(Editor’s notes: This is part of a letter Ray sent to Iris on July 30, 2024. The post is published with Ray’s permission.)

When I was a kid, I had no interest in art at all. I remember tagging walls with spray paintings of gang symbols, but I wasn’t good at it. I had a friend who was incredibly talented in art. He could freestyle everything off the top of his head, drawing freehand without any pictures. This guy would draw the coolest letters, and he was the one who gave me my first tattoo. Later, I tattooed him.

It wasn’t until high school that I began scribbling on desks, drawing half-faces and gang symbols. I thought my drawings were garbage. Once, in math class, I saw a name and a gang symbol on a desk and crossed it out, writing, “Who the fuck is Big Mac? Fuck East Side.” The guy next to me said, “I’m Big Mac, and I’m East Side!” I told him, “Fuck you, what are you going to do about it?” He got scared and stayed quiet.

Later, in juvenile detention, I started drawing more. I sent a woman a drawing in a letter. In county jail, I continued drawing and began to improve. When I got out, I kept drawing on the walls of my bedroom and on paper, often while high on drugs. That’s when my talent began to show. I never had any formal training in drawing or tattooing; it was all self-taught.

The first portrait I drew was of my sister. I saw a picture of her and decided I could draw her. I only had a pencil and paper. Afterward, I drew a portrait of Pancho Villa with guns and a train, making it bigger based on the picture. There was no guidance, just me and the image. Little by little, I improved.

Now, I can see something and draw it or sketch from a vision in my head. When I put it on paper, my hands know what to do, bringing my drawings to life. It’s weird. During this time, I also tattooed my cousins, aunties, and uncle. I’ve improved a lot and learned on my own. I’m sure an apprenticeship in tattooing would help advance my skills further.

Regarding education, I would pursue something I’m passionate about. When you love something, you tend to care more and put in your best effort. I read in a financial literacy book that if you build a company, make sure it’s something you love, not something you don’t care about.