If you have a few moments I would deeply appreciate your vote going into the Finalist Rounds of the Inked Magazine Covergirl competition. All models are self-promoted, so please, follow along with a free DAILY vote! Grand Prize Winner will be determined on April 13th, 2023
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While tattooing is a huge part of who I am, like anyone, I have other interests and things that I care about. Creating an ethically positive relationship with the environment is a huge one for me. I don't know that everyone feels the weight of the way that humanity consumes and makes waste, but I do. Maybe it stems from growing up in a huge family and never feeling comfortable taking up space, or maybe it's due to hiking my way through burnt out forests of leafless splinters of trees... or some combination of the two. One trip to the dump site in the industrial area downtown was enough to make me seriously rethink my relationship to the things I was throwing away. Which is exactly what I did.
In 2018, I decided that neither apartment life or roommate life was appealing to me. So I decided to go tiny. I bought a yurt and began the process of building it and moving. Downscaling was tedious, but it freed up a lot of space. I examined the systems that are given to us with society and made changes that feel more aligned with supporting the environment. If human convenience is the goal of the systems that support us, then I'd say we have been pretty successful in that endeavor... but at what cost? During the transition to the yurt, an 11 year relationship ended, and many friendships drifted away with it. The yurt became my cottage in the woods, away from the things that felt tumultuous and painful. With that I moved my business to the private studio. Everything became smaller and less complicated. My relationship to my artwork became more focused and my process more refined. Nestled underneath my grandpa's "noodle" lamp, and my grandma's quilted painting is where I curl up to design your tattoos. |
My partner, Tobias was there for all of that. He helped build the yurt, and the studio, and supported me through the growing pains and changes of the last 8 years. Tobias is an army Veteran and a driven athlete and writer. He is loving, patient and giving. He has a huge heart for the houseless people living in the city of Portland and those grappling with addiction. Together, we live in the yurt with our Australian shepherd, Marla, my flame-point siamese, Alabama, and my redtail boa, Lestat (or snake). We are avid nature enthusiasts, jiu jitsu practitioners, weight lifters, and we love to cook simple delicious foods together. In our home there is joy and love and a commitment to both mental and physical health.
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