08/10/2026
I’ve rewrote this post a couple times, which is quite silly. This month I have hit 3 years of tattooing. Though that is just a blip compared to the long lives we live, it comes with reflections and imposter syndrome of course 😂
I constantly think about little Ava, how this was something she wanted for so long, would she be proud, how happy she’d be that we are here, or just what she’d have to say.
For a long time tattooing has been my whole life, the only thing on my radar since I was 14. No one saw how hard I was working towards this, the countless hours I put into building a portfolio, the books I bought on drawing, the seminars I watched to get better at art, and then came the apprenticeships.
But who saw it all was little Ava, and she worked so hard. I was just freshly 18 when I came into the tattoo industry, like a lot of people. That’s hard when you’re a young girl, and I’m so glad I had the confidence to keep pushing forward.
I am proud of her, that we made it to three years. I can’t wait to keep growing and learning. Then one day when I’m a decade in I can reflect on this part of my life and say “I am so proud of the person I was in my 20s”.
Tattooing means everything to me, it consumes your whole life, and it molds you. I am so thankful to have had clients to help me grow, not to mention family and friends who were there every step of the way.
It’s not a big milestone, but it’s my milestone, and I’m allowed to feel proud of my younger self, myself now, and my journey here.
Thanks everyone ❤️
