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

Diane, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

My story can be long for the risk I took to get to where I am at now. I come from a long line of abused women who were meant to feel like they could do life with out a man. Watching my mom be abused by my alcoholic dad made me want more for myself. She tried to teach me to be independent and smart. Growing up I was the educated artist, I was the kid who made good grades and was artistically talented. I loved drawing and painting and anything art related. But I knew education was important and I wanted to be smart. My grandpa once told me I wouldn’t make money as an artist and needed to focus on school. I tried the college thing and ended going done some wrong paths helping my mom to leave her abuse, while falling into my own abusive relationship. After 6 years and determination to be better I left my abuse and eventually met my husband. I went back to school and received my Bachelors Degree graduating suma cum laude all while holding down a full time job and college and raising 2 small children, from my abuser. My husband supported my dreams of art and encouraged me to find my passion and go for it. One day about 10 years after my schooling my husband bought me a tattoo machine and told me to try that. The next day I went into my apprenticeship in a shop that was male driven. The owner and my mentor told me this was a tough field and I would have to make some sacrifices in my life. I would not be able to be successful, and still be a good mom and wife. I was determined that, that would not be the case. I apprenticed 7 months in a very rough, depressing environment. Not many of my fellow artists believed in me or had faith that I could do this. My peers were all in their 20s while here I am a middle aged Mom of 4 and wife trying to just now pursue a career in a field not really designed for me. The old school male mentality was there and strong. I spent days just getting everyone lunches and doing grunt work around the shop. I got to practice my craft a little and create my own brand of being a Christian Mom and Wife who WOULD succeed! One day after being over the mental hardship of never feeling like I would be respected in my field I quit. I was tired of them being in control of my life and future. I was determined to make this work and life balance work for myself and family. Once I left I had a huge support team from my husband, family and friends pushing me to open up on my own. So that is what I did, with so many doubts in my head and fears that I would not be respected in my field and community I went out on a limb and opened a Tattoo and Art Studio in a very small and southern Christian town. I was afraid, I had no real clientele, I had only 7 months of training and I was doing this alone with no guidance on how it really worked to own my own studio. But with so much support from my family and friends I did it. I am now celebrating over 4 1/2 years of my own studio being open. I have 3 employees which I have trained. One of which came from a very similar background as myself. We are an all women studio working hard to change the stigma of this, what was taboo, community. I now support my entire business and my homes income to allow my husband to go back to school and receive his masters degree. I have done what I meant to do and help my family financially while doing what I love everyday. I can not wait for further growth because I am not done making a difference in my field and life.

Diane, 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 am a Christian mom who studied art my whole life. I have illustrated 2 books, painted a race car, and many other paid commissions as an artist. I have spent years honing in on my craft and trying to be better. I have new clients everyday who come in to my studio. I have had people drive from 16 hours away to get their first tattoo by me from finding my work on TikTok. I pride myself on being a safe space for everyone that walks in my door. I want people to feel at home and comfortable because the type of people who used to get tattoos are not the same type of people who come in now. I tattoo the young, the old, and the ones who never thought they would ever get a tattoo. I pride myself on being the light within a community that is usually dark.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Art was my side business, I learned how to network market and advertise on social media while selling small art commissions. My biggest seller was glass Christmas ornaments during the holiday season. That grew my art following and clientele which allowed me to have the successful business I own now. I would leave flyers on cars at local football games, and around town. I advertised on social media platforms and talked to everyone I could anywhere I went to grow my following and allow me to become as successful as I have.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

With under 10k from taxes and the help of my mother in law my husband and I took a risk to invest in a building I found rent to own in my community. It was difficult because not many in my small Christian town wanted to rent to a non local tattoo artist. I did not grow up in my town I moved here over 10 years ago but to everyone local I am an outsider rebel doing something in my community, never done before. I am the first woman to open a tattoo studio in this small town that has been this successful. I spent little money but a lot of blood sweat and tears putting in the hard work with the help of my husband to open my studio.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: DChristiTatts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DChristiarts
• Other: DChristiTats on Tik Tok

Image Credits

Images were all taken by myself and crew at my studio. Aj Fate Tattoos helped with a few of these.