So it’s a little less than a year since we moved to Richmond and already things are shifting. I’m looking for the right place to put down roots, and Loose Screw was undergoing some organizational changes that I couldn’t see working out for my family, so I let them know and finished out my appointments from that date. Everyone was respectful and worked together to do what’s right by everyone involved.

We had already bought a house here in Richmond, and I certainly wouldn’t have moved here if I thought LST was the only shop that could help me reach my career goals. So I decided to spend the summer doing guest spots locally and in select cities, do some conventions, launch an online store for prints, continue my yoga teacher training, and spend some much-needed time with my family. By the Autumn of this year I should be able to announce what shop I will call home, and I am so excited for that.

I had found a place where I got everything I wanted from my apprenticeship days- I was doing nothing but custom tattoos, booked up almost 2 months ahead after only being there a few months. But it came at a greater cost than I am willing to pay. Each custom tattoo takes (on average) as many hours to draw as it does to tattoo. When you’re booked solid, that means there is no time to draw during business hours, which meant an average of 5 drawing hours a day outside of work. Spending time with my children, my biggest contribution to the next generation, matters to me. They’re at a very formative age, and there will only be so much time left where they actually want to spend time with me. So now I have a much clearer picture of my work needs.

It was, of course terrifying to make the blind leap from barely manageable security to free fall. I’m still busting my butt, even more so now because I’m setting things up for the new normal. So thank you for your patience while I get things settled.

I will be doing a guest spot at Unkindness Art from May 14 – 28. This is very exciting because, as you may know, this shop is a host to several well-known resident artists and countless iconic guest artists. From May 29 through June 13 I will be at True Tattoo, and after meeting Scott, the owner, I am really looking forward to experiencing the work environment he describes. Getting really good vibes there.

After that, a family vacation. Keep an eye on Instagram for further updates, conventions, and guest spots!

Peace !