This video explores the life of Ann Savage, a female tattoo artist based in Cebu City, and how she balances art and motherhood. It is part of SunStar's special features for Women's Month.
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00:00Hi, I'm Anne Savage.
00:06I'm a tattoo artist.
00:08I started tattooing in 2011 and we managed to open, not really open because it's a boarding
00:17house.
00:18So this is Joe's boarding house for two years.
00:23So since we couldn't afford back then to rent a proper shop, we opted to make our boarding
00:33house or maybe 10 square meters boarding house into a tattoo studio during the day.
00:45But during the night time, behind the cabinet, behind our workstation, where we put our personal
01:03stuff.
01:04But during the daytime, you would really see it like as a tattoo studio.
01:08And then, with the help of Joe and me, who worked hard to earn for a living, we started
01:26to open a mini studio outside the apartment or boarding house area to make a car wash.
01:35So there was a 4 meter size space and we rented it out to the same owner of the boarding house.
01:44God was very good.
01:48God was really guiding us to be able to open this time because back then we were just making
01:54fun of each other.
01:55But always I would make jokes to Joe, like, what if, what if, what if, he was looking
02:02at the glass window.
02:03Although it was just 4 meter square, he was looking at it because he could see the accessibility
02:11of people looking at the glass window.
02:142012, thank God that we opened again because all the glory and praises were for us because
02:24it's, to me, it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for him.
02:28So 2012, we managed to open our studio, like official main tattoo studio, which is this
02:38place.
02:39From 4 square meter size shop, now to a 75 square meter.
02:46So I'm very, very grateful to all the people who showed support, especially to our dear
02:52clients who also became our constant support since the beginning.
02:59And without them, without their financial support, without their trust, we wouldn't
03:08make it this far.
03:10For most women, tattoos have always been a powerful form of self-expression, especially
03:17to women who are going through a lot of things like emotional stress.
03:23They like to get tattoos or to have tattoos because of the feeling, like how it makes
03:31them feel, like it's like a therapy to them.
03:37So especially to me, I've tried that before when I was very, very stressed, I even had
03:42two artists doing my back piece at the same time.
03:49So imagine, and I just slept the whole time because it was very therapeutic for me.
03:54So most of the women, they consider tattoo as a form of healing or recovery from emotional
04:07trauma and stuff.
04:10Some also consider it as self-expression, like resilience or strength, or even an identity
04:18of who you are.
04:19Like for example, you wanted this kind of symbol to represent of who you are, like most
04:25of the clients that we have would come here to get their birth flowers or would get their
04:33zodiac signs.
04:35Like for me, for example, I got a rainbow tattoo, which represents happiness, like tattooing
04:45or balancing art and motherhood at the same time is really challenging.
04:50But to me, it is a very fulfilling aspect of my life as a person, because work-life
05:00balance as a tattoo artist requires a lot of time.
05:06For example, the time at the studio, I have to be there like really focused for my craft
05:13because of course, it's a permanent tattoo.
05:15So it's a permanent art on someone's skin and I want to give my all or my best, my 100%
05:25to my client.
05:26So at the same time, on the motherhood side, I also have to be present, like to be the
05:33best mom to my kids.
05:36So it really requires a lot of patience.
05:40As a mother of five and a tattoo artist, I've learned to be, how can I say, intentional
05:46with my time because like, again, juggling both are not easy because tattooing and motherhood
05:55are both very demanding.
05:57Why?
05:58Because my client, you have to give your, your opinion on what they want, their designs.
06:05Like even making the design alone requires a lot of energy because the client wants to
06:10change this, that, and the last minute of changes and things like that.
06:16So while tattooing, most of the people that are not familiar with tattoos, they don't
06:24think, if they see it, they think that it's just a drawing, it's not as easy as that.
06:30But actually, it requires focus, so mental, it requires your posture, your back, your
06:41eyesight, eye straining, and emotionally, because most of the clients come in, most
06:53of the artists, I don't know how to explain it, but to me, personally, personal experience,
06:58I can absorb energies from my clients.
07:02So emotional stress, it can affect the artist, let's say, for example, the client is very,
07:11is going through a lot of things, and then by the time she or he came, he comes to the
07:17studio, he's upset, so he absorbs the energy.
07:21So by the time I go home, I'm drained and sad, and then sometimes it affects my motherhood,
07:29my children, I'm overwhelmed in the studio.
07:34So all the working moms out there, not just in the tattoo industry, but in general, is
07:38to embrace your passion and your role as a mother without guilt, because why we, most
07:46of us women or moms, have this feeling of mom guilt most of the time because we're out
07:52for work and not attending to our kids, and the society always dictates us moms to always
08:03be present for our kids, which is also their point of view, but like I said, for working
08:09moms out there, finding balance isn't about being perfect at all.
08:14It's also, it's being about, it's being present in the moments that truly matters to us moms,
08:22and I always want to encourage you all that remember you are not just working for your
08:33family or for your kids, but also setting an example of strength, dedication, and perseverance
08:41to all the women out there.