We were lucky to catch up with Jared Shoup recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jared , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been blessed to continue to earn a living being creative and doing what I love for over 21 years now, tattoos!

I basically set my mind to it. I knew if I practiced and believed in myself that I could do the job I truly envisioned. I actually consider this career, my retirement job since it’s something I can do for the rest of my life.

In my past, I had manual labor type jobs, I was ready to try something new. I always had a passions for art and being creative, and I’ve always loved tattoos. It made the most sense to me to start heading in the direction of tattooing.

I continued to draw and found a tattoo shop where I could hang out and learn. It didn’t take too long before I was working there.

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

I started my tattoo and piercing career back in 2004. I was told back then that all tattooist also did piercings (I later found out that wasn’t true.) I’m glad that I learned both at the same time. It’s nice to be able to offer multiple styles of body modifications to my clients .

I feel that since I do tattoo & pierce, that sets me apart from other tattooist. In addition to that, I am not set to one style of tattoos. I’m always open to do any type of tattoos. Whether it be a small fine line tattoo, or something full color and massive, or photo realistic… I’m always open to tattoo it.

Generally speaking, I just love to do tattoos. Does’t matter what it is.

Typically a customer/client will reach out to me with ideas of what they are wanting. I like to take the time to research what they are requesting of me. If it’s a realistic piece, I always base what I do on real life photos. It makes a difference in the outcome of my tattoos. I always add my own interpretation to it and I feel my clients appreciate the extra time and care I put into what I do.

In 2024, my wife Bridget and I opened are own tattoo shop “Unity Tattoo” located in Mesa, AZ.
We just got done celebrating our 1st year in business (06.06.24) and had an open house! We had a great turn out and appreciate all the support from our friends/family/clients and the people in our community!

We have created an environment that is clean, friendly and relaxing. We want everyone, no matter who you are or what you believe in to feel supported and welcome during their body modifications experience.

Not only offering tattoos and piercings, but also permanent jewelry.

When people have a true passion for the art, I also enjoy teaching them what I’ve learned. Currently I have been apprenticing my wife, Bridget. She started her apprenticeship in Sept. 2024 and has been doing great. She is now at the point where she is doing small tattoos. I’m excited to watch her grow in the industry.

We are most grateful for our awesome clients, who followed me and continue to travel from all over the United States to visit our shop. It has been such a blessing to have had that support from everyone! It has allowed us to hit the ground running with our business, and never looking back!

We are open to making your tattoos, piercings or permanent jewelry a reality and welcome the opportunity to serve you. Get in touch with us to get started on your tattoo journey!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of tattooing is that I’m able to bring people’s vision to life!!

It’s always exciting to see their expression after I finish their tattoo & seeing it for the 1st in time in the mirror.

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

I went from working at tattoo shops to owning one.

It was a lot of work to get our shop going.
My wife & I worked day and night for 4 days straight to get our studio up & running !!

Even though it was a lot of work, it has definitely paid off to own our own studio.

We love having a space where we have a good healthy relationship with our clients. It was important to us to create a healthy environment where everyone feels safe during their modifications.

The best part is we can run the air conditioner whenever we want.

We want our customers to always be comfortable & enjoy their experience from start to finish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.UnityTattooAZ.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitytattooaz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1B75Z7MZtJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@unitytattooaz?si=mEvQh-yVPRlVRWT8
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/v6XB6ziiVx
• Other: Google: https://g.co/kgs/9UkHDAx

Image Credits

Kelsey K. Shoup