Meet Star Lozano | Tattoo Artist & Crafter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Star Lozano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Star, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have never felt like I was meant to work a “normal” job. When I tried to work the average 9 to 5 there was always something missing and I constantly felt like I was wasting my time…Time I could have been using to doodle, paint or just do something crafty. After a few years of working, I was able to reach a management position but then my grandmother passed away. I ended up not showing up to work for a shift and instead spent that time questioning what I wanted in life. Instead of going back to work for my next shift, I decided I was going to start focusing on doing something art related to make money. Around that time, I happened to be friends with some club owners and a few of them allowed me to sell my art when they hosted events and do small murals here and there. After that I just started to take up every artsy opportunity that came my way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m very proud of myself for taking on tattooing at a young age. nowadays, most people in my industry start off in their mid 20’s-30’s, I was lucky enough to start when i was 18. By 21, I had already established a clientele base and knew that i wanted to make this my career path. I will say that being a young, very short female tattoo artist comes with its difficulties. Many clients that walked into our shop did not take me seriously. I constantly got asked if i “really knew how to tattoo” or if there was anyone with “more experience” that could help them. There had also been situations where i was asked if “i was even old enough to get tattoos”. All in which were very discouraging. I felt down because I wasn’t sure if anyone was ever going to take me seriously in the industry. I had to learn how to not let that stuff bother me and regardless of what some walk ins would say to me, if they gave me the opportunity to tattoo them, I made sure that I did the absolute best I possibly could to show them what i was capable of. That same mindset is instilled with me today. I try to give my clients the best customer service i can as well as just trying to make sure that their entire experience with me as their artist is memorable and enjoyable.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston is definitely a place to be. There are so many places to go see. A few of my favorite spots that I highly recommend are the museums, parks and bars. If you are just trying to enjoy a relaxing afternoon, any of the local museums are worth viewing and if museums aren’t your thing but you love art, driving around the downtown area is a sight in its own, So many graffiti artist throw up murals on countless buildings in the city, it makes driving around a fun game of spotting them out. most of them you can drive up to and get out of the car to take Instagram worthy photos. After you have your fill of sight seeing/ appreciation of art, Montrose is the place to be to find some of the best “hole in the wall” places to eat. And if you are ready for some nightlife, you can park your car anywhere in Midtown and just walk around and bar hop. The streets are decorated with lights which make it easy to get around and there are a bunch of cool areas to also take some photos. There aren’t any specific places Id recommend but just being in those specific parts of town you can drive around without any plans and always find something to do or places to hang out. I’ve lived here all my life and everytime i drive in those areas i find cool places i never knew about.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to make a huge shout out to my friend, Ian Dartez, also known as ALXNDR or the original front man of Hold On Hollywood. Since high school, he has always been a great friend and into adulthood he was one of the creative constants in my life. In the beginning stages of my tattoo career, I spent many nights sitting at a bar, drawing and watching him and his band perform. In those moments, it was very inspiring to see someone I had grown up with also pursue a dream that they had and doing everything that they could to make it a reality. Listening to them perform and just being around all of the band members and that lifestyle really got me hyped about what I was doing in my life. He gave me the courage to be me and to express myself in the most artistic way I possibly could at that time. I am forever grateful for his support throughout the years. I want his success just as much as I want mine.

Website: www.tattoowaifu.com

Instagram: @morning.star.tattoo

Image Credits
Image of me is credited to my husband and photographer Henry Santos @viatoremhs