We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cat Chickering a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cat, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The first time I knew I wanted to become a piercer and in the industry was right after I got my ears pierced at 15. Then I went and got them stretched and my navel pierced. I was all in at that point. I immediately fell in love with the art and wanted to be a part of helping people decorate their bodies. It is a very complimentary feeling to be able to have customers trust you to help them express themselves.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been piercing for over 20 years now, and luckily have spent the last 19 years at the same shop Epic Tattoos in Fort Worth. I do everything from your standard piercings to dermal anchors. We also offer ear piercings for minors at a certain age where the parents can be confident that it is being done at a safe place with an experienced piercer. I am very proud of how far I have come in this industry and the clientele that I have built up through the years. It is a great feeling to pierce generations of family members. I put all my best efforts into every piercing I do and I am always happy to help out any customer.

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

In the beginning, getting into a shop for an apprenticeship was not easy nor should it be. Luckily I kept on and got into a shop to get my start. It was also still pretty taboo then so it wasn’t the best way that people thought would be a good career. Luckily, it is the best career.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want people to know there are places that they can go and feel comfortable getting pierced and knowing it will be done with quality and precision.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @piercingsby_cat @epictattoostx
• Facebook: Piercings by Cat , Epic Tattoos
• Yelp: EpicTattoos

Image Credits
Self