Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Honey B. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Honey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Becoming a tattoo artist was one of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life but not taking that opportunity was even bigger in my mind. I’ve always been fascinated by body art from the time I was kid, seeing tattoos on strangers and even my friends parents. My family was very conservative so no one in my family had tattoos and they had very strong feelings about people getting them. Therefore being a tattooer was out of the question so I just continued focusing on art. I took advanced placement art in high school and I ended up getting a scholarship to go to Ringling. I was scared out of my mind because I just knew they had it wrong, like there’s no way out of the hundred of kids that applied they picked me. Well a few months into school I was about to be even more scared, I was pregnant with my oldest son. I wasn’t in the best position financially, mentally and I was still a kid myself. The weight that was on my shoulders was immense, I couldn’t live with myself if I gave him up and giving up the amazing opportunity I had received made me feel so guilty. I was in a really bad relationship so mentally I wasn’t doing well but I had my baby and he pushed me to get through it but in the process I had to drop out of school. In the mean time I applied for apprenticeships all over town and was turned down at nearly every shop some said it was because I had kids, I was too young, too old or just because I was a girl. Fast forward few years I was now a single mom of two boys and struggling to make ends meet. I was working 2 to 3 jobs at a time, barely seeing my babies and completely exhausted when I was with them. I was working in retail at one place and one of my co-workers had noticed a tattoo on my ankle and asked where I got it. I was surprised because it was a tattoo I had done on myself. When I told her that she was like you should talk to my brother he’s a tattoo artist and he might be looking for an apprentice. I was shaking I was so excited. She gave me all the info about the shop and his number. I met with him and the shop owner a few days later and presented my portfolio. They called me the next day and said I was hired and starting next week. I was so happy I was crying but then reality set in. How am I going to add another job into the mix? Especially one where I’m not getting paid, what am I going to do with the kids working later hours? Not to mention this shop was almost an hour away. There was no way I could turn down the opportunity though I had already passed up my art education I couldn’t pass this up too. Through the years I had gone to school for other things I had a degree in Early Childhood Education but even with that I made more in retail management and serving. I had tried further my education to make a better living but I ended up with more debt. I knew from getting tattooed roughly what I costs so I could predict little on how much I might make tattooing. I went to my in laws and presented the opportunity to them which they were extremely skeptical. They were already a huge help with the kids while I was working so I felt so guilty asking them for even more help. I was able to sell them on the idea, telling them I had the potential to make a ton of money and I would be using my talent. They had told me for years at that point I needed to do something with my art, this wasn’t exactly what they wanted though. Despite how they felt about tattoos they agreed to help me out and keep the kids later. Now I had narrow my jobs down. I kept the retail job and worked there 5 days a week and my 2 days off I spend at the tattoo shop 10am to 10pm sometimes later. For almost a year I worked every single day, I had cut my income down and expenses were up due to the commute and paying for the apprenticeship (which isn’t customary). That alone was a huge risk. My boys were dependent on me to support them, my in laws were putting faith in me that this would work and be the thing that gets me on top. I was having to borrow money for gas, food, Christmas and birthday presents. That whole year I lived in a state of guilt I loved everything about being in the tattoo shop and learning even though it was tough but compared to the guilty of not being the one to feed my kids dinner and put them to bed the apprenticeship was nothing. After almost a year of apprenticeship I was finally an artist. I was making an artist cut finally, I continue to work retail and tattoo for about a month or so until I was about to take the bigger risk. Quiting my real job and tattooing full time. I knew in my heart that if I quit and only had to rely on tattooing I would make it work, I had to make it work. What makes it such a risk is if no one is in my chair I don’t get paid, its not like retail where if we don’t have anyone walk in we still get paid to be there. I had to hustle and get people in the door, I had to get better and starting out people aren’t that thrilled to get a tattoo from someone that just learned. So I had to work really hard to push my art work, promote on social media, and offer people good deals to build up my portfolio. The shop I started at wasn’t the greatest but it was my foot in the door. I stayed at that shop for another year until I finally got an opportunity closer to home which helped tremendously. I slowly built up a following and was able to learn from even better artists. Today I’m at a shop that feels like home, I’m able to work by appointment only, and the latest I work on school nights is 5pm. I knew it was risk but I could risk letting my kids grow up seeing me struggle and letting go of my passion. Tattooing was my way to make a living from my art but it’s been so much more than that. The confidence I’ve gain in myself that I could do it and I did do it, not only did I not let anyone down but I’m making my family and my boys proud. It was high risk to put everything on the line for what seemed like teenage dream but the reward has been more than I could have ever imagined.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Honey B and I’m a tattoo artist in Port Charlotte Florida. I’ve been tattooing for about 7 years and I specialize in fine line florals and illustrative realism. Tattooing to me is more than an adornment on the body. It’s an experience you’ll always remember, just like your favorite song when you hear it you can remember where you were the first time you heard it or what was going on in your life that made it memorable. When you look at a tattoo on your arm you remember the day you got it, how you felt, why it was important to you at that time in your life and the person that did it. Getting a tattoo can scary especially the first time so it’s my goal to make each client feel safe, comfortable and heard. I want to bring softness to a world that has always been considered a little rough around the edges.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think confidence and the imposter syndrome is something all creatives face. We have waves of highs and lows that is hard for non creatives to understand because sometimes we don’t understand them ourselves. One day we are on top of the world pumping out designs and ideas and then other days it’s like the well has run dry. We put so much of our worth into what we create and when you hit a creative block all self worth is lost. It doesn’t matter what we did last week or even the day before when you hit that block you’re spiraling. It’s hard for non creatives to understand because they see the things we can do and they’re amazed, “I can’t even draw a sick figure”. When you make art for a living and you’re creating day in and day out it’s hard to keep the juices flowing consistently. As a creative it takes a huge toll on me although it’s not a very physically demanding career it is extremely mentally demanding. We’re so hard on ourselves because there’s always something we see that we should have done better or even though it looks great as a whole there’s this one little thing that’s eating away at us. Even when I hit my goals or I get recognition in my mind I’m like no they have me mixed up with someone else or somehow I’ve tricked so many people into thinking I’m talented. The artists mind is a crazy place, we’re just wired differently. So even though it seems like we have this amazing gift in reality it takes years of practice not only to gain the technical skills but to navigate our complexities and power through them everyday.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding this in being a tattoo artist is that I get to do what I love everyday. I get to see the smiles on my clients face and the confidence that comes over them. I get to be part of the journey for so many people on the road to healing. Not every tattoo has to have a meaning sometimes the act of get a tattoo is therapeutic. I get to be the one that lends an ear when you really need it, gives you the space to unwind and meditate or covering a scar that you’ve hated seeing for years. I get to help people feel better about the skin they are in. That is truly the most rewarding thing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Honeyb_fineart
• Facebook: Honey B Fine Art
• Other: @cypressinkstudios

Image Credits

@haleyvaughnphoto