Side Hustle x Katie Nowicki

Posted by Kennedy Varney · January 01, 2023

KATIE NOWICKI

Happy New Year Maverick family! 🥂 Hope you all had a safe holiday and enjoying the first days of 2023. Nothing like breathing in a fresh new year! To start this year off right let us introduce you to our January SideHustle, Katie Nowicki!

BTW… Have you guys been loving these side hustles as much as me?! Let us know in the comments on our blog! We would love to hear👂🏼from you.

Katie tattoos at Ironhorse Tattoo Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a natural talent in all art forms. Her main side hustle is stained glass work and from her portfolio, SHE. IS. GIFTED.

This month we are raffling off this gorgeous stained glass half Hannya Mask created by Katie herself. I may be a tad bit biased, but it is SO ATTRACTIVE 😍 especially in person!

Start the new year off with some luck and make sure to purchase a raffle ticket for the chance to score BIG time- Be sure to check out other work done by Katie linked below and keep reading to learn more about how Katie got into staining glass.

Size: 10x5.5 inches

Where do you tattoo? Ironhorse Tattoo Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts

What’s your SIDE HUSTLE? Stained glass, but not the kind your granny makes.

How’d you get into your side hustle? I needed a new way to express myself. I love tattooing and drawing/painting, but I wanted a new creative outlet that didn’t involve much of what I do everyday and I still could create designs and make them into something beautiful.

How do you find time to work on your side hustle after tattooing/drawing/running Social media and all the other tasks we have as tattooers? Some weeks are harder than others, depending on the workload or if there is a convention coming up. But I tend to find time in the early mornings. On days off, if nothing else is going on, I could sit in my studio all day just cutting, breaking and grinding.

You think it’s important for tattooers to have other creative outlets? Absolutely! As tattooers, we are constantly creating, but it's not always for ourselves. It's also a job—a cool job, but it is a job. Having another way to create has helped me through those burnout stages we ebb and flow through. I find myself creating better tattoos, simply because I've oiled my creative gears to think differently.

Do you have a creative outlet that you’d rather not turn into a hustle? Something just for YOU that helps you escape or relax? I don’t know if this would be considered one, but every Christmas I make cookies and tend to get way too involved in painting them. I've made cookie portraits of everyone from O.D.B to Dolly Parton and have been told I should sell them. But, honestly I just enjoy laughing at and eating them.

Do you have a bigger picture or a vision of where your side hustle could take you? My end goal, since I started cutting glass, has been window installations. I grew up in a Catholic church, which was the most gorgeous in my small town. It was almost like a mini Sistine Chapel. So not only was I surrounded by the beautiful paintings all over the ceiling, I had massive windows with so many stories to be told around me. I would stare at them during sermons and get lost. So I dream of a 10’x8’ window installations often.

Any Advice for Tattooers that are interested in building up a new SIDE HUSTLE? Just do it! We are all more than tattooers, we are artists. Create, Rinse, Repeat.

Shoutouts? First and foremost my girl Angela Wood @sweetandoffbeat for nominating me. My creative best friend who always pushes me and supports me more than anyone, Meghan Dube @abby.rose.ceramics

And there are a thousand more people I could thank, but I'll save the 5 min speech for my Emmy.

Inspirational or funny Quotes?

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things George Carlin

Random knowledge drops/closing statements?

Getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new can be scary. But it's in these moments of vulnerability that we find ourselves, our true selves. Don’t be scared of the unknown, embrace that shit. None of us would be here if we didn’t take a fucking leap. Much love and keep on chooglin'!

HOW DO WE FIND YOUR SIDE HUSTLE?

WEBSITE? katienowicki.com/bigsassglass

INSTAGRAM? @bigsassglass (glass account) @katienowicki (tattoo account)