We were lucky to catch up with Emma Gabriel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emma thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

A good friend reached out to me to cover some old homemade hand poke tattoos. I had no idea how unhappy she was with them or how self conscious the markings made her feel about her legs.

We decided on some dark large scale flowers to disguise them and talked through the best approach. I was very honoured that she trusted me with such a large scale project at the beginning of my career.

We had a lot of fun during the process and once the project was complete I learned just how impactful the new tattoo was for her. She told me that the tattoo had given her the confidence to show off her legs, which she wasn’t able to do comfortably before.

As someone with muscular legs, she felt her legs were not feminine enough to wear skirts and dresses. But the new tattoo changed the way she carries her body and the empowerment she feels has been very meaningful for me.

As a body positive person, I feel blessed to be able to help someone feel comfortable and confident in their body. This feedback has changed the way I view my craft. I now understand how body modification is an avenue for confidence and self acceptance through creative self expression.

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

My nickname is yella, which I got during university for being a slow poke. I am a meticulous, process oriented visual artist who pays a lot of attention to the fine details. This means it takes me a while to execute the final product, but I care immensely about doing things to the best of my abilities. It’s a blessing and a curse lol. But I’m happy to finally have found a career that allows me to use these traits in a beneficial way.

It took me a long time to figure out which creative career to pursue and I worked a lot of random jobs while I figured it out. After a few people put it in my head that I should get into tattooing, I finally considered that it could actually be a great fit.

Throughout the years of searching and trying damn near any opportunity that came my way, I learned some vital skills for the job. My kitchen, serving, bartending and barista experience taught me how to offer service with a smile and skin thick enough to hold my own in a Wild West industry. Tree planting taught me perseverance and patience. Years of travelling solo taught me to think on my feet and be solution oriented. Becoming a Pilates instructor and certified health coach taught me how to keep my body from falling apart and care for myself, while also having the capacity to listen to my clients and accommodate their needs. All of this experience seemed so obscure until I began tattooing. Then I understood how all the pieces fit together.

Now I am happy to say that I get to draw permanent pictures on people’s skin and bring their ideas to life, as well as my own. Tattooing is a one on one experience and a two way street. I feel that I am able to offer clear communication during the beginning stages of the process, which helps my clients feel comfortable expressing their ideas and offers me the capable of giving them what they are looking for.

It can be intimidating to walk into a tattoo shop! And that’s a big reason I aim to provide a safe and inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to relax and be themselves. The process can be quite the opposite, so attending to these subtle details can make a big difference in the overall experience. Once trust has been established, people generally feel more open to receiving a tattoo.

In terms of what I offer, I have what we call an illustrative style. I draw most of my inspiration from nature, especially the forest. Native plants and animals we find in our local environment are my favourite to tattoo. The colours and scents of the forest at any season get me nerding out, touching leaves and snapping pictures all along a trail. I love those old botanical drawings from biology and botany books!

I am excited to be able to offer a more gentle approach to a process that has traditionally been associated with those on the fringes of society. Now that tattooing has become more mainstream I think it’s important to consider some aspects that have been overlooked in the past. There are a million reasons to get a tattoo, all of which are personal to that particular person and everyone should be able to access this form of self expression. My heart is full after I have completed the tattooing process and I see how empowered my client feels by their decision to get a tattoo.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Although tattooing may be mainstream, there are still many elements that make it a very unregulated industry. I decided I would embark on the journey to figure out how the heck to get in. There is no school for tattooing so you basically have to hang out at a shop long enough for someone to agree to teach you by taking you on as an apprentice. In my case, I found a tattooer who I felt safe with and whose art inspired me. I got tattooed by them as much as I could afford to and waited it out. After he realized that I was interested in becoming a tattooer, I waited five whole years for my apprenticeship.

For years I felt like I wasn’t talented or tough enough to make it in the industry. And then one year on my birthday I decided to level up and become the person I wanted to be. I decided I was ready to face whatever the challenges may be and that I could fake it until I made it, as terrifying as that proved to be.

The more I talk with experienced tattooers, the more I am discovering that this will never be an easy job. There are always new challenges and hurdles to overcome, but also new directions to take that allow you to grow and thrive. F*#% around and find out! A tattooers idea of a good time.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In grade school I was in the French immersion program and I had no idea I was struggling with ADHD. My parents didn’t speak much French so I was often on my own with my homework. This caused me to develop a strategy that worked great at the time but really no longer serves me.

My way of dealing with challenges was (and often still is) to isolate myself and put a lot of effort into my work in order to get the job done. In my mind, if I focus enough and spend enough time on the project, I will succeed. This is unfortunately NOT TRUE. During my apprenticeship, I isolated myself a lot and didn’t ask questions or reach out for help when I was struggling and it caused me to progress at a slower rate than I would have had I looked for help from others.

Now after some practice I am able to tear myself away from the problem and look outward. It took me a while to realize I could rely on the team of people I spend so much time sharing the creative process with. If I am so willing to offer my help to others in other aspects of life, then I should also be able to seek for it and accept it when I am in need. There are two sides to the exchange.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @yellatattoo
• Other: Booking form:https://form.jotform.com/242897929218272?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZU7DMHJ-D6qMHzXulVpC5Ya40h823Jtt7fSe_5vxwmWx7B6HcgxhZ3kEc_aem_svh9nmgPv7ojKxsMUsxVbg

Image Credits

Headshot: Matt Horseman