A Woman from Times Past

For years I had been in the tattooing world (started around late 2019 [I think] at a run down shop, ended officially in April of 2024 two months after getting saved) and before that was drawing all the time. When I began tattooing I honestly wanted to capitalize on my artistic ability (which I felt I had no hope in as it was) and then go on to be a rock star. Later down the line, I thought it was my ikigai (new age philosophy) or reason for being.

I fell in love with fast money. I worked primarily in cash in the beginning and there was nothing like going home with $500 or more just after one night. It was gratifying for a moment, finally getting things that I thought I wanted so badly, but I was still so empty and my heart was growing colder by the day. I thought money would fix all of my problems, but after talking to my millionaire boss who had a void in his heart and reflecting on my own life, it became more and more meaningless.

I fell out of love with making art because of the love of the artistry and was just a machine living a microcosm of a rock star life (as much as one can in West Virginia). I hurt many people along the way and finally came to a breaking point. Although I didn’t love it, my investment of years and time and studying made me want to keep holding on. God told me to let go and I did very reluctantly. It was my dream and I thought it’s what I would be doing forever (my clients always had more tattoos than I did because I figured that I didn’t want to lose good canvas space when I had so much time).

After years of making art for other people, I had nothing left. I made one piece of art B.C. (before Christ) and it felt like squeezing out the last bit of toothpaste from a flat tube. After I got saved, I burned all of my old artwork and made certain that I would only glorify God through art, whatever that entailed. After much prayer, the love for art came back in mediums that I didn’t even consider. I hope to show the beauty of God’s creation through them.