SOFTBOY Is Bringing Art To Everyone

While SOFTBOY was born in Toronto, it was Barbados that he credits with his formative experiences. There, he developed—and nurtured—a love of art. But when he discovered tattooing, he came full circle, turning to his birthplace to pursue the medium.

SOFTBOY originally planned to pursue traditional fine arts after studying the subject in college, even working in an art gallery for a while. Something didn’t fit. “The deeper I got into those spaces,” he says. “I was like, ‘This isn't the most accessible thing.’ I needed something more approachable.”

This revelation didn’t sit well with SOFTBOY’s philosophy of “arts for everybody.” He sought a more inclusive corner of the arts world. That’s when he found tattooing. “It's the perfect intersection between art and people,” he says.

While SOFTBOY was eager to pursue this new medium, he hit a roadblock. “There isn't much of a tattoo industry in Barbados,” he says. “There were a few people who did it, but pretty much no apprenticeships.” Since he left the country, he says he’s seen Barbados open up to the art, with more people getting tattooed today. But at the time, his exposure was largely online.

Instagram opened up a new world. He discovered artists and styles that further cemented his resolve. “Suddenly my whole feed was full of [tattoos],” says SOFTBOY. He compiled the results of his years of drawing and painting and assembled a portfolio.

For an artistic career, there were so many more opportunities in Toronto. It felt like the right move.

But with no learning opportunities in Barbados, SOFTBOY was faced with two options: move or teach himself through YouTube videos. “I preferred not to go that route,” he says of the latter. He still had family in Toronto, a city with a vibrant tattoo culture. So, in 2019, he moved back. “I didn't have anything lined up,” he says. “It was a leap of faith.”

After landing, SOFTBOY cold called local studios, eventually landing an apprenticeship. “For an artistic career, there were so many more opportunities in Toronto,” he says. “It felt like the right move.”

Securing a spot with a studio and mentor helped SOFTBOY hone his unique style. At the time, fine line tattooing wasn’t as popular. He found that much of this learning was still self-directed or through watching artists with similar styles. And his work is always evolving. “Recently, I've been exploring these ornamental sticker sleeves,” he says, of the trend that sees clients building a sleeve through a series of complementary smaller tattoos.

But learning the craft was one of the easier aspects of SOFTBOY’s foray into tattooing. The business side of the industry was the most challenging. He bounced between multiple studios before moving to a co-working model. In this new studio, everyone contributes, meaning the responsibility of booking clients and managing his books falls on him now. “It’s given me a lot of perspective,” he says. “I get to see so many different artists and different ways of approaching how you run your business.”

While the learning curve has been steep—managing the business and his craft while trying to balance a social life—SOFTBOY says he’s grateful for the experience. “I have a better focus and a clear vision for what I want to do.”

When I first got into tattooing, it was white male dominated but I've started to see a shift. I've been really grateful to be a part of that.

SOFTBOY’s biggest challenge these days is finding time to be creative. In his quest to return to his first love of drawing, he’s finding himself doing more flash drawings than custom tattoos.

For his part, SOFTBOY’s aim for the future is creating more opportunities for new artists—especially those who look like him. “When I first got into tattooing, it was white male dominated but I've started to see a shift,” he says. “I'm just really grateful to be able to…be a voice and a representation of people.”

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Photo credit by Mack Photography. All art and photos provided by SOFTBOY.

Artist Stories spotlights tattoo artists of all styles and backgrounds and shares their unique journey with the community.