We were lucky to catch up with Carrie Cameron recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carrie , appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

When I was a teenager, I wanted and needed money to get by in life. My parents always did what they could and were always as generous as they could be. There were always people that loved my artwork and asked me to draw things for them. I would eventually just ask for $5, $10. That eventually led me to buying more art supplies and learning more ways to create different pieces of art. My parents gave me an airbrush for xmas one year, I believe 2003/2004. That’s where I really learned to hone in a skill that would inspire me to up my skill level to realistic artwork. At the age of 18/19, I started airbrushing bicycles for friends. That allowed me to buy the supplies I needed to learn to tattoo. The goal was always to get good enough at art, that I could become a tattooer. I just had to be patient and learn to create and sell art to sustain me until I could get my foot in the door and grow into a career that will carry me through life. Eventually, I made enough to order a tattoo kit offline. From there on… I never looked back.

Carrie , 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 found my industry from being a teenager and going with my brother when he would get tattooed. Being an artist my whole life, it was so inspiring to see people just grow up and make money off of their craft. It seemed like such an incredible and impossible way to live (if you make the right choices in life). It was the door to complete freedom.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

NFT’s are pretty awesome. I dove in a little to the NFT creator space. I become obsessive about “starting a business” and once I realized how large of a market in the digital world there is, I was inspired. I just realized the digital market is not for me at this time. Not to say I would not jump in sometime in the future, but it’s a LONG haul and at this point in time I am focusing all of my energy into tattoo and painting. Keeping my focus tight and minimal which has always served me well.

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

Well…. Anybody who knows me, doesn’t even have to ask. They just know. I would say my limited “family” members that have gotten to know me the last decade know me on the deepest level. Probably better than I know myself. My clients know me 2nd best.

I prefer to not go into too much detail, for the privacy of me and my loved ones, but what I can say is I am very good at recovering and healing from deep loss. Losing family, loved ones, friends. This lifestyle I have chose to live allows me to become very close with a wide range of people and life is a very short gift. I am so very grateful to have met and been able to spend time with so many incredible people who I have had the opportunity to make life long bonds with. Sometimes they do not make it through their own journey, sometimes they choose not to be a part of my journey. Sometimes we are called on to assist them with the end of their lives. Sometimes they take time for themselves and find their way back to us in good timing. Sometimes they never return. Either way, when we are given this life, we have the opportunity to make choices. We have the opportunity to choose good and spend our time in a way that can show others that as long as you can just wake up, get out of bed, feed yourself and choose to keep going, we will somehow be ok. My ONLY hope in life is to show others that we are allowed to make mistakes. We are allowed to take breaks. We are allowed to minimize and simplify your lives so we can take account for what we believe we should be doing. Just don’t forget who supported and shared unconditional love along the way, even when we couldn’t show up or be our best selves at the time we were present with them. Coming back around and giving thanks or just a small conversation about how you recognize the love and support is always the best feeling. It gives back to the person who helped you along your journey. Being able to return and look them in the eye, allowing them to see and feel your presence, feel how alive you are and that you made it through whatever darkness was going on at the time…. It gives back and grows that person’s heart, even though they never expected anything in return. To me, that is living…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.staytrueart.com
• Instagram: cmctattoos
• Other: https://www.safehousetattoo.com/tattoo-artists

Image Credits
Quinlan Braiwick, Nico Roussin, Jeremy “Sailor” Smith,