Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Marie.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I was always intrigued by art and creating it. I was always artistically inclined at a very young age, and I was aware of my potential then, but I didn’t start utilizing my talents completely until I began high school. I was constantly drawing and doodling, even drawing on people’s skin with a ballpoint pen, and that eventually sparked my fascination for tattooing.
I started collecting tattoo magazines, admiring tattoos online, watching videos and familiarizing myself with sanitation and cleanliness, watching tv programs about it and started getting to know and familiarize myself with many different styles of tattooing and artists and paying close attention to the style that spoke to me the most based off of the art that I was creating at the time. I acquired a machine in high school and started practicing on pieces of fruit and artificial skin and eventually practiced on my friends and family that were willing to let me experiment.
Soon after, I got an opportunity at a tattoo shop in LA and worked on my drawings and smaller tattoos that I was able to handle at the time, and just continued to put forth effort and time to perfect my work. Sometime after that, I moved to a couple of other locations, learned from the people around me, and just never gave up on my vision of being the best artist I could possibly be. I saw improvements with each tattoo I did, and eventually got a steady clientele and started putting money aside for whatever I needed it for in the future. Owning my own establishment was always a dream, but I didn’t visualize that for myself for another few years. I came across an advertisement for a local establishment, and at that moment, I felt like that was the opportunity I was waiting for and the timing was perfect, so I went ahead and moved forward with the process. So far, it’s been four months of becoming a business owner, and it’s been the most liberating and exciting experience of my life. There were many people who doubted my choice in career, but I used that energy to fuel me to keep going and prove to myself and to others that you can make a successful living out of a passion; you can obtain anything you desire with patience, consistency, effort, and positive mindset.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was a challenging and stressful road. In the beginning of my career, I had doubts because I wasn’t seeing steady artistic progress, but I also think I was being overly critical of myself, as would anyone starting out anything new. I had several people in my ear questioning my choices in career because it wasn’t a career choice they understood and felt was profitable in the long run. The doubts coming from within myself and around me had me questioning my path, but I thought it over constantly and realized that this is my passion. This was something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life, happily, so I continued pursuing it even harder.
Black Sheep Tattoo Parlor – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My shop is called Black Sheep Tattoo Parlor, and it’s located in the South Bay, in San Pedro. I like to be diverse as an artist so I enjoy executing many styles, but what I specialize in is geometric, blackwork, neo-traditional, and realism. I’m most proud of the fact that my shop is very welcoming and anyone could walk in with any style they have in mind and have it be executed proficiently. What sets me apart from others is the amount of progress and milestones I’ve accomplished at such a young age, and in a short amount of time. I’ve managed my career and accomplishments in a short five years. I opened up my own business a few weeks before my 25th birthday.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Happiness defines success. If you’re genuinely happy doing what you do, and you can make a sustainable living out of it, you have succeeded in life.
Contact Info:
- Address: 601 W 6th St. San Pedro, CA
- Phone: 3107299212
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/jessicamarietattoo
- Other: Instagram.com/blvcksheeptattooparlor
Image Credit:
Ezra, Juan Ramirez
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