If the subject of tattoo art hits the streets of Atlanta, there is no doubt that Miya Bailey‘s name is at the top of the conversation. The founder of City of Ink has not only become an international name but still dedicates his time to other emerging artists. While the arts have become less important to the current educational system, Bailey credits positive reinforcement to his success, which proves that anyone can achieve their dreams.
Seeking inspiration:
I like to walk. I have a thing about seeing nature creep through concrete. Walking, you might see something that inspires you- something you might miss driving around in a car. I’m not in a rush to go anywhere, so I like to walk.
What led you to art?
I was always drawing. I would sit in my little club house and draw for hours. When my mom noticed, she had me draw something every day. Art was also a major part of my schooling. My teachers saw it in me, they would enter me in art contests, and I would win. It was my teachers, my mom, and my family that have always supported me.
My mother’s friends would always pay me to draw at their parties. Art and money always went hand in hand. When other kids were break dancing for money, my thing was drawing. I always made money from art so I could never separate the two.
On naysayers:
I start at $1000. My clients are doctors, lawyers and other professional people; that’s pretty dope that they respect enough to pay me to express myself. I think our world is changing. I try not to focus on none of the negative. I don’t give the negative any energy so I don’t even notice any backlash if there is any.
Mapping out his goals:
When I was 18, I wrote all of my goals down on a piece of paper. Certain things happened a lot quicker than expected. Now, I add more things to my list because I am accomplishing everything I set out to.
In the early 90s, I remember reading Ed Hardy’s book, where he gave various tattoo styles names based on their culture. The one thing I noticed is that there was nothing that represented Black culture. It was then that I wondered, could I create styles for my people? Can I be the black Ed Hardy?
I now see concepts that my business partner, Tuki, and I were doing when we were 18-19 years old. To see the styles develop is amazing. Now, I would like to showcase my talents on a variety of art, but I would also like to afford to do so. I know if I had the same amount of time to do a painting as I do to do a tattoo, I can make the same amount of money. Right now, I’m supplying a demand, but I don’t want to become a slave to that.
