We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Higgins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I remember going into a tattoo shop when I was a kid for the first time, for my mom to get a small tattoo on her ankle. I think that was what planted the seed about what tattoos really were because at the time, I loved art and drawing and I learned on that day they could be applied to skin! Ever since then, I had it in my head that it was what I wanted to do. There were other creative hobbies through the years that I tried, but nothing stuck as hard as wanting to tattoo. Between the history, the cultures that influenced modern tattooing, and the experimental ways it’s done now, everything about it piques my interest!

Samantha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a (almost 10-year) tattooer in Orlando, Florida. I was lucky to land an apprenticeship shortly after high school, right down the street from the school I went to, so there were lots of people I was familiar with looking to get free/cheap apprentice tattoos from me (god bless their souls and if any of yall need a touch up lmk). I’m proud of how I have been able to and continue to combine my favorite sources of artistic inspiration into my own style. I’m heavily influenced by anime, traditional tattoos, 90s Lisa Frank art, pop-surrealism, ukiyo-e, and Renaissance paintings! All bundled up into one weird package. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but im soooo grateful for the people that see the vision and trust me with their skin!! I don’t take for granted that im a member of the service industry, so I do love the collaborative process of working with my clients to do custom work, in addition to the predrawn pieces I post that are available to get tattooed. I’d like to think that I have pretty good bedside manner and try to make the process and pain of getting tattooed as enjoyable as it can be! Especially for women, queer people, & people of color- really anyone that may have their concerns about the stigma of tattoo shops not being a comfortable place to be. I aim to be that place! (-:

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would say I am aiming to please my inner child, as well as to help my clients on their own respective healing journeys with what I do. If im able to make people more comfortable or confident in their bodies with my art, that’s my greatest dream! Of course I want the overall experience to be great, but I also want to make lasting tattoos for people to wear (hopefully) for the rest of their lives and look at fondly! I look at tattooing as a big energy exchange and even though the tattoos are for my clients, there’s still a lot of TLC that I put into each one!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I would say that there are truly ENDLESS resources for creatives. Sometimes taking in too many ideas on the internet gets too overwhelming and I get decision paralysis. I use Pinterest, IG, and google for research/references just like anybody else. But I also try to look in more niche spaces, like old art books, antique shops, or random packaging on snacks or something. I like to take pictures irl of my own references or talk to people in my industry that do things better, different, or have been tattooing longer than me! I think connecting with my peers and talking about art/tattoos is something I could do ALL day. Inspiration and resources are everywhere if you let them be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Sammyvanhiggins.com
• Instagram: @sammyvanhiggins
• Other: TikTok- @sammyvanhiggins

Image Credits

Portrait photos by Lana Marshall photos