We were lucky to catch up with Metal Priestess recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Metal thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been creating art since I was a child, but in high school I started earning some money from it! I entered an art show called “Celebrating Diversity” my freshman year and won 1st place, which had a $300 grand prize! That was my 1st time going to an art ceremony for my art.
I used to carry around a pack of sharpies in my backpack and draw on my arms, legs, pants and other people! I would come to school with my own temporary tattoos drawn on and other kids would ask me if they were real tattoos. Then my peers started asking me to draw out tattoo designs for them to take to a shop and get them tattooed. I charged them any where from $20-$100 per piece. Word got around I was an artist for hire, so I had others asking for portraits of loved ones drawn, even some of my friends family members asking me for work as well. That lead me to my 1st mural gig. I made two 6 ft murals painted in someone’s home. Then my family reached out and asked me to paint their kids bedroom. I fell deeply in love with art. I was a part of the AP art class in my senior year where we had to create 7+ pieces of art with a theme. This challenge was incredibly helpful for me. I learned how to finish work, be aware of deadlines, and other helpful elements that make a piece whole. We were judged on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. I got a 5. It made me feel like all my hard work was worth it. I took figure drawing classes at community college. That was a huge game changer. Having someone stand naked in front of you for hours was incredible. There is nothing like drawing from real life. I dropped out of college and found myself feeling lost and unable to draw creativity. My life had taken a turn when I entered an abusive relationship. I moved every 3 months, which made it hard to feel safe enough to create. I landed at a skatepark in Ohio. There I met some rough around the edges characters, one of which had a tattoo machine. I stayed close to him, asking him questions about all the flash on his trailer walls. He was my dedication and decided to teach me a little bit about tattooing. This was the first moment I ever picked up a tattoo machine. It was amazing. The adrenaline was so high, permanently marking someone, literally leaving an imprint on their body. His brother agreed to get a tattoo from me. He got a classic skull freehanded by me, on his elbow. After that my abuser said he didn’t want me to touch other people. I was allowed to tattoo anymore. Shortly after that I became pregnant. My whole life flipped upside down and this baby girl because my world. 15 months later I had another baby girl. I did art here and there, but life was chaotic in more ways then one. My ex stopped coming home, and when he was home it was scary. When my youngest turned 1, I left him. I moved back in with my parents and started working at the local farmers market. They asked me to hand paint some of the signs for some extra cash and of course I did. Being a single mother was not easy. One day my friend bought me a cheap tattoo machine off Amazon and asked me to tattoo him, and I did! Soon all. G friends were asking for tattoos, but I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what the numbers meant on the power supply or anything. It was all guesses. The internet did have the info on tattooing like it does now, and without any formal training, the machine wouldn’t always run. After a dozen tattoos I decided to stop, it was the ethical thing to do. I got a new job working at a metaphysical store. They knew I did art and asked if I wanted to be their storefront artist for the local “Let Them Eat Art” festival. It was my fist ever vending opportunity! This was a new start for me. I made prints, sold my paintings and jewelry and actually made money! It was a huge game changer. I kept doing that festival ever since. A couple years later my kids started school. I didn’t have the money for after care, nor a team to help pick them up while I was at work. My bosses wouldn’t let me change my schedule so I had to quit. Little did I know this was the biggest turning moment in my art career. I quit my job of 5 years and started selling art full time. I got my LLC. I researched constantly. I had no idea what I was doing, but I wasn’t going to fail, I couldn’t. When you work for yourself, you work 24/7. I created constantly. We didn’t have a lot of money but I had to keep up with the rent and utilities. We got all our food from the local food pantry and free school lunch programs. I started getting the hang of it. It felt like I was choosing between art supplies and food. But I used recycled materials, dumper dove, people would donate supplies to me. I started making a profit. I got accepted into galleries, won awards, people were hiring me to make stuff for them! I felt so successful, but it was still inconsistent. I had tattoo artist friends that said I could get an apprenticeship at a shop. But being a single mom, with one babysitter, I couldn’t make it work. I was already stretched to thin without the right resources. I had to put that dream aside. Years later I met the love of my life, Wesley. We are married and he took the role of dad and is the best parent ever. When we bought our house, he asked me if I ever wanted to be a tattoo artist. I dug through my files and pulled out an article from my high school newspaper. It was an interview with me about how I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I grow up. We cried together and he said we have enough money and stability to pursue my dream. I got right on it. I applied all over town and finally landed an apprenticeship at Immortal Ink. I was completely immersed. I studied, practiced on fake skin, listen to podcasts, watched YouTube channels and ink master. I worked hard and got my license. And now I am here. I am a full time, licensed tattoo artist.

Metal , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a full time tattoo artist and free lance artist in the St. Louis Area. For my fine art side I do so many different things but like to focus on painting. I work with acrylic and mixed media. My work focuses on feminist surrealism. I paint what I like, what my soul is singing. In my work I feel like everyone should be represented, I want people to be able to connect to my work in areas they might have felt alone. I have been in art galleries all over Missouri and Illinois. Before tattooing, I was selling jewelry, jackets, paintings and prints every weekend somewhere in the STL area.
Now I am tattooing full time at Electric Mayhem. I love making my client’s ideas come to life. My favorite things to tattoo are people and anything creepy or surreal. But whenever you want I will make it happen. I love working with people. I think tattooing is a sacred practice, your body should be respected so being part of that process of giving you exactly what art you want permanently on you is such an honor to me. There is a lot of trust and communication in the process. It is always a privilege when clients choose me as their artist.
Even though I tattoo full time, I will always be painting. Painting heals my soul. Whenever I don’t make time to paint, I feel like I start to lose a part of myself.
I am a muralist for hire and enjoy making huge pieces of work.
I still participate in 2 shows a year. The Punk Rock Flea Market and Let Them Eat Art. I give out coupons for tattoos at these shows so you better come see me!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Being an artist, you have people always viewing your work. As an artist who is selling their wares, it can be really easy to fall into the habit for making stuff for others, instead of making stuff for yourself. One lesson I had to unlearn, was not caring of what other people thought of me, or my art. My art specifically isn’t always “pretty”. I have had people scoff, give looks of disgust, or just ignore my art. What I have learned, is that those reactions are great! My art made people react, and I think art is supposed to do that. It made you feel something, and as we all know feelings are not always “happy” or “good”. I have learned that being authenticity myself and creating art that helps me express myself is so much better than creating something that everyone likes, but losing myself.
If everyone is happy with you, you are doing something wrong.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I left my abusive ex-husband, I took my 2 kids and moved back in with my parents. It was one of the hardest times in my life, but I knew it would get better. I had to completely relearn how to enter society. I had been living in a nightmare bubble. I had to be away from my kids for the first time to work full time. I had to adjust to living in my parent’s house under their rules again, with no place to make art. I didn’t even have a car! I had to do everything by myself with these kids for the first time. It was scary. I felt like I was going to have to do literally anything to make ends meet and I wasn’t in a position to even think about my dreams. When I moved out from my parents, I had gotten my own place without a roommate for the first time. Being a single mother of 2 kids working full time to make ends meet, I kept doing art in the little free time I had. I kept my happiness. I appreciated all of the security and peace I worked so hard to provide for us. I appreciated the little things. And years later I took a chance. I pursued art full time. My kids got to see their mom try and fail and try again. They got to see their mom trying something new, and succeed! They saw their mom happy. I kept going. I kept setting goals for myself and kept achieving them. I didn’t let the past tell me how life was or how I should treat people. I took my life back. I re wrote my story.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www. metalpriestess.net
• Instagram: @metal.priestess.arts @mp_inks

Image Credits

Rose Marie