Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Livingston.
Hi Sebastian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been interested in becoming a tattoo artist, however, the journey that lead me to actuate that aspiration was full of side quests. As a young teen, I came out of the closet as gay and was sort of thrown into a world of uncertainty. Navigating my life at that point was challenging and I began to identify with drug culture quite heavily which lead to a 13-year-long addiction to drugs and alcohol.
As I entered my late teens and early 20s, I began to find myself freestyling (rapping) with my homies which encouraged me to start up my own promotion and management company, Funk Town Entertainment. This was a blast and was full of good times and unique experiences. I would promote shows and donate %50 of the proceeds to charity and I spent a year as a tour manager for a rapper which, looking back, ended up being a super rewarding experience. However, at that point, I was very reliant on uppers and alcohol and unable to maintain myself and my passion suddenly burned out. I attempted suicide under a tree with a half-gallon of vodka and a handful of pills. Luckily my best friend saved me and I woke up in the hospital.
I then began going to school for the entertainment business and once again drugs and alcohol became a roadblock. I began identifying with gay nightlife culture and the story continues the same until one night, wasted off a 2-day bender, I missed a call from my best friend, the one who saved my life. When I finally came to, I heard the news that he had hung himself. He saved my life, yet I missed his plea because I was too far gone. At this point, my life changed forever.
I quit drugs, alcohol, everything, and began training martial arts religiously. I’ve been clean for 6+ years. At this point in my life, I began studying on my own. Reading and annotating hundreds of books on Marxism, environmental and participatory economics, sociology and anything on the subject of socialism that I could get my hands on. I then began working with activist groups and ended up as the Chair of the Ecosocialist Commission for the Socialist Party USA, and a member of the National Organizing Committee for Extinction Rebellion U.S. I began writing. I wrote all that I had and got it published. My work made me friends in several countries and I still keep in touch with folks I met through the process, however, I am no longer politically active.
I then put all my energy into martial arts, training several styles simultaneously for years. Receiving a black belt and pursuing black belts in various styles. I had to work 2 jobs to afford my training and I was training a lot. 20-30 hours a week. This is where tattooing comes in.
I finally realized that happiness for me is simpler than I thought. And in order to pursue the things I love and have the energy to give back to others, I need time. So I dust off the pencils, create an art portfolio and seek a tattoo apprenticeship. I find Vicer (Chase Glauser). He agrees to be my mentor and he teaches me everything I know about tattooing. Beyond tattooing, he teaches me how to stand on my own two feet as a self-employed artist. I am forever grateful for what he gave me, and the crazy times we’ve had.
After he graduated, he encouraged me to spread my wings and explore other shops. This inevitably lead me to open my own shop and I did so with my business partner Joshua Dix who I met in the field. We opened our new shop in the shop I actually apprenticed in which had been vacant for a year. I learn so much from Josh and am looking forward to our ventures together, of which we have many in the works.
Tattooing has changed my life and has allowed me the opportunity to begin to unpack and internalize what it means to be free and self-determined. It has created a somewhat “spiritual” renaissance for me and I feel very honored to be a part of this community. I used to wonder “what if I just had the courage to start tattooing sooner?” But I quickly brush that aside as I realize I don’t have any regrets now. And that is something I can credit tattooing, for it changed my entire perception of what life is.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles with tattooing but that’s what helps you grow. Some of the main struggles come from within in trying to balance what clients want and what you would prefer to tattoo. It takes time and luck to build a portfolio that really represents what you want to convey to the world in terms of subject matter and style. One day I hope to only receive requests for the darker imagery that I love to create.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work tends to blend multiple facets of the character that I’m trying to portray. I tend to focus on what you don’t see as much as what I do see from an individual. So I love telling the story of a character by the potential energy they bring with them, and what is hidden inside. I am becoming known for “high detail” work, that’s what my clients say they love from me. I think by detail they mean expression. But I rarely ask.
One thing that sets me apart from many others in that money is not high on my motivation totem pole. I value my art based on how I feel it lives up to my potential vs. what it takes of my time. I respect the working-class struggle and feel like everyone deserves amazing tattoos. The sacrifice in cost and pain creates a special value that deserves respect and I respect that by offering my work at a rate that’s far below the industry standard. My technique is unique in that I use only black for all my tones, I don’t use grey washes to achieve softer tones.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
On a deeply personal level, my own happiness is derived from the ascent through pain. I feel most happy when I have worked hard through a challenging scenario, be it martial arts or tattooing/ being tattooed. I love the organized chaos.
But on the surface level, it makes me happy to see loved ones happy and to know I am not a source of their suffering.
Contact Info:
- Email: Sebastian.livings@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dollface.tattoos/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Artist/dollfacetattoos-108782867565745/
