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

Hi Vanesa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

It is always an absolute honor to be trusted to permanently mark someone’s skin. Even more so when the tattoo represents something significant for my client. It will never cease to amaze me the way that, as a tattoo artist, I can be a conduit for someone’s self expression.

Some of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on were tattoos that commemorated significant life events in my client’s life. Whether it was to honor a lost loved one, a journey to motherhood, a significant achievement in their mental health journey- the list goes on and on and on. It would be impossible to pick a single tattoo above the others when I’ve had numerous meaningful experiences with clients. There have been many times stories were shared with me and tears were shed.

Tattoos can be a way for someone to reclaim their body as their own and to tell their story. As someone who has gotten tattoos to represent the things that matter most to me, it is especially meaningful for me to help someone else do the same.

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?

I became a licensed tattoo practitioner in September 2018 and has dedicated my life to this art form ever since! I always wanted a career that involved creating art and I’m so grateful that becoming a tattoo artist has worked out so well for me. I get to create art every day for lovely people who love nature just as much as I do!

I’ve always said that I have a botanical soul, and this special interest of mine lead to concentrating on botanical themed subject matter in my career. Tattoos with flora, fauna, insects, skulls or bones, and anything inspired by tarot cards are a joy to bring to life. In addition to creating custom tattoos based on client’s requests, I offer tarot reading tattoo sessions!

By combining the meaning of the tarot cards with the ‘secret language of flowers’, I am able to guide clients and create designs with intention to make getting tattooed with me an extra meaningful experience.

A variety of plants, animals, insects can be chosen to correlate with the meanings of the tarot cards. Every tattoo is as unique as the message the tarot cards hold for each individual! For me, tarot is not a predictive system but a tool for spiritual growth and development. Tarot has developed over the centuries to help us follow a path of self-knowledge and inner transformation.

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

When I was an apprentice, I was taught how to tattoo many styles because I was supposed to be able to tackle any tattoo that walked through the door. While learning a variety of styles taught me many skills, I didn’t excel at all these styles of art. Being instructed to take on tattoo projects that I wasn’t properly equipped for was a mentality that didn’t prioritize the client’s best interest.

It took years for me to unlearn this concept and learn how to turn a client away solely because I wasn’t the best option for them. At the same time, I had figure out which style of tattooing would allow me to always create my best work and stick to it.

Niching down benefited me greatly. I am fortunate enough to be at a point in my career where I receive more requests for tattoos than I can realistically handle. Being in this position allows me to select the projects that align with me and my creative goals the most, which in turn is best for my clients. I wouldn’t want to have an artist tattoo me if they didn’t also love the art they were creating for me!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It has been so fulfilling to put my heart and soul into every tattoo that I do and have clients react with joy and happiness, or be amazed by the art they get to carry on their body. To have such positive reactions to something as personal as my own art is one of the things that keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vreevestattoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vreevestattoo/

Image Credits
Picture of me by Michael Betzner Photography