We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Xitlali Ernst a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Xitlali, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
In the business of tattoos and guided ceremonies, I find a lot of value in creating healing experiences for anyone who walks through the doors of Roa Studios. In February of 2025, I created an event called All-Love and had it on Valentine’s Day. My goal with this event was to create an intentional flow of immense love for all beings/things; as the person walks through the studio. To set the stage of the event, the path started with an herbal smoke cleansing and a card reading from a reader who bases their practice in love. Then into the next room, I had food & tea that were all intentionally chosen from me and my two vendors’ cultural backgrounds. In another room, I had handpoke tattoos where I guided the person with words to transform the pain for love and self love. At the final vendors station, we had a DIY floral coach who taught us about the love that goes into making bouquets.
There was a client who came to the event who completely threw herself into the whole experience. She followed the flow of the event the way it was intended, naturally. The first station opened her up energetically with a loving smile and cry. Next, I came in with the nurturing pain and strengthening of the spirit. And the flowers she left with, were a gift she made with love for her family member. She shared that her experience has energetically changed things for her in her everyday life. Changes like feeling more self love, feeling understood and appreciated. Concepts that all of us deserve. I felt so honored to have heard her stories and to cry with her. To then see her again after that and express to her how much it meant to me for her to throw herself completely into the experience I was curating. Because that’s what makes it so worth it. Seeing the differences you can make in peoples lives makes it all worth it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a multidisciplinary artist and creative entrepreneur with my main endeavors being tattooing, event coordination, DJing, and guiding ceremonies. Born in Chicago and raised in Columbus Ohio, my artistic journey was nurtured by my father, an artist who instilled a love for creativity through playful art challenges. While at the same time, being inspired by my entrepreneur grandfather who owns a hydraulics business. In the realm of art & business combined, my professional experience started in 2020 with a managerial role at 5th Element Tattoo, where I honed in on my business acumen and further ignited my passion for art. Through a program called Empowering Latina Leadership Academy in 2022, I strengthened my managerial skills with mentor Michelle Brandt of the Brandt-Robert’s Gallery in downtown Columbus. Currently, I am pursuing a tattoo apprenticeship under muralist and tattoo artist Carlos Roa at Roa Studios, deepening my expertise in these disciplines.
In my overall being, I am a 26 years young indigenous & queer person who values healing and is heavily influenced by the ideology of different indigenous cultures around the world, including my own. This means I value connectedness, harmony, justice, empathy and efficiency. I like to take this ideology a step further from simple practice in everyday life, to intentionally planned out ceremonies I provide for people. There are not many, if any, other ceremonial tattoo artists in Ohio; outside of me and my mentor. This also means, I find value in putting the sacredness back into everything it’s been ripped from. In business, I value putting conscious awareness and love into how I run my practice. My passion is driven by my ancestors who tattooed people in a way of sacredness and I’d like to bring back aspects of that for those who are seeking. And I feel that’s what sets me apart. People are seeking the things I provide, and I take that with great honor and responsibility. In art & music, my work explores the versatile and often uncomfortable aspects of the human experience with a sense of wonder, introspection and progression.
Part of Xitlalicue Creation’s personal brand is also embodying duality. Duality of light, dark, life, death and everything it encompasses; in a healthy / empathetic way. There is duality in ceremonial tattooing. Tattoos are the physical pain (death), and works with the emotional nurturing (life), that a ceremonial guide gives. Duality in life is unavoidable, just how tattoos teach us that if you want something, sometimes the pain to get it, is unavoidable. The name is intentional as well. Named after the Aztec goddess Xitlalicue, the creator goddess of the moon and stars; who I am named after. Xitlalicue Creation is where I share all the creations that encompass myself. All of my values, all of my duality, all of my heritage, has birthed my business.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
You don’t have to throw all your stones into one basket, especially if you’re not certain which basket to throw them in. Some people work better by only having one avenue and directing all of their energy into that one lane. This gives them depth in that craft at a faster pace, which is very valuable. That approach didn’t work for me. And I found myself feeling ashamed if I got “bored” in something and moved to the next. However, in most instances I noticed I always came back to the original avenue and applied all that I learned from the others, into it. This strengthens the original skill with new perspective and motivation. Almost like I had given myself cheat codes. I often tell people that painting taught me how to DJ. Painting taught me about how much paint or pressure to apply to a brush which translated to how much volume / effects to play with to seamlessly blend songs. Some people thought I was going against my calling by putting so much time and investment into learning how to DJ but it was what I felt called to. Djing taught me so much about the flow state of doing visual art as well. I often will use another medium to inspire another. For example if I am feeling stuck in a painting, I will go to my car and crank some music I can sing to until I feel inspired to paint again. Trust your inner guidance. There are things working out in your favor that you may not realize yet. Your talents can upgrade other aspects of your life if you want them to.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I met my tattoo mentor through connection made by my brother. In 2020 I was managing at hotels and gave them a 3 week notice to quit, after not feeling like I could grow with them. I had a side business at the time and was able to sustain myself enough for those 3 months as I searched for a meaningful job. My brother was working at a tattoo shop here in Columbus, and I had acquired if they were hiring. After being told they weren’t, my bother tells me about Roa hiring at another shop called 5th Element tattoo. As someone who was very much into business management at that time and who grew up with a lot of art influence, I knew I wanted that job very much. I created a resume just for the position, bought a new black shirt that was dress-casual and showed up to the interview confident. Fortunately, I did get the job. And 3 years later I asked Roa to be my mentor and he chose to take me on as his apprentice. I’m forever grateful for the experience of being with a mentor who values similar things that I do. Forever grateful for Roa for our friendship shining through the most in our business dynamic. He’s family to me now, which is something I know a lot of other apprentices don’t have the luxury of being able to say.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
King Samuel Photography