think because tattoos are nonessential, they’re often thought of as unimportant, or “just putting pictures on people.” That was something I struggled a lot with as an apprentice, because aside from working in the arts, I also wanted to help people. And in a traditional tattoo environment, helping people isn’t really the point. It’s running a business and making a good tattoo.

So, I had this idea from the beginning that I would eventually offer scar coverups once I was good enough, even though that felt far off in the future. I started by doing reworks of old tattoos, which are kind of like coverups for beginners. I had this one client who had an old arm tattoo he had gotten when he was 18, that was not centered, aged, slightly scarred. He didn’t want to cover it, but wanted to add something around it, so we worked out the idea of a kind of filigree frame with mosque-style patterning to put around it. He told me that for as long as he had the tattoo, which had been over a decade at that point, he didn’t feel comfortable wearing short sleeved shirts. It took us around three or four sessions to complete, but during even that first session, he sat there while I tattooed him, just grinning, looking through a mirror opposite where we were sitting. That kind of joy is infectious. There’s something magical about giving someone a piece of themselves back. I fell headfirst into devoting myself to coverups of tattoos and scars, which are the most fulfilling aspect of my job. I firmly believe that self love is everything, and if you have a tattoo that doesn’t speak to you anymore, it can feel as hurtful as scars do. It can do a lot of internal damage. And changing that mark to something that is them, that they love, that they received in a safe and bright place by someone who cares about their wellbeing? I might not be changing the whole world, but I’m changing one person’s world. That’s enough for me.

Aside from just the inherent nature of tattoos lifting clients up, coverups or not, I (and everyone in the shop I work in) are trying to move the tattoo world in a more nurturing and protective direction, from client to coworker to apprentice interaction. Hazing, sexism, and intimidating atmospheres are more common than they should be in tattoo shops. It’s a very underground and alternative field, with little regulation, that can sometimes result in people getting hurt, physically and mentally. Tattooing is an intimate, permanent, and meaningful medical procedure, and I treat it as just so. That can look like answering all questions and encouraging clients to ask them, working in a private room with a door that closes, moving the stencil as many times as needed and not making clients feel like it’s a chore, and checking in with clients throughout the tattoo to make sure they’re feeling good. Consent is something that is given continually, and can stop at any time. I feel grateful every day that strangers trust me to mark them permanently, and I hope that acknowledgement shows in my work.

Another major thing that makes me feel like we’re moving the tattoo world in a positive direction is the way we teach our apprentices. It’s not unusual for a tattoo apprentice to be hazed, made to do excessive grunt work, charged thousands of dollars up front, or not really be taught at all. The tattoo world is pretty gatekept, for the purpose of keeping people who are self taught from having access to procedures that could spread disease if the person is not properly trained. While that makes sense, it also can make it difficult for professional artists to further their own work when they’re learning from a traditional apprenticeship. Our shop has two apprentices, and we hold class once a week where we learn about tattoo history, technique, holding space, art in general, and invite other tattoo artists to come teach. Our apprentices also get homework, in addition to observing other artists and tattooing clients themselves. As time goes on, we hope to not only create a tattoo community where clients feel safe and listened to, but where the next generation of tattooers are also treated with compassion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve known since I was a kid that I would have a job in the arts, and for a while that looked like working in backstage theater, doing anything creative that they would hire me for. About a year after I graduated college, that changed to tattooing. I have this core idea in all of the art that I’ve done that art is most successful and meaningful when it includes the audience, so it makes sense that I would end up working as a tattoo artist. It definitely wasn’t easy getting where I am now, but I wasn’t expecting it to be. When you’re aiming for a job in the arts, you are constantly told that you won’t make any money, you won’t be able to support yourself, that it’s hard and it’s not even a real job. The biggest risk, I think, when you’re trying to “make it,” is the ever present possibility that you will fail. Failure can happen at any time. And people constantly remind you of that possibility, even people who care about you. You have to learn to tune them out and trust yourself more than the fears that other people have for you. When you bet on yourself consistently, even if you do fail, it starts to feel like less of a risk. You learn that owning a business and working in the arts isn’t about one big success or one big fail, it’s about a series of both. And wouldn’t it be a bigger failure to never even try at all?

All of that said, I tend to take big risks but stack them with safety. Yes, pursuing a job in the arts in a competitive, patriarchal environment is risky, but I was able to stack my own safety by working other jobs, keeping those who supported me in close proximity, and making responsible choices. Risk taking is essential in business, but it’s not a bad idea to strap on a parachute before you jump out of the airplane.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of the reasons my partner and I moved to Colorado–we’re originally from Philly–was because of all of the outdoor adventures we wanted to have. I don’t go out to the city much, and for someone who’s lived here for almost three years, I’m actually pretty unfamiliar with places like Denver or Fort Collins. My best friend and I have actually planned to go camping when she comes out to visit–there are so many beautiful trails like the hike up to Crater Lakes, Beaver Brook Trail, the Enchanted Forest Trail and the Antelope and Bitterbrush Trail. Copper Mountain is a great alternative when it’s too cold or snowy out to hike, and my personal favorite way to cap off any day is with a cider at Acreage in Lafayette. And, honestly, there’s so many incredible people doing creative things at my shop (Nest Art Collective) at all times, that I could spend hours there, off the clock, and have a perfect day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Everyone who works in my shop, Nest Art Collective, from the owner (Lora Bird) to my apprentice (Quin Galloway). I do everything I can personally to make my own space welcoming and bright, but we can’t really change the industry for the better unless it happens at the community level. I’m very lucky to have such a big group of people surrounding me who share that goal and work together to push us forward.

Website: https://www.izzybump.com/

Instagram: @isabump