Description
Meet She Inks, a tattoo artist with 15 years of experience whose path into tattooing took an unexpected turn.
In this Onyx Vision interview, She Inks shares how her background in commercial design and her years working as a correctional officer led her toward tattooing. She also reflects on starting as a home-based artist, learning through experience, and finding her place in the professional tattoo industry.
She opens up about the challenges of asking questions, the stigma some home-based artists face, and why she believes the industry has become more welcoming as artists gain access to information and connect through social media.
We also discuss AI-generated tattoo references. She Inks sees AI as a tool that can help clients communicate ideas, but explains why those concepts sometimes need to be changed to work as actual tattoos.
The conversation closes with her thoughts on inclusion, learning from other artists, and finding or creating a professional environment where you can grow.
**IN THIS INTERVIEW**
- Her journey from corrections to tattooing
- 15 years of experience in the tattoo industry
- Starting as a home-based tattoo artist
- Learning without a formal apprenticeship
- Gatekeeping and access to industry knowledge
- How social media has changed tattooing
- AI-generated tattoo references and artistic judgment
- Why inclusion matters in the tattoo industry
- The Ladies of Ink collective
Find She Inks on Instagram at * @iamsheinks * (spoken in the interview as “I Am She Inks”). She says she tattoos at Pen and Portraits Tattoo in Warner Robins, Georgia.
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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Meet She Inks & the Ladies of Ink Collective
00:38 How Long Has She Been Tattooing?
00:44 From Corrections to Tattooing
00:59 How Tattooing Found Her
01:15 Her Background in Commercial Design
01:48 How the Tattoo Industry Has Changed
02:19 Starting as a Home-Based Artist
02:42 How Social Media Opens Doors
02:57 The Personal Struggles of Learning Tattooing
03:24 The Stigma Around Home-Based Artists
03:45 Finding People Willing to Share Knowledge
04:07 Gatekeeping in the Tattoo Industry
04:18 Why She Never Had a Formal Apprenticeship
04:39 Learning the Craft Through Experience
05:13 Talent, Practice & Tattoo Equipment
05:44 Is AI a Problem for Tattoo Artists?
06:00 Working With AI-Generated Tattoo References
06:24 Does the Tattoo Industry Need to Change?
07:05 Finding the Right Environment to Work
07:24 Why the Industry Needs More Inclusion
07:39 Where to Find She Inks
07:49 Pen and Portraits Tattoo in Warner Robins
08:01 Closing
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