We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Misha ( I do not use a last name professionally). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Misha below.

Misha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Before the Covid closures my studio already did things differently than most Tattoo shops. I offer a private one on one experience where I design the tattoo with the client on my computer, allowing them to participate in the designing of their own tattoo.

Once I reopened my studio after the Covid closures, I realized that a lot people spent the lockdowns looking at tattoos online and realizing that they wanted to cover up the tattoos that didn’t feel  right on their body.  Many people finally got the mental health care they needed during the shutdowns, and now wanted to cover the scars, burns, and tattoos that remind them of past hurt and pain they were actively working on healing.

My tattoo studio went from doing pretty images on skin, to a place of healing. I started helping people feel better in their skin. The new designs I put on them depict good memories, future goals or a better place that person is in now.

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

My name is Misha, and I am a Fine Artist, Tattoo Artist and Graphic Designer. I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid and studied art in College. After College, I decided to learn how to tattoo when one of my pieces of art was reproduced poorly as a tattoo. I thought, “Well I can at least copy what I see, I could do this!” It wasn’t as easy as I thought!! I started tattooing in 1991 and after working a couple years in the industry, I was offered a tattoo apprenticeship by an artist who could see my potential and that all I needed was a better technical foundation.

Tattooing in my own studio, with my husband’s help, has given me the ability to create a space that I would want to be tattooed in. A space where my client feels heard and that their design concerns are taken into account. So often people get intimidated in the tattoo shop and end up not telling the artist what they really want. I offer a free consultation where the client and I can go over what they truly want. If it’s a cover up, we go over what they want to cover and what they want to cover it with. We then trace the area they want the tattoo or any tattoos they want to covered.   I then scan the tracing into my computer where the client and I design the tattoo together. I try to get as much of it done with the client present, so that I can deliver a finished drawing that needs very little revisions, if any at all.

I’m most proud of what my business has morphed into post covid lockdowns. I went from doing mostly custom tattoos and doing some coverups. To an artist who does mostly coverup tattoos and occasionally custom tattoos. I am so happy that my focus has gone from just beautiful tattoos, to a place where I can cover ugly past mistakes and help a client tattoo something that signifies where they are and what is important to them now. Or even tattoo what they want to be next, making their personal goals a visual they can use to guide themselves forward.

I’ve also noticed how many more scar cover ups I’ve been doing. From Gender affirming scars, Self harm scars, Cancer surgery scars and scars from other traumatic events. These Clients sometimes need more than just a cover up, but also need a place that is safe to talk about what this means to them and what they have been through. I’m proud to have that safe place along with Tissues and Tea.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve never listened when others have said I couldn’t do things. Especially when a man patted me on the top of the head and said: “How cute you want to be a tattoo artist.” Or when I was told that I couldn’t make a living as an artist. I proved them wrong. If I really want something I am tenacious and will get it eventually, through hard work and determination.

Contact Info:

• Website: misha-art.com
• Instagram: bigeyedmisha
• Facebook: misha:painting, tattoos and graphic design
• Other: TikTok @bigeyedmisha

Image Credits
I took all photots