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

Jenna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I find being a creative about as equally mentally/emotionally challenging as it is rewarding. Right when I started pursuing getting into tattooing I felt pretty young and excited. The classic the world is your oyster feeling. I knew as long as I worked really hard and did all the correct things I would achieve my goal and become a tattoo artist. Years later the rose colored lenses have been taken off. I would say I reached my goal but it was very difficult, emotionally taxing, and it left me broke for a long time. All of these little seeds get placed in your mind along the way. The imposter syndrome. The social media worry. Am I posting enough, creating enough content to keep afloat. You’re kind of juggling all of these jobs, wearing all these different hats. It’s almost hard to not think, would I like a regular job with stable pay, benefits and a consistent lifestyle?
My answer to this has always been very strong. I would 10/10 choose what I am doing now. I feel like because it has been hard, it has given me a thicker skin which I highly value.
Despite all the difficult aspects, the modality of tattooing is so beautiful. Truly beautiful. Beyond the quest to become a more refined artist, I find it to be more of a way to connect with your community than anything. There are multitudes of people I would never come into contact with in my life, but tattooing allows us to share a genuine connection over art that we connect on. This part about tattooing is everything to me and really gives me a deep well of emotions.
This is why I continue to pursue being a creative as “work”. There is that quality to it that I don’t think I could ever fully gain in a “regular job”.

Jenna, 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?

Hello to all :) My name is Jenna and I have been tattooing for almost two years now. I am originally from New Mexico and moved to Colorado when I turned 18. Now I reside in the beautiful Los Angeles, California where all the blossoms and humidity drops make my heart sparkle. Being from the Southwest gave me such an appreciation for all the plants that grow in adversity and gain excitement from the dusty desert particles.
I was baristaing at the time when I wanted to get into tattooing. I really saw myself falling in love with tattooing from the beginning so I knew I needed to get the ball rolling with finding an apprenticeship. Multiple tattooers gave me the advice to go around to tattoo shops and show them my portfolio in order to get an apprenticeship. So this is exactly what I did after I spent a while making a portfolio. I went into the classic macho, American traditional shops in hopes that someone would be willing to be my mentor. Upon a lot of rejection, I finally found one that I thought would be promising. I think I wanted to get into tattooing so bad to where I would do anything. The shop I apprenticed at required a $4k deposit and was promised I would receive it back at the end. There really was no end in sight though. It was so much work and no praise and no pay.
I will say to anyone looking to get into tattooing to not make that mistake. A proper apprenticeship should never require a deposit no matter how glamorous they make it seem. After several months of a bad apprenticeship I quit. Needless to say, I did not get that money back.
After this stint, I went through a battle of if I should continue to pursue tattooing. I knew in my heart I needed to jump back on the horse after some deep personal healing.
Fortunately I have the best In-Laws in the world and they helped fund my next journey, opening a private studio and becoming a mostly self taught tattoo artist. I really owe so much of this to them because after my apprenticeship I was beyond broke, so BIG shout out to them!
After getting my blood borne pathogens certificate and my body artist license I opened up a tiny studio in Denver. I started by practicing on fake skin and myself. Then I moved towards tattooing people for essentially free. It took a little bit for me to get a hang of things and becoming comfortable in my flow and the craft, but eventually I got settled into tattooing :)
I think beyond creating original designs for people, I adore meeting others. The moment that we share the tattoo exchange is so vulnerable. I think there is a mutual respect and trust that comes with such an exchange and to me that is so delicate and special feeling. I do not know of many other jobs out there that harness this unique quality.
In terms of the designs I create, they really stem from a lot of sources, even though they may come across as simple. I would say I have an illustrative style. Heavy contrast at times, combined with delicate touches. This to me translates the juxtaposition of life, and I find it’s essence to be mesmerizing. I find inspiration for my work in art nouveau and art deco. I feel like there was a whimsicality back then that I really try to channel in my current work. I also find inspiration just by going out on focused/meditative walks. While walking, stopping, and observing, it is truly breathtaking the symmetry and the tiny details in even something so basic, like a flower(which is actually not so basic haha).
Wow, tattooing has given to me so much. I see the art in all things around me now, everyday. I just hope I can contribute a fraction of how much it has contributed to me.

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

My initial goal that was driving my tattoo journey sounds a little silly! I used to watch “Inked” interviews on youtube before I got into tattooing. I always found the artist they would interview to be so funny and talented. There was part of me back then that wanted to be one of the best tattooers so I could be interviewed, travel and excel as an artist. So I have to give Inked a bit of credit for driving me into tattooing! I am also an Aries and have a lot of fire signs in my chart(for anyone interested), so I feel like that energy and intensity has always been there to move my ideas forward! I think my goals have changed quite a bit now that I am older. I still want to continue growing as an artist but I feel so much more people focused now! I really want to ensure a safe and comfortable space for people to get tattooed and build a community of wonderful people. I suppose that means my goal is to keep developing so that I can effectively communicate and encourage others through the artistic experience. Another goal of mine is to try to obtain as much mental peace as possible and hopefully spread that to others.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

This may sound a bit vein but in the beginning I felt alone as a creative in my family, so I really had to push myself towards doing the things I wanted to do. I think a lot of people probably resonate with being rebellious and having to be their own role models. Later on in my journey, my mom-in-law showed me some really lovely philosophers that I resonate with. Alan Watts being one of them. He has endless knowledge that always helps me to check myself in moments of self doubt(which comes up A LOT as a working creative). I really love this particular quote from him, “You yourself are the eternal energy which appears as this universe. You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.”
This creates a sense of security and fluidity. It makes me think about how I do not need to get so in my head, spiraling. I just am, and it’s as simple as that.

Contact Info:

• Website: jmariontattoo.com
• Instagram: @jennamariontattoo