We were lucky to catch up with Maribeth Klaar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maribeth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Metanoia Tattoo Gathering is the most meaningful project I have worked on because of my own personal experiences regarding the balance of life, motherhood and the tattoo artistry. The tattoo industry is extremely chaotic. There is so much artist to artist comparison, so much hurry to get to the next step or next place in our career, and so much pressure to be more than you need to be. At Metanoia Tattoo Gathering, we think differently about how artists should approach their careers in tattooing. Because of my own personal experience as a mother and tattooer, I felt the call and drive to create a space specifically for other women and mothers in the tattoo industry. This tattoo gathering is the very first of its kind! We aim to provide a space for our ladies to come together and share their stories, build up a positive community, grow in their artistry & business, and most importantly, transform their hearts and minds regarding how they see themselves in the tattoo industry. We wish to help women and mothers find more peace and more joy as they navigate the chaos of life and tattooing. We do all of this through our seminars, small group breakouts, artistic sessions, and communal time in sharing food and drink.

So here is a bit of history that led me to create Metanoia Tattoo Gathering:

Right around 2018 I found myself in a place that was extremely lonely. I was unsure of myself and how I could possibly fit into the tattoo industry, even though I had been tattooing over 11 years at that point. The struggles I faced in balancing the call to be an amazing mother to my children all the while growing my career as a tattooer proved to be so challenging.

I am a military wife and small business owner. We have moved so many times throughout my tattoo career and I had to re-start my business over and over again while also taking care of my babies and prioritizing the well being of my family both emotionally and physically. I felt lonely in my industry because it didn’t feel like anyone could relate to my life’s story. I wanted to feel included, respected. I was putting forth so much effort into growing my artistry, my clientele, and my business but at times, I did not feel like any of it mattered. Likely just in my head, of course, I even felt like I was judged for not being as far along as I “should be.” I knew this way of thinking wasn’t right, and I knew that there was something greater, something outside of building out my tattooing that I was going to be a part of.

Amongst plenty of other personal hardships (which we all go through, of course) I really struggled in the social media department, like when it became the number one way to build up your following and clientele. For years, since the social media boom, the tattoo industry has been feeding us this lie that we need to be more than human. We need to be machines in the way we operate our business. For the women and mothers who believe this lie, it sure is a dark place to be. So I want to help break this cycle for our incredible women in tattooing. There is so much that artists feel we are now “required” to do on socials, which creates so much pressure and I just never want another woman to think that she needs to be more than human to make it in tattooing. There is a way to navigate it all with more balance and more peace.

It would be so amazing if we all have the confidence that we are making the right choice for ourselves, for our families and for our careers, but that just isn’t always the case. We need people. We need others to help us through. Community is fundamental. How do we get out of the deep dark spaces when our mind takes us there without community? How do we celebrate our wins without community? How do we ask questions and get some answers without community? How do we feel less alone without community?

I remember the not knowing. I remember the feeling that I was the only lady out there trying be find success in tattooing. I also remember trying to find success in all of the wrong ways, because I thought that I had to. I did not know any other mothers in the industry who had the same passion to grow in their careers but also prioritize their children and family… but deep down I knew there was no way I was the only one who felt this way. I was then set on finding my people. I had a calling to create a space where mothers in tattooing could come together and create a shift. A shift in our thinking- a transformation if you will. In those humble moments of doubt and uncertainty, I had the calling to build Metanoia Tattoo Gathering.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

First and foremost I am a tattooer of course! I got into tattooing as a result of just loving art. It happened to be the perfect career choice for me because of my husband’s commitment to working in the United States Air Force. We knew that we would be moving every couple of years and being able to work for myself would be an advantage. I always knew I wanted to be able to build my own schedule and work and connect with people according to my own personal values. Being self-employed assured that the way I wanted to build up my life, my career, and my clientele would be up to me. This was really important. The military lifestyle was suitable for my career for many years because of the military to military support factor. I had so many active duty members & souses as clients. They trusted me, and we understood each other because we were all living the same life. This was so important and this was before the social media boom. This support and trust I had with clients was so crucial in finding my stride and providing for my family as a tattooer in my baby tattooer years. Through years of relocating and re-establishing a new business with every move, I was building clientele all across the country. To this day I still connect with these clients and it is so cool!

When it comes to being a tattoo artist, it is crucial that I offer all of my clients the best possible experience. I want my clients to know how important they are to me and how much I appreciate their trust. I know at this point it is almost a cliche’ topic, but tattooing is therapy. And not just for the client, but for the artist as well. Being tattooed and giving a tattoo is so intimate and special. Bonds, connections, and healing happens during many tattoo sessions. I always aim to give my clients the space to be vulnerable and express anything they need to during the session. Judgement not included.

METANOIA TATTOO GATHERING: So the above is just a brief intro to me as a tattooer and in 2018 I felt led to create something more of my career, but not just something for myself. I was led to create something for my community. The community of unseen women and mothers within the tattoo industry. You see, for years of being my own boss, working my own hours and building up my career on my terms- I was also able to build a family. I became a mother. But as I aimed to grow my career, even though I was working on my own schedule, I faced so much insecurity, confusion, anxiety and loneliness before I fully grasped what it meant to be truly successful. For years I was trying to find the balance and the peace in it all- not confident I was putting it altogether the right way. Haha, which how many of us really do? In hindsight, I just didn’t allow myself much grace back then. It is still something I must be mindful of and intentional about to this day.

Amidst the chaos and pressure tattooers face within our industry and culture as a whole, what I knew for certain, was that I did not wish to aim for success based on the world’s standards. I needed a shift in my mindset because I didn’t want to rob myself of time with my children and husband any more than I already had because I thought I needed to be this very specific person to be successful. So when all of this came to realization- I knew that I wanted to help mothers and women in my industry understand the same. I wanted to remind them that life is so much more than what the chaos of our tattoo industry is trying to sell us. And guess what, women needed to hear this. Women and mothers in tattooing needed this space to take a breath and be reminded that they are valuable as they are, in this moment- just like I was all along. And just like I am, just like we are, right now. This is why Metanoia Tattoo Gathering exists.

In humility, my goal is to showcase what it means to live a life with more peace, more joy and more balance as we navigate and grow our tattoo careers. I want to help women know that they can have what their hearts truly desire- but that there is just some transformation that needs to happen first.

Metanoia means transformation of mind and heart. And when we come together my goal is that through our seminars and small group break out sessions we will encourage women to restore their minds and hearts in an effort to think differently about how they have been approaching their lives and tattoo careers. I wish to encourage our ladies to take a step back, look at what is most important in their lives, and build out a system to grow their careers based on their own personal values, not that of what the tattoo industry says they should be.

All I can say is that I am beyond honored to be in this space and preparing for our second annual gathering in February 2025. It is such a privilege and honor to be given the opportunity to facilitate such an incredible community that has never before existed within the tattoo industry.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Oh my goodness, I had to unlearn the hard way that fame is not the answer. Fame is not what you need to make an impact on society, your community, or to find true success. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Humility, above all else, is where our hearts must land in order to build up those around us, find common ground, do something meaningful, and find success outside of what our world tells us success is. From humility, all good things come and all good things prosper. Recognition in the form of forcing oneself into what I like to call “worldly fame” is not how we make a meaningful impact in our communities.

In all honesty, I felt so much shame for so long because I aspired to find some sort of fame in an effort to be recognized by my colleagues. It seems maybe a little off topic- but this truly was a lesson I needed to learn. At the beginning of my tattoo journey the boom of tattoo TV was making its mark on our industry, even society as whole. The mix of reality TV and tattoo TV was paving the way for many to find fame and fortune at the expense of their values, maybe even their dignity. There was a time I thought this was the way to success. I even landed myself a spot on one of those “shows” and failed epically, as did the show itself.

Later on I even tried to make a presence on social media by dedicating so much of my time to making reels for instagram in order to make my presence known. I was working full time, creating content outside of tattooing, marketing, running a shop, and running my own personal business. All of this while also managing life at home and figuring out my process to build a tattoo gathering. Ultimately I because so burned out and so very done with it all. At this point my mind was still skewed. You see, I was still in this place where I believed that I needed to “be somebody” before anyone would take me seriously. This was an internal belief I had. Not a belief that anyone would ever know I carried. At the time I was making waves on social with my reels all the while I knew I had the calling to build this tattoo gathering. I knew I had to do this and reach women- but I just didn’t believe that I could until I was popular, or people truly knew me. Dumb, I know. It was a childish mindset and not one that I am proud of. I very quickly realized this was not my way. It was not something that fit the values of my life and where I wanted to go. I could no longer make the sacrifice. I eventually was so burned out and creating this presence on social media was not the way I wanted to reach my community. I put a halt to it all. I ultimately took a very long sabbath. I had to get my mind right. I had to figure out how to approach my calling and I needed a true reset.

I was off socials for a long time. I couldn’t even bare it. I went from filming, editing, posting, and engaging on social media every single day to a complete halt. I realized that what I was doing with social media was the exact same thing that I had attempted years before in my effort to be made for TV. I couldn’t stomach this life style anymore. It literally grossed me out. It is not who I am. I am a tattooer. I am a wife and mother. I am a mentor and a frient. I am more than what our culture tells me I need to be. We are ALL more than what our culture tells us we are supposed to be.

In my sabbath from all of the things, (my phone stuck in a drawer forever) I found so much peace. Oh my goodness, it honestly brings me to tears to think about this transformation ya know? I slowed down. I re-gained appreciation for all of the things in life that truly matter. Even just little things like staring out the window and watching palm fronds wave, the glow of my children’s eyes, or taking in the smell of a freshly brewed espresso. All these moments I experienced without the attachment of the stupid rectangle box of the world in my palm. Lol, I even remember the craving of boredom. Oh how I wanted it so bad. Life was so full of so much, all of the time and I just wanted to remember what it was like to be bored. Quite comically, I decided to walk into a Starbucks (without my phone, without ordering on the app) and stand in line, in an effort to find boredom. It was beautiful. I just people watched and used all of my senses as I soaked in the environment. You should try it sometime. Anyway, back on topic, I learned to let go. I learned that I am not meant to be a machine. I am not meant to be more than human. I learned that we have only so much capacity. We do not need to do all of the things that everyone else is doing just because we seem them doing it. We need to humble ourselves. We need to recognize our limits and build our life around our own personal values. Often times that will mean that we need to cut out so much. For a time I was always comparing myself to what other tattooers were doing. I was pressuring myself into believing I needed to also do all of these things so I could be successful. But when I took a step back- when I rested, when I napped, when I let God lead me, when I let my spirituality go unquenched, I found more.

Through this mindset transformation, I was finally in a positive heart position to authentically reach women and mothers in my industry. I learned so many lessons throughout my career (much more than I shared above) and I felt like it was time to connect with my fellow lady tattooers about what it truly means to find success and peace as we navigate our personal growth in tattooing. I had the passion, the drive, the excitement to build up and encourage women in my industry in the right way. From a place of humility and authenticity, I was ready to share my truth, my story, my experience, and do everything I could to help women in tattooing to find more rest, more peace and more joy as they navigate the chaos of the tattoo industry.

Through the “unlearning” of what it takes to find success- and making the shift in my mind, I was finally able to pursue my true calling in the tattoo industry. Although I am completely and utterly imperfect, have so much to learn, and so much wisdom to gain each day, my heart is so full. It is full because I know what it means to be real and truly authentic… and I now have a community of women around me who are willing to share their stories, knowledge and encouragement with me as well.

Honestly, it is sometimes just so difficult to express everything that Metanoia has become in my life and how much undoing I had to go through to finally pursue this calling. I still learn and I still go through metanoia (transformation of mind and heart) every day. I have to be intentional in all that I do. Keep the balance, keep the purity in my soul… from managing my presence on social media, to working on the tattoo gathering, to taking care of my family- It all takes intentionality and it can all be done from a place of rest in ones soul. From the first vision to build the gathering, to now expanding and working to reach more ladies, I know that Metanoia Tattoo Gathering is meant to grow and evolve in ways I cannot imagine. I just want to remain with a humble and pure heart to let it go where it needs to go. The thing is, I need Metanoia to exist. Even though I am the one who created it for my community- I did so because my soul needed it. I needed the accountability and the reminder that life is so much more than what our culture likes to tells us. So here it is. Here it will be, for me AND for my fellow women & mothers in tattooing.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Truly, absolutely, yes. I am beyond blessed to have found amazing books to reference as I grow and shift in how I do my life and business.

The Proverbs ( NIV Bible )
– The proverbs are incredible. They are a constant reminder of what to focus on. They remind me of how to navigate relationships with people, where to spend my focus, and how to treat others. Any time I need a reminder on the simplicity of what it means to be humble and to be a good human, the proverbs always bring me there.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry ( John Mark Comer )
– This book changed my life. It taught me how to slow down and how to restructure my life in order to create more peace and joy in the simplest of life’s pleasures.

Sabbath ( Wayne Muller )
– Needless to say, this book is crucial if you are someone who needs encouragement on the importance of allowing yourself a full day of rest. This book also encourages you to take sabbath moments throughout the day. Filled with stories and poems and words of wisdom all around, this is a book every human on earth the should read.

Rest is Resistance ( Tricia Hersey )
– Tricia founded the nap ministry and has written an entire book about how when we choose rest- when we decide to take a nap- we are saying no to our machine like culture; a culture and society that thrives when humans become machines. In this reading she shares how open our minds become when we choose rest & so much more.

Why these books are important to me:
I am living proof that rest brings forth immense production. Not just production in the eyes of the culture, but production of the heart and mind. When I sit and just breathe, or take a nap or drink a cup of coffee and use my sense of smell to enjoy its fragrant offering… I gain wisdom. I gain wisdom through what my heart is telling me. It is like I have time to actually listen to what truly matters to me, and listen to what my body and soul need. Now, I know all this may just sound so off the wall. I get it, it’s still not how most of our society operates….but from this place of rest, Metanoia Tattoo Gathering finally came to be. It is how I was finally able to put together this authentic space. Reading these materials have helped influence how I do my business and life all around. I no longer let the pressure of society influence the way I do things. I think for myself- I make sure the choices I make are those that correspond with my values and how I prioritize rest. I don’t mind a slower pace. You know, maybe Metanoia doesn’t grow as quickly as another event because of the way I choose to operate- but what matters is that it is real and pure and authentic and actually helps the women and mothers who attend. And the only way that happens is through remembering I am human, a spiritual being. Not a machine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.metanoiatattoogathering.com
• Instagram: @metanoiatattoogathering @m2theBtattoos
• Youtube: Metanoia Tattoo Gathering