My tattoo journey began as a teenager. I wanted tattoos so badly, but I was broke and not old enough to get one on my own. Undeterred (and a little naive), I ordered the cheapest tattoo kit I could find online and taught myself the basics. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion.

 

Once I was old enough, I found a spot as an apprentice in a tattoo shop. I worked relentlessly, and before I knew it, I became a junior artist, and shortly after that, a full artist. Eventually, I became the main artist at the shop. But that’s when things got complicated.

 

I was doing everything on my own, basically running the shop, and it took a lot out of me. I stayed there through thick and thin, grew a lot, learned a lot, but eventually had to move on. I ended up in a downtown shop, but the environment soon revealed itself to be toxic. I was downtrodden. And for the first time, I questioned whether tattooing was meant for me at all…

 

That’s when Eastside Ink welcomed me with open arms and believed in me when I needed it most. They gave me more than a chair in a shop — they gave me a second family, confidence, support, and the reminder that this isn’t just a job, it’s my calling.