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

Courtney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I think I have known I’ve wanted to be an artist since I was a child, but the switch really happened when I was in college. Growing up, I was always in art classes and naturally gravitated towards anything creative I could do. I don’t recall having any friends that were interested in the arts, and when I noticed I was okay going off and making time for creative things on my own I knew I had discovered a passion. In college I had multiple professors who really left an impact on me, trusted my visions and gave me the freedom to really explore myself as an artist. Once I felt that type of support and realized other people were taking my art seriously, I made the conscience effort to dive in. I knew there was nothing I wanted more in the world to be an artist. Now I’m a full time tattoo artist and painter – younger me is so proud of myself.

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?

As a general introduction to myself, my name is Courtney and I am a tattoo artist and painter specializing in art focused on geometric designs and sacred geometry. I work in Long Beach at a beautiful studio called “Alf’s Body Art” in Belmont Shore where I offer tattoos of all kinds – sleeves, ornamental work, mandalas, and abstract floral designs. I keep my work original as I want my designs to be stand alone and leave a lasting effect on my clients. I pride myself on my originality, my ability to make my clients feel safe and respected, and the attention to detail I naturally have to ensure my tattoos come out as I intended them to. Seeing my clients glow after their appointment is a feeling I will never get tired of, as I love making others happy and instilling new internal confidence in a tough world.

My paintings tend to be larger scale as I love the feeling a big canvas has on myself and the way big canvases light up any space they are displayed in. My work is usually high contrast geometric designs that invoke feelings of power, grounding, harmony, and an overall meditative vibe. I live paint at many music events such as Desert Hearts, and many other techno/house/drum & bass/bass focused shows.

Post college, I worked in the cannabis industry for 5 years while still chasing my dreams. Working 40+ hours a week and still making time for my art was a challenge, but when you’re passionate enough about something you don’t really think of it that way – you just do it. When I knew my time was up and I really needed to make the moves to level up as a person, I was lucky enough to get a tattoo apprenticeship with my dream artist and truly the only person I ever wanted to learn from – Corey Divine. He is the pinnacle of geometric tattooing and he is based here in LA. I quit my 9-5 on a Friday, and began my apprenticeship that Sunday. Taking the risk was incredibly stressful but I knew my vision and my goal – and the universe doesn’t wait for anyone!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to live a life that makes me feel internally fulfilled. I get to be my most authentic self and share my passions with others, creating incredible experiences and connections. From painting a canvas to giving someone permanent body art, there is something about creating art in general that can’t be explained. That’s why artists will always be around :)

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

My drive for my creative journey I think comes from my overall “want” to use my potential and find new ways to express myself as an artist. Usually when I learn a new skill or level up in another, I gain a deeper sense of happiness and meaning within myself and it’s a great feeling. That feeling is the drive and I’ll never get tired of it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: cmo.tattoo

Image Credits

Matt Gucci @gucciphoto