Edmonton Tattoos | The SkinArtJ Tattoo Story
Thanks so much for joining us today on the Skin Art J YouTube channel for Edmonton Tattoos. I’m joined today by J, and we’re going to be talking about her personal story. My name is Alana, and I’m going to be finding out all about J and what drives her.
To start, I’ve got a quote:
“The best art is about individualism, free self-expression, and realizing a unique imaginative perspective. A true artist takes no notice whatsoever of the public; the public, to the artist, are non-existent.” — Oscar Wilde
“Does that sum up your feelings about art?” I ask.
J responds, “It’s very personal. I would agree, because for myself, I would state that it reflects the inner world more than the external. The inner world is more exploratory for myself, and my imagination and where I derive a lot of my inspiration from. So, I’d say that’s it.”
“Wonderful, I love that!” I respond.
Tattoo Popularity in Canada
“I have a statistic here as well,” I say. “It says that one-third of Canadians have tattoos and are proud of it, according to a new survey from Narrative Research. Margaret Chapman, Chief Operating Officer and partner at Narrative Research, said that just over 33% of Canadians have tattoos, and hardly anybody regrets having them. What do you think about that? Are you seeing a lot of different kinds of clientele coming to get tattooed these days?”
J nods, “Very much. It ranges in so many different styles, stories, and motives behind it. As I like to tell people, commonly, the piece is very sentimental or can also be very specific to that individual. It doesn’t have to have a huge significance of why they want it—they just do it for the experience.
So, I’m finding people are being more whimsical about their choice and enjoying actually just living, not necessarily having to have a huge story behind it, just simply for an experience. So I get to enjoy both spectrums, where I can go deep with someone and see the beauty in their story and what drives that, to then also having it with a person that just wants to live in that moment and is doing it to create a memory with their friend, their family member, or just in general for themselves.”
“Wonderful, I love that,” I respond.
Getting to Know J: Background and Early Life
“So I wanted to learn a little bit more about you, just so people can see a little bit more about who the artist is behind the art. So, where did you grow up?” I ask.
J answers, “I grew up in Edmonton and surrounding areas, and I’m still here.”
“Excellent! I was also born and raised here, and I’m a proud Edmontonian at heart,” I add.
“Where did you go to school?” I ask.
J replies, “I’ve been to quite a few different schools when I was younger, so some of them I can’t even remember. The main ones that pop into my head are high school, so Holy Trinity, and then there were others like Hillview when I was very young. So, a couple of different ones—even Tofield at one point.”
“Excellent! Yeah, my sister went to high school in Tofield. Neat! Small world.”
J’s First Job and Entry into Tattooing
“What was the first job that you ever had?” I ask.
J responds, “Dollar store!”
“Dollar stores for the win!” I say.
“Yeah!” J laughs.
“What were you doing there?”
“Just stocking the shelves and making sure everything’s organized and cleaning—so basics tasks.”
“I love that,” I reply. “Dollar store—everyone loves a dollar store!”
“Exactly,” she agrees.
“How long have you been working in your current industry?” I ask.
J answers, “I’ve been pursuing this since I was 19. I wouldn’t say it was until a couple of years into different apprenticeships that I went through that I actually got the opportunity to touch skin. So, it’s been building since 19, but I wouldn’t say it’s overall so many years. I don’t necessarily see my apprenticeship years as two years.”
“Okay, excellent.”
J’s Passion for Tattooing
“Why are you so passionate about tattooing?” I ask.
J replies, “In general, it is a huge release for me. I thoroughly enjoy being able to draw every day and just, in general, create. That’s always been something that I’ve had the itch for, and it’s never gone away. The opportunity to connect with other people and to experience different worlds and different perspectives from people allows me to grow and see something different that maybe I haven’t heard of before or been exposed to yet.
So, definitely multiple aspects—not only is it more personal and selfish that I like for my drawing opportunities, but also the opportunity to connect with people and have those amazing experiences with them and build or create something. To me, that is in and of itself a blessing that I don’t exactly get to have in other industries.”
“Wow, I love that. So it’s not just about the art; it’s about the people as well as the art.”
“Yes, there are multiple aspects,” she agrees.
J’s Inspiration to Start Tattooing
“So why did you decide to get into tattooing?” I ask.
J answers, “I decided to get into tattooing basically for a few different reasons again. One major factor was my sister. She came home one day when I was a kid, and she had a tattoo on her. This was in the ’90s—it’s not so common that people have tattoos, and it wasn’t necessarily socially acceptable at that point. There was still a lot of stigma around it about what that represented or how it branded someone, usually in a negative light.
There was that edginess or that beauty to it. She got a classic rose with a little bit of tribal on her shoulder, and the excitement I felt from it—being like, someone will let you draw on them, and they will pay you—was mind-blowing. From that point on, I was set that I was going to tattoo.”
“I love that story; that’s great!” I say. “What was her tattoo of?”
“It was a traditional rose with some tribal work to it.”
“Nice! I love that,” I reply.
Challenges of Tattooing and Future Goals
“What’s the most difficult part about tattooing?” I ask.
J reflects, “The most difficult part, I would think, is once again the human aspect—not always does an artist have a great day, and not always does a client have a great day going on. There can be different energies coming in, experiencing each other. It’s the beauty and also the complexity of it.
You can have different passings of moments in each other’s lives, and it can be challenging to navigate that with great communication and to have a really uplifting experience. I aim and strive to do that, but of course, I’m human. I’m not always going to be on my A-game, and I have my own feelings and stuff. Sometimes it can be challenging to always be that upbeat energy, but then I also respect the fact and honor the emotions that we go through—we’re human. If someone’s able to connect in that, it makes for a really special moment for me.”
“I love that,” I respond.
J’s Future Plans and Traveling Goals
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” I ask.
J replies, “Ideally, I would love to be traveling, doing tattoo conventions, and exploring the world. I want to see things. I’m very curious by nature.”
“Nice! So you want to be doing your craft anywhere in the world?”
“Pretty much, yes,” she says.
“I love that,” I say. “What’s the first place you’d travel to do tattooing if you could?”
“I really have an itch to go to Ireland. I think I want to go frolic in some hills,” she laughs.
“I love that! Ireland is also on my bucket list,” I reply.
First Steps for Getting a Tattoo from J
“If someone’s thinking about getting a tattoo from you, what are their first steps?” I ask.
J explains, “Ideally, it’s making contact, reaching out. I do prefer having people come in for consultations, so I get the in-person interaction. I get to see the energy behind it and also get to explore and interact with them, asking what it is they’re seeking from this experience, where they want to take their artwork, and what ideas they have. If they have specific things they want or are more flexible and open to letting me take the reins because they’re comfortable with it, it’s gauging how we’re going to co-create together.”
How to Connect with Skin Art J
“You can find J on skinjtattoos.com as well as Instagram. What’s your handle on Instagram?” I ask.
“It’s also Skin Art J,” she says.
“Perfect! Nice and easy. And don’t forget to hit like and subscribe to this video to get updated content for our next video,” I add.
“Well, I think that’s it for today. J, thank you so much for sitting with me,” I say.
“Thanks for having me, Alana,” J replies.