We recently connected with ViGi BOO and have shared our conversation below.

ViGi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Taking the risk, Like the first pen stroke to an expensive sliver of paper,
The first time getting that tattoo,
Or the risk you take when eating questionable leftovers from your fridge.

You leap or you go step by step.
Or you don’t do it at all.

At first I wanted to leap jump and run before I even knew how to crawl.
Now I know that all of my mentors were saying was right. I take the risk
I’m just a baby growing.

You take that risk every time at least I do.My father always said you don’t try things out unless you’re in the dressing room trying on dresses or something you just DO them.
I guess I always think about that when I take that risk.
I remember also going to a prominent tattoo convention in Redding Pennsylvania years ago, where I got to meet one of my favorite artists, I remember just asking how do you just get rid of the nerves of tattooing people? When I was just learning and apprenticing, He said ,”you just got to do it” -Grimes and it just goes back to taking that risk.

A lot of that risk has to do with self awareness and being. A lot of risk takes place in that inner peace of mind of knowing, cultivating the knowledge you have had and continuing to grow within.
The industry is always so evolving.

I feel as if I take a risk everyday really.
This is a risky business.

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

Hi! I’m Virginia, but I go by Vigi.Boo My family always called me Vigi as a term for endearment and my dad would call me Vigi boopis all the time I used to get annoyed by this as a teenager. But I’ve really come around to liking it.

So I thought it be nice to have that name in my industry. And it sounds cute with tattoos! Vigi boo tattoo? Why not?!
So my clients oftentimes become like my closest friends and family, I appreciate them so much.

I got into the industry long before I even knew I was, I started getting tattooed quite often when I was 18 and started hanging out tattoo shops back in Panama. Where I’m from. That same tattoo shop would host the international tattoo conventions in Panama so I would work with them to set up and or sell tickets or promotion anything really!
It was very little the amount of people that were heavily tattooed back in Panama in 2012/2013 time eras, as Panama is a pretty big religious place.

It wasn’t until 2021 when I actually
Started my true apprenticeship,
I was then living in western Maryland then, as life is always changing and evermore twisting and turning, I learned to churn out tattoo style flash sheets and learning the basics and fundamentals to tattooing and coil machines. But all my tattoo friends I could say have been a mentor to me in one way or another, Dave Kruseman thought me how to paint tattoo flash,
And I learned a lot of the basics of modern tattooing while my time in Oldeline tattoo, I then left that shop to work with a more modern approach
And more open world views on women in tattooing, at the Harvest tattoo in western Maryland. It was a shop I had always dreamed of working at. And the wonderful team at the Harvest was something that I will always remember and hold dear in my heart.

My life did change and I decided that I needed to be closer to my family in Tucson Arizona. Where I now work in
A relatively new shop in the msa annexes called Brainwave tattoo I get to work along side Adam Goss, Jake L, and Noah Nixon, and an up and coming apprentice that goes by D0cgoodwin.

I love to tattoo regardless of where I am and who I’m with, it’s all such a blessing and a wonderful gift. The community is truly greatly appreciated <3

What makes my heart is truly my clients and the people that come in and want to get a little bit of my art to wear on their skin forever, it truly makes my soul feel like I have a special place where I finally fit in somewhere.

Happy tattoos for the people!

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

I’ve been getting tattooed by a mirad of tattoo artists from all over the place in a whole lot of different places, Everyone has their own unique style and techniques, sometimes you have to find what works best for you,

With all that information gathered, painting and tattooing are completely different from each other, unlearning
A lot of traditional painting techniques for example is a whole thing.

I would even say that painting tattoo style flash is quite different, from using nib pens and liquid acrylics, you can even paint with tattoo inks!
There is always something special to learn and grow.

I would say I am a perpetual student.
I would like to know as much as I can even if I have to unlearn certain things to execute certain different tattoo styles and techniques.

I also enjoy to do colorful murals which is very abstract and different.

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

To tattoo, is practically resilience.

There may be times when you don’t have a single person come into the tattoo shop, and you have to make do with what you can.

There may be times that you have to move across country for other reasons and build up a whole new clientele.

There could even be times when you have to be resilient because you’ went through something that caused you pain. And you have to keep going.

I once went to a batting cage to play with my nephew and I got into a whole heap of hurt where blood was gushing and all! Right on my working hand, right on my thumb! Well that took resilience to spring back up and tattoo in a couple days,

Sometimes life throws at you curve balls and you just got to be resilient and persist. Because the horrors still go on but you got to be persistent on your persuit.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vigi.boo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/V.G.baller?mibextid=YMEMSu

Image Credits
@Skywalkerfoto