We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristen Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristen below.

Kristen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Yes, I have and it’s the best feeling in the world, to be able to support my family and kids with my hands and with art. I heard many times that I was going to amount to nothing, so to be able to own my own business, that is successful and inclusive to all, is fantastic. I’m so happy I have the support system I do and I kept pushing for my goals because there’s no way I could work a monotonous 9-5 corporate job. I’m not built for it. This job allows me to spend more time with family, work creatively, and take time off if I’m having a bad mental day. I also don’t miss the stress of waiting to get paid and forced to work certain hours, while also getting disrespected by customers on a daily basis.

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’ve wanted to tattoo since I started dressing more alternatively and wanting to have visible tattoos, piercings, and colored hair. I think I was around 10. I used to flip through magazines and study all of the different styles. I would practice drawing tattoo designs for my friends in school in hopes they would get someone else to tattoo it and I could live through tattooing that way. I knew once I graduated high school I was going to pursue an apprenticeship. I had my daughter at 20, so the headstart I was expecting didn’t happen. I had so much time to draw as a stay at home mom and I drew as mush as possible. One day a local tattooer was posting about apprenticeships and if anyone was looking to take one on. I was tagged a few times because of how often I posted my art, so he reached out and asked for $1500 and me to start in a few months. I happily jumped on the opportunity and worked my ass off, paying to go to work since I rarely got to tattoo. Working open to close every day, with a young child at home and living on minimum wage. It was so hard and I did want to give it all up right before I made a huge change and moved to a busier shop. I started really cranking out work and practicing as much as possible. I started understanding color theory and how to really pack color in my tattoos, so now I naturally gravitate towards it. It’s my comfort amongst nerdy styles of work like videogames, anime, and pop culture. I also love to mess with glitter, watercolor, realism, illustrative, dotwork, ornamental, and neo traditional. I think being versatile has set me apart over the years. I also don’t like to overly edit my photos so what you see is what you get with me. I’m very transparent. I also want everyone to feel like they have a voice when working with me. I’ve heard many clients talk about how timid they were coming into the tattoo industry. And I want to be a part of changing that stigma. I want the whole tattoo appointment to be comfortable and fun. I want everyone to feel confident and proud of the work i do for them and see the love I put in every piece. I’m so grateful to be in this industry and I will never take it for granted.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think schools here need to take art degrees and careers more seriously like other countries. It would give creatives more outlets to express themselves. In my school there was limited art classes and some were required to take before others. I feel like this was extremely unmotivating and I would be so much further in my career if more lessons were offered to me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My main goal is to become the best version of myself in my story while also helping others along the way. I want to thrive, unbothered, pave a way for more creatives by opening my own tattoo studio to encourage individuality and creativity. I want to constantly grow and learn new techniques in the industry. I want people to grow with me. I want to have a business for my daughter and/or to get involved in if they choose, so they can also work for themselves. I just want to be happy, my family to be happy, and for all the homies to be happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.facebook.com/kristenwilsontattoos
• Instagram: kristenwilsonart
• Facebook: Kristen’s Tattoos and Artwork
• Other: Shop Instagram: nocturnaltattoos Shop Facebook: Nocturnal Tattoos Shop website: www.nocturnaltattoos.com