We appreciate every single person we have the honor of tattooing. We truly view our clients as our community, friends, and family members. The past nine months have felt like a decade of uncertainty and struggle, for all of us.
Some of you have asked how you can support us during the pandemic. We understand many of you are staying at home, while others might not have any extra cash for tattoos. There’s also the reality of daily changes with shutdowns and other restrictions. With all of that in mind, we tried to cover a range of ways that you can support an LGBTQ women-owned and operated small business during the pandemic!
Purchase Merch and Artwork!
One way to support your local tattoo artist is by purchasing art directly from them! Many of us sell prints, paintings, drawings, pins, or other custom artwork. Checking out your favorite artist’s website or social media can give a good idea of what they’re currently creating. You can also call us and let us know what you have in mind so we can direct you to someone who can bring your idea to life!
If you’re staying at home but want the art to come to you, consider getting a mural from Beth. If you want to commemorate your work from home coworker, Diana creates adorable pet portraits. Demi frequently posts new custom items on Instagram, including ornaments and t-shirts. Marissa can turn your nightmares into commissioned art pieces. Check out Justin’s work for high-quality watercolor prints.
If you want to browse fully stocked merch stores, check out Cari’s website, Kris‘ Etsy website, and Madison’s website. You can find pins, custom artwork, stickers, and more in each of their unique styles. Fill up that virtual shopping cart with cool stuff!
Book Ahead!
Even when it feels like the world is ending, we know there will be a tomorrow! Let’s all give ourselves, and each other, something to look forward to by booking ahead. You can reach out to your favorite tattoo artist, contact the shop, or book a future tooth gem appointment to support them and plan ahead. (Seriously though, when people can finally see our teeth again we should all have an entire mouth of tooth gems from Stay Flossy SD.)
Putting down a deposit on a future session greatly helps artists as we try to survive with no income and very little to no financial assistance. It also is a nice way of saying Hey artist pal, I believe in you and believe that you will still be making badass art when we wake up from this nightmare. Keep on creating! We could all use this metaphorical socially distanced pat on the back right now.
Get Engaged!
Very flattering but please, no engagement proposals. We are talking about social media engagement!
Social media is a free and accessible way to support artists and Diego Tattoo Gallery. In a world run by algorithms, simply engaging with posts on our shop Instagram or any of our artists’ pages is an enormous help. We always tag the artist of the pieces we post so you can easily find their pages too.
Your favorite artist might also be a musician! Our very own artist Justin is also in a rad band called Gloomsday! You can watch their music video or stream their music to support his band. Engaging with different forms of art can be a fun way to get to know us and support us!
Not only is social media a great place to find new clients and community members, but it’s also another way for artists to receive that socially distanced pat on the back. You have no idea how thankful we are for every wow I love this comment on our posts. We make art for self-expression but also for the joy of connecting with others — thank you for taking the time to see us and our work.
Celebrate Creativity!
We are all trying our best to make the world a more creative art-filled place. Your commitment to the arts in all forms is what helps us keep our jobs and, more importantly, keep our dreams alive!
Thank you again for your love, support, encouragement, and kindness. Since the day we first opened our doors in 2012, we have been in awe of the people we get to call our community.
We are so excited for the day when we can host another little party to celebrate you all. Until then, let’s keep in touch.