We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Richter recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
I loved art since I was a kid, and wanted to be a tattoo artist not long after that. I was amused by the idea of “permanent art” you can collect to create the unique piece that is yourself. Starting at the age of 15, I bought a tattoo machine off of amazon and started learning. I watched videos, listened to podcasts, watched tv shows about tattooing, just anything I could find to learn more about the practice. I then bought fake skin and fruit and anything I could practice on, and that’s what I did for the 3 years until I turned 18, practice. I had mentors/ friends that tattood, and one of those is who got me into my first shop the second I turned 18. Him and his wife, who pierced, where my biggest supporters and teachers they guided me to the path I’ve now been on for 4 years. An apprenticeship is hard training, lots of cleaning, drawing, watching, learning, and of course errand running for my teachers. But all of it was more than worth it, and I am beyond grateful for it.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got into this industry through my friend/ mentor who got me my first job in a tattoo shop right when I turned 18. I started with learning the art of tattooing, and once I felt I had a strong grasp on that, I wanted more. I wanted to create more for people to build the art piece that is themselves. That’s when I found Microblading, which for those of you who don’t know, is tattoos eyebrows. However it’s much more beautiful than that, it’s precise, hairlike strokes that come together to create a perfect and natural looking eyebrow. I have had the honor of creating my art in all kinds of ways on all kinds of people, but being able to create a facial feature that some people lost or don’t have at all, was something more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. I love what I do, and I still want to do more, anything and everything I can. I am a lover and believer in artistic expression and I am always honored to be chosen to create it.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As I started trying to teach myself how to tattoo at 15, by the time I turned 18 and landed myself in my first shop, I had to relearn a lot of things I had taught myself. From the angle at which you hold the machine, to how to pour pigments. Although it was a bit frustrating having to erase the things I already knew, it was worth it to be able to learn from people who were so good at what they do. I wanted to be that good, and to do so I had to learn.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I had to do the whole thing all over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing. It was hard, and I did almost give up along the way, but I made it through. Becoming a tattoo artist is a hard task as it is, but being a woman, yet alone a young woman was even harder. Tattooing is a very male dominated field, so I had to endure sexist comments and actions that made it harder for me to accomplish what I did. However, I think that only makes me strong and makes me love it more, because I did that. I do see more female tattoo artists rising up, which brings me so much joy, as I believe it is a craft everyone can appreciate. It’s what I love, even with the struggles I faced along the way, I wouldn’t be the artist or person I am today without it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brows-by-kelly.square.site/?fbclid=PAAaZoZzgclCEh3MseGb1wJIJTpw8phXsMtbId0Z6kpA7p-JenvVWQcg5aiP8_aem_AfuhpDL2tJJi3maYKp-5xY02rdTho3rthSH7BkbbuHZnhMxOAv1Gpiv9elSjT9p3kCE
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kelly.richterr?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==