Today we’d like to introduce you to Kait Hartman
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started hand poking as a hobby back in 2017 after ordering a kit in the mail. It was just for fun, practicing on myself and my friends, but I had never envisioned myself as a tattoo artist. Back in 2022, I was reaching ultimate burnout with my full time job and actually ended up getting laid off, so I took that as a sign from the universe to take things more seriously and really pursue this. Plus I had a lot of support and encouragement from my partner + friends, which gave me the extra mental boost I needed to make it happen. I spent the next year or so practicing and learning everything I could. Then I scored my first guest spot at local studio in December of last year, and everything has snowballed from there! I’m now a resident at that same studio and have done a handful of guest spots around town. Hoping to travel to some studios outside LA in the near future 🙂
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
To be honest, my biggest obstacle was myself. I have struggled with self doubt and not feeling “good” enough for a large part of my adult life, so working up the courage to just put myself out there was one of my biggest challenges. I started daily affirmations, both verbal and written, and meditating, which really really helped boost my confidence (as cheesy as that sounds lol). Receiving external validation from fellow artists + word of mouth recommendations helped a lot too 😉
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So I do hand poked tattoos, which are tattoos all done manually by hand instead of using a machine (yes, they are permanent ;). Hand poking is the most ancient form of tattooing and is a slow, methodical approach that can be therapeutic to some, including myself. I specialize in dot work/stippling in greywash but also love doing line work + custom script. A lot of my inspiration comes from the Mediterranean, European folk art, my garden, and really all things nature. I also love building relationships and connecting with others, so that’s really what makes my work so special to me. I want to hear my clients’ stories, interests, hobbies, goals, you name it.. all while giving them a work of art that will live forever on their body. It’s a pretty sweet deal, and I’m just so honored and blown away every time someone chooses me as their artist. This job is truly a gift.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
LA is one of the most diverse places — the people, the cultures, the food, — and I really love that about our city. I’ve been here for just over 12 years now and have found such a solid group of people to spend time with. There’s always something to do and a new spot to explore. LA is also home to one of the most biodiverse ecosystems, and I’ve really enjoyed learning about all our native flora and fauna.
What I like least is the traffic and lack of walkability + public transit system. This city was designed for cars, not people, and that does get to me from time to time.
Pricing:
- Flash (pre-drawn designs) – $100-$300
- Custom designs – $150-$600+
- $50 non refundable deposit to book, which goes towards final cost of the tattoo
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thankyouforpoking.com
- Instagram: @thankyouforpoking
Image Credits
all photos by me