“Art has always been an essential part of my life. From a young age, I knew I wanted to incorporate creativity into my career. In elementary school, I was convinced I would become a fashion designer, spending hours sketching in my Project Runway fashion book and bringing my ideas to life by cutting up old clothes to craft new outfits for my dolls. However, as I grew older, my passion shifted—I realized I was more captivated by drawing than by designing clothes.

During high school, I discovered my favorite artistic focus: portraits. Whether working with traditional media or experimenting with sculpture, my pieces consistently centered around the human form. I was certain that my future lay in attending art school and fulfilling my dream of moving to Portland, Oregon.

Yet, during my junior year, everything changed. The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly cut the school year short, and suddenly, my aspirations felt distant and uncertain. Despite these challenges, my love for art remained a grounding force—a reminder that creativity could thrive even in the most confusing times. My main goal was always to become proficient in many artistic mediums. I felt comfortable drawing on paper, painting both large and small-scale projects, and digital art was becoming easier as well. However, my curiosity led me to an art form I knew little about—tattooing. Being a tattoo artist always felt like the unicorn of all careers. The idea of working with skin to create intricate designs while ensuring the client's pain was manageable seemed overwhelming. The permanence of any mistakes terrified me.

As much as I contemplated trying my hand at tattooing, fear held me back. After graduating high school, I enrolled in my local community college and took some marketing classes. After nearly two years of online learning, I realized that studying through a computer screen was unfulfilling. I dropped out and began working full-time at Home Depot.

Despite my job, I couldn't stop thinking about tattooing, and working in retail was making me progressively more miserable. My family saw how lost and unhappy I was and encouraged me to pursue tattooing. Art had always been an integral part of my life, so why would it be a mistake to try something I was passionate about? Once I overcame my lingering fear, I knew I could truly enjoy this path.

Though this career was exactly what I predicted—extremely mentally exhausting—it has also been incredibly rewarding. Seeing the evolution of my skills and techniques is the most satisfying part, along with building relationships with clients. My favorite aspect of the job is learning about each client’s life. My grounding statement as an artist is the understanding that a piece of my mind will now be carried on the skin of the client for a lifetime.

It is important to me to ensure each client has a comfortable experience they can remember when they look at their tattoo. I am very vocal about encouraging my clients to speak up about any concerns they have regarding their tattoo, whether it involves the composition or placement. I will gladly rework the design until it is something that fully satisfies their vision.

My first two years of tattooing have been full of ups and downs and plenty of experimenting. However, my love and drive for this art form only grow stronger. I am excited to see where the next two years take me.”