We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Keller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Megan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always been the artistic kid. I had an adult in my life who would tattoo out of their home and I always thought that was so amazing; I knew that I wanted to do that too at the age of 7. However, my parents weren’t supportive of the idea and said I would make no money in art, so I gave up that dream and went the more traditional route. I was in my third year of my psychology degree, and it was during COVID. I was struggling with the online aspect that the pandemic introduced us to, and professors were not understanding about the workload they were giving all the students during this time. After a disagreement about a grade I decided to drop out, I wasn’t happy in school and I also wasn’t ready to take 4 more years of school to get my Masters in Psychology. They don’t tell you in high school that you can’t get a job with only a BA in Psychology, they just want you to pick something, anything. During this time I met my partner, and I was panicking about what I wanted to do with my life.

They suggested that I do something that I love, and so I decided to actually try and pursue my dream of creating art forever and becoming a tattoo artist. First I did a lot of research on the steps I needed to take to get into the industry, I went and got tattooed by artists I admired, asking them how they did it. I started building my portfolio online (@embertatz), I did this with several types of media like digital art, painting, sketching, etc. I would post it online while I reached out to shops around the area asking if they would apprentice me. I finally found a shop that had posted that they were looking for an apprentice, and so I applied. I didn’t think I would get in as I was still early into building my portfolio, and didn’t have enough work to show. However, the owner of the shop (@nicks__studio) was impressed with my people skills and the little art I did have. I remember her saying, “your portfolio is the smallest one out of the interviews I had, but I liked what I saw, and I can tell you really want this”. So she asked when I could start, and she took a chance on me.

Accepting the apprenticeship was probably the biggest decision and biggest risk I have ever taken. It’s something you can’t do without the proper support and the proper mindset. Typically apprenticeships are a year long, and often unpaid. I was working 1 full time job at the shop and working part time midnights in a factory to pay the bills while I did it. I was going 48, sometimes 72 hours without sleeping. It was a year of being exhausted and drained all the time, without the knowledge if I was going to be able to make it or not, as it’s never guaranteed that you’ll graduate the apprenticeship.

Fast forward to almost 2 years later, I am working as a tattoo artist full time and loving my life. It was hard work, and there were a lot tears and stressful moments, but it was all worth it. I never thought at the age of 23 I would have my life figured out and be in my dream career. I’m still in shock everyday that people let me put my art on them and that I get to meet amazing people and hear all their stories. It’s an amazing thing and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my partner, or my aunt and her family, or my mentor and coworkers.

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.

Hello! My name is Megan but others might know me as @embertatz on Instagram. I started my apprenticeship in May of 2023, and started tattooing in February 2024. I love to tattoo ornamental and art nouveau styles, as well as anime and cutesy things like animals. I have been tattooing for a year, so I’m still early into my career.

I got into the industry by building my art portfolio and then reaching out to other artists I admired, asking them how they got into the industry. I did a lot of research online and learned the do’s and the don’ts of the industry. With this information I was able to start reaching out to shops, asking them if they had time to meet with me and talk to me about my portfolio. A couple shops reached back, and I had a few interviews, but found my home at Nick’s Studio in Cobourg ON. Then from there I continued to build my digital portfolio, learning the ins and outs of the Industry, cleaning practices, and then practicing tattooing.

At this time I am currently very proud of my progress in just one year of tattooing, and all the client relationships I’ve made. I’m proud that all my hard work didn’t go to waste and that I was able to push through the tough times to get to where I am now. I think the main thing I want to get across with my work and with my business is that every tattoo matters, little or small. And that I really value quality and the comfort of my clients. I wouldn’t be here without their support and willingness to let me put my art on them.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’m still very new to the game of tattooing, when it’s most important to put your all into social media and marketing yourself. One of the hardest things about this industry currently is that we’re subject to Instagram, and that is where we get a lot of our clients from now. We are slaves to our phones, and being a tattoo artist now means being a content creator as well. My advice is to do your research, learn the tips and tricks of the trade like when is the best time to post, how often to post, what days not to post, what your audience wants to see, etc.

I don’t have a lot of followers yet and I’m still building my clientele, but the first couple of years are the most important and where you should push yourself the hardest. You need a strong foundation to make it effortless later in your career. I hope by my 5 year mark I am consistently booked 2 months in advance. Like most things, if this is something you want you have to really want it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I touched on this earlier, but during my apprenticeship I was working 7 days a week. I would work Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm at the tattoo shop, and then I would work Sunday night, Monday night, and Thursday night at a car factory. I would work Monday going into Tuesday (10:30pm-6:30am), and then go home and sleep for an hour, and work 11am-7pm at the shop. Thursdays/Fridays were the hardest, I would work at the shop 11am-7pm, go home and sleep for an hour, then work 10:30pm-6:30am at the factory, go home, sleep for an hour, and go back to the shop 11am-7pm. My apprenticeship was really exhausting and I was always sleep deprived. However I always showed up and did my best, and my partner and family were very supportive during this time. I look back on it now and wonder what I was thinking and how did I do it? But I am so thankful that I did and that I’m here.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embertatz/