Within the algorithm prison, be unashamedly you

Social media consultant and tattoo geek Rebecca Givens has been thinking about how artists are keeping up with Instagram trends, changes and updates. 

I can’t take credit for this article title – you have Twin Atlantic to thank and a lyric from their most recent album. When I heard these particular words last week (“algorithm prison that we’re all bred to live in”), they resonated with me. I’ve had quite a few conversations with tattooists lately during which we’ve reminisced over the old pre-algorithm days of apps like Instagram. 

What began as a simple photography platform designed to show, within set square templates, the aesthetic vibe of your brand, work or life (to everyone who actually followed you, might I add), has now become something much more complex. Managed by invisible but powerful mechanisms that decide who gets to see you, when, where and how.

In June 2021 when the Head of Instagram officially declared it “no longer a photo sharing app” but an entertainment hub that prioritises video experiences, we said a sad goodbye to the days of taking a photo and clicking publish.

As small business owners, we now find ourselves in a position where – if we’re not playing by the current rules, consistently and creatively – our efforts shoot down the system’s pecking order and we are consequently less and less visible, even to those loyal people who actively clicked ‘follow’.

For industries like tattooing, in which many artists rely almost solely on Instagram for customers, this is kind of a big (and often anxiety-inducing) deal. Many feel like they simply can’t keep up with what they feel they ‘should be’ doing online.

Yes, it is inevitable for content sharing sites to evolve as time moves forward, but that doesn’t change the fact that we now feel differently about the channels we’re glued to throughout the day. In other words, we’re spending a lot of our time doing stuff we don’t love doing. No one wants that.

Tattooists are finding themselves – not just designing art, creating tattoos, setting up, cleaning down, managing businesses and the other million things they have to do, but also – feeling the pressure to create entire social media strategies that showcase the process and the end result in order to get impressions and engagement. A simple post-tattoo photo with a few hashtags doesn’t cut through the noise anymore.

We know that we need to consider higher-performing formats like video, we need to edit and publish in an optimised way, we need to share at the most efficient time of day, equally spreading ourselves across reels, carousels, live and stories whilst also innovatively telling our brand narratives, jumping on tending audio, keeping our highlights neat, branding our bios and much, much more. Overwhelmed yet?

It’s no wonder we feel like we’re stuck in a game, one we didn’t sign up to play, one we’re desperately trying to follow the rules of, but often failing. The reason why we frequently feel like we’re not mastering the sport is because as self-employed individuals, or often as artists who have other ‘day-jobs’, we CAN’T do it all. 

The first and most important thing I ask a client to do when working on a social media strategy together is I ask them to have a think about what makes them unique (as this will influence selecting which things they CAN do). Uniqueness is key right now because, as influencers and social media entrepreneurs begin to identify what the algorithm loves, we are seeing a repetition of aesthetics, templates, sounds and styles which users are inevitably becoming fatigued by.

It is becoming more and more important to ask yourself – within your industry, what can make you unique?

There are dozens of ideas, our feeds are clogged up with ‘what everyone else is doing’, but don’t rush into anything just yet – take a step back and think about who YOU are and how YOU want to be seen. 

Once you’ve thought about your image and branding you can eventually select two or three ideas to focus on that match up with your values. Incorporate these into a solid and realistic strategy (a list of best-performing formats you are going to do – why, how and when). What things can become ‘your things’, and why? And know that everything is not for everyone and that’s OK – lots of very successful artists don’t ever show their face, they find other ways to shout about who they are and what they do in a vibrant and distinctive way.

What it all comes down to, what is at the heart of any good social strategy for an individual creative is one important thing – you.

Any content plan should be built on the foundation of your individuality and your unique skills, only then can you even entertain the notion of doing something that stands out from everything else churned out in your particular communities.

The end result – you feel less of an algorithm prisoner and more in control and passionate about sharing your work, through content that needs to follow some sort of system, yes, but steers clear of the monotonous compliance of keeping up with social trends. And if there’s any culture in the world that does this already, that is all about breaking the mould and embracing individuality, it’s tattooing. If anyone can shatter the cycle of Insta-clones, it’s us. 

Words: Rebecca Givens (RG Arts Marketing) rgartsmarketing.co.uk
Photography: Ally Shipway

Interview with tattoo artist Songe

Shin Song Eun (@songe.tattoo) creates colourful floral inspired tattoos at Inktable tattoo studio in Hapjeong, Seoul. We chat to the tattooer about her journey into the tattoo world, her intricate style and favourite things to tattoo…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I happened to see a tattoo on my SNS app. It was so detailed and I thought how can you express that kind of detail on the body? That’s when I started to get interested in tattoos.

 How did you become an artist? I was a student at art college and then I found a tattoo academy after much consideration.

I learned to tattoo under my teacher, @soltattoo. I worked on my tattooing every day for two and a half years to get where I am now and grow as an artist.

How would you describe your art? I like natural things so my tattoos feature a lot of flowers. I try to express a composition and arrangement that goes well with the body of the person I’m tattooing.

Your tattoos are really bright, what do you love about colour? I think a lot of people also like my bright pastel colours. I also like to use a lot of colourful tones rather than dark colours.

What’s the inspiration behind your work? I read a lot of fairy tale books. And I usually read botanicical books too. I like to look at the pictures of nature that have been taken by the writers as well.

What do you like to tattoo? I work on a lot of ‘fluttering flowers’ and I like them. I think small flowers flow beautifully on different people’s bodies, I love the feeling I get when I see them.

Even if they’re the same flowers, they all look different and give off a different vibe.

Where can people get tattooed by you? My tattoo studio is near Hapjeong Station in Seoul and I’ll also be in Singapore in June.

What’s your favourite thing about being a tattoo artist? Every day I can draw and express myself through my drawings. When I would draw at work or school I would design inside a fixed frame, or so it felt. But with tattooing it’s different, I can draw in my own way.

I also really like drawing in a way that combines my customer’s style with my own style.

How do you create your small tattoos, are there any challenges with these? Some people work on a small tattoo because they think it’s going to be faster and easier.

But, I think small tattoos need to be even more detailed than bigger tattoos, because they need to express the same details in a smaller areas. It takes more time than you’d think.

Do you have a favourite tattoo? I like plant tattoos I do the most.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? When I was guesting abroad of lot of people really liked my work and wanted to get tattooed by me. There was someone who had waitee several years to get tattooed by me, which made me feel so happy and proud.

Make sure to follow @songe.tattoo for more beautiful tattoos.

Interview with tattoo artist Pauline

Tattooer Pauline (taken from his mother’s baptismal name) creates beautifully delicate fineline tattoos at Inktable in Seoul, Korea. We chat to Pauline about capturing the feelings of a specific moment in his tattoos…

Why did you want to become a tattoo artist? There are many reasons, including thoughts and memories that I don’t want to forget. Tattooing allows for elements of beauty in my life. It also indicates a direction and ideals that I want to live in and live by.

How did you become a tattooer? Since I was young I have encountered art in my natural environment. Being around art so much inspired me to go to university to study sculpture.

I was attracted to painting and the field of tattooing and so wanted to study this too. While studying sculpture, I fell in love with tattooing and creating my own paintings, especially the idea of engraving these onto skin.

How would you describe your style? I think my tattoos capture the emotions and stories of the moment. Due to the nature of my line drawings it’s difficult to get the same picture more than once. So, I can only draw the lines and the feelings expressed in that very moment. I think it’s this part that is so attractive to me and my clients.

Have you always tattooed like this? No, there’s been a lot of changes in how I paint. At first I did blackwork and oriental paintings as I liked this painting style. However, I was always drawn to line style paintings without realising it and then I openly fell in love with linework.

Your lines are mainly in black, do you prefer this over colour? I don’t insist on black, but I think I prefer black to color. In my tattoos I like to change the thickness of the line as well as the strength and weakness of it. Personally, I think black can express these things best.

What inspires your designs? In the past I was very inspired by Klimt’s drawings and Egon Schile’s drawings. These artists are one of the reasons why I became more interested in drawing.

I always try to look at other artists’ paintings to broaden my horizons. Mainly because other paintings, music and movies are also inspired by areas of art that surround them.

What do you like about tattoos? Tattoos are a way that you can live with pictures of your own stories. Then when we see a tattoo we remember ourselves and others from that time. You can express your personality through them and to me they’re a part of art.

What do you love the most about being a tattoo artist? I get to do what I like to do. It’s a very good thing as I love painting and I’m able to do a job that’s related to it. I also like having a free schedule and control over my time, that’s one of the many factors that makes it so good.

Can you tell us about the process behind linework tattoos? When you’re painting, you’re drawing and so you’re creating a line without any hesitation. It’s different when you’re transcribing that line into a tattoo. You have to express every line well from the neat ones to those with strong and weak points too. I think it’s better to make a line in the skin rather than draw it on paper.

Tell us about your own tattoos, do you collect them? Yes, I have a lot of tattoos. I have the face of my mother, whom I respect, engraved on me. Then there’s also a figure from Korean history, this tattoo helps to give me direction and live the life I want.

Sometimes I collect tattoos because I just like the artist’s paintings. I have a wide variety of tattoos.

When in your career have you felt the happiest? My tattoo appointments are a time where I can be supportive of people. Everyone has pain and some people want to overcome their pain by getting one of my tattoos. I feel proud and happy to be an artist who can be of any help in other people’s lives.

Do you have any guestspots or travel planned? I have been to so many countries including Germany, America, England and France. I’ll be in Singapore soon but currently I don’t have a planned schedule.

Make sure to follow @pauline.tattoo for more beautiful tattoos and travel plans.

Interview with tattoo artist Norang

Artist Norang creates exquisite tattoos at Sol Tattoo Studio in Seoul, Korea. We chat to the tattooist about the inspiration behind her work and how she hopes her tattoos will help the wearers to love their bodies…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you become an artist? It’s been two years since I started tattooing and getting tattoos. I’ve been painting since I was very young and I’ve always been interested in this field.

There was a moment where I had to make a choice about my future and that’s when I realised that I liked to paint pictures with my hands. I thought about what I could do with my favorite pastime. I found a special world called tattooing and jumped in without hesitation.

If you weren’t a tattooer what would you be? Maybe I would be an illustrator. It would allow me to express my art through my hands, like tattooing does. The charm of it all is that I can combine colours as I think of them and stories appear as I draw. In my free time I draw and give my illustrations to my friends.

What’s your favourite thing about being a tattooer? That the people who visit me like my paintings. It’s amazing to me that they want to engrave my art on to their bodies. I also like it when they are happy when they see my finished work.

Can you tell us about your experiences in the tattoo industry? I feel a great responsibility in every moment, because I do work that is indelible to the human body. This also includes how I try to get my customers to have a tattoo of what they really want. It’s been two years since I started tattooing, but I still try to work with the same mindset.

How would you describe your work? Fairy tales for adults. I want to beautifully express the same innocence that still remains within these stories. I interpret all the designs I see with my own viewpoint. The charm of my tattooing is to make the things around me more delicate and special.

What inspires you? Twinkling things like stars in the night sky and things with delicate patterns. I also like symmetrical natural objects such as birds and butterflies.

There’s a novelty to the wonderful forms of nature that man cannot imitate. When we try, what is produced is special, it is this that gives me comfort and allows me to dream.

Do you have a favourite tattoo artist or someone who inspires you? My tattooist colleagues and my close friends. Thankfully, I have a lot of friends who have unique and creative minds. I’m always grateful to them for giving me fresh and artistic stimulation.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? I always try to draw the same theme from different angles and poses, or a new combination. Sometimes, when I do this there are unexpected designs and colour combinations that come out.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? Working with various objects is very fun for me. I like to reproduce the form and the delicate lines I see through tattoos. These days, I am interested in flower shapes, so I want to develop these in my own style.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? My first tattoo is an ornament on my finger without much meaning. I didn’t get another tattoo for a long time after that, because I wanted to be careful about the tattoos on my body.

Then last spring I received my long awaited and much cherished flowers and birds from @soltattoo on my arm. I will continue to fill my body with flowers that I like.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? There are so many that I can’t choose. As a tattooist, I think the way I can draw a design to better fit a person’s body is the best. I hope my clients can love their body more with my tattoos.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Our country is the only country where tattooing is illegal. As a result, a lot of generations generally distrust tattoos and tattooing. But ironically, for many young people, it’s a means of self expression. I think there are so many talented tattooists in Korea. I hope that someday Korea will be welcoming of tattoos.

Follow Norang on Instagram for more beautiful tattoos.

Interview with tattoo artist SOOSOO

Tattooer SOOSOO owns a private studio in Hongdae Korea where she creates incredible tattoos. We chat to SOOSOO about how she became a tattooist and her work, including her amazing fire tattoos…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you become an artist? I’ve been working as a tattooist for four years. Four years ago I went with a friend who was getting a tattoo, that was the first time I came across them.

I’ve been drawing since I was a child, and I wanted to have a job where I could draw. I thought being a tattooist looked so cool. I decided to learn to tattoo and I saw @SolTattoo was recruiting students at the time, so they became my teacher.

Do you have a background in art? Before becoming a tattooist, I majored in visual design. I went to an art high school to major in design, and I have always learnt about and painted different works, including Western paintings and illustrations, as well as my major.

What’s your favourite thing about being a tattooer? I’m really glad that I can enjoy my job. I love it when my clients like my paintings and they’re happy when they see my finished work.

How do you hone your tattooing craft? To me, tattooing isn’t just about engraving beautifully drawn designs into the skin; it’s about skill and dedication. I think tattooists should polish their skills, so the work doesn’t strain or damage the skin. It’s important that we practise by using various machines and needles to find the ones that best fit us.

How would you describe your work? I interpret every design with my own style. The attractive aspects of my tattoos are the vivid colours and textures, like I’m using coloured pencils.

What inspires you? I usually watch a lot of movies and animations. I also think about tattoo designs when I see scenes and props in the movies. I also try to experience a variety of music, paintings and photos to get inspiration.

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? When I’m drawing tattoo designs, I try drawing the same design in different colours. When I do this sometimes I come up with an unexpected design and colour combination which is really good.

How do you create your fire tattoos?  When I look at the irregularity and intensity of fire, I thought I should draw it. I was impressed to see the colour of the flame fused with the surrounding environment and I thought I could express it in various ways.

I think it’s very attractive to draw fire blooming on the skin in various shapes and colours. The fire isn’t in a clear shape, but I can create a frame to contain it in. I then keep revising the appearance to complete the design.

We love your food tattoos, are these a favourite of yours? I’ve been doing food tattoos a lot recently, they’re quite new to me. I want to draw a variety of painting styles including still life paintings. The shape of food and bottles attract me and lend themselves to this style. Although, I’d definitely like to try more diverse things in the future.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? These days, I enjoy drawing fire and I’ve been working on a lot of small fire tattoos. As mentioned above, I feel the flow of fire on the skin is very attractive and looks good. I want to make a big fire tattoo on someone’s arms or legs, hopefully I can someday.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? When I first started tattooing, I worked at StudioBySol, a shop run by my tattoo teacher SolTattoo. There were loads of tattooists in the studio and they gave me a lot of tattoos. 

I don’t have many tattoos on my legs yet, but I want to get a big tattoo on one of my legs at some point.

How does it feel making tattoos in Korea when they’re still illegal? There are so many talented tattooists in Korea and a lot of people want to learn how to tattoo. It’s really unfortunate that it’s not legal. There are a group of Korean tattooists that are trying to legalise tattooing, so I hope it will be soon.

How are tattoo artists seen by society? Older generations still have negative views, but many people are looking at tattooing as art. I hope it will be accepted by more people as an art and legalised.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? I’m very proud and I feel at my best when clients tell me they really wanted to get a tattoo from me. Also when they are satisfied with the tattoo I have done for them.

Follow SOOSOO on Instagram for more awesome miniature tattoos.