Once upon a time
there was a little girl who wanted to be a rodeo princess when she grew up…
but then life happened.
I grew up in the hot, high deserts of the Yakima Valley riding horses through orchards and not knowing the difference between a single or double-wide. I never thought I’d reflect back on these days and smile, but being raised in a barn has its benefits!
I was always fascinated and immersing myself in the realms of fantasy and fairy, and was lucky enough to have grown up in the time where artist Amy Brown was having a moment and could be found in every arts and craft store across the country.
“And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.”
— JRR Tolkien, The Return of the King
Before I started my journey to becoming a tattooer,
I was an avid collector and found that it helped me like nothing else could when it came to my mental health. I might not have respected my body enough not to self-harm, but I loved the art on my body which gave me a sense of pride and self-esteem that I had never experienced before. It was one of the few times I had that extra “pep in my step.” I slowly started to piece together that tattoo should be my healing medium. I want to help people transform their relationships with their bodies, a,d their circumstances; whether it’s to help process grief, act as a totem of strength, or simply to adorn in self-expression, it’s all important.
I’m not in this to see MY art on other people’s bodies; that’s far from the reason I am passionate about tattooing. I consider myself a conduit for something larger, I’m just here to help your vision bend a reality. People get tattooed for a variety of reasons; to heal, to process, to adorn, to remember, to forget, to laugh… My purpose is to take these thought forms and turn them into something tangible.
The Intersection of Mental Health and Tattoo
Depression and anxiety are no strangers to me.
I got my first diagnosis, medication, and therapist at 13 and was hospitalized with my first panic attack at 14. After this last run in with domestic violence I decided to go back, but it’s been touch and go. I will be writing about my journey with the mental health/medical industries, but that’s a project for another time. I have spent my life up until recently watching it go by, too exhausted to even get out of bed. Years. Decades.
And I’m not alone in this.
Follow my journey on my blog!
Life finds a way
After taking the year to focus on therapy and my mental health I feel like I have turned a new leaf and ready to take on a new, meaningful life.
I now spend most of my days with my fur family and partner, tending to the houseplants, and wandering around my now-home in Portland, OR.
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Lizzie
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Xena
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Bundy
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DeeDee
