Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella McClelland.
Hi Bella , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Truthfully, I never exactly planned on tattooing, especially as a career. I was finishing my bachelor’s degree, fully expecting to end up in corporate advertising or marketing, dreading the 9-5 that felt inevitable.
One day, while wrapping up the last semester of my bachelor’s degree, a close friend, equipped with handpoke needles and ink, asked if I’d give him a stick and poke, considering my artistic background. Initially, I was apprehensive (shaky hands and all), but after that first one, I was completely hooked.
Since a traditional apprenticeship was never quite in the cards for me, as those tend to require tattooing to be your entire world, and I knew other fields would always be part of mine, I took a far more unconventional path. I tattooed myself, friends, family, anyone who trusted me and practiced sanitary technique obsessively. A few months in, I bought my first machine (a $79 mast that carried me through my first six months), and practiced on fake skin until I felt ready. Since I’m a bit picky with my own tattoos, I decided that I wouldn’t tattoo another person (with a machine), until I felt comfortable enough tattooing myself. Sometime in June 2024, about a month after graduating, I finally did, and it went better than I expected.
The real turning point came while selling art at a local vendor market. I met a girl who offered to let me tattoo her, my first machine tattoo on someone I didn’t already know, and something shifted completely. It was no longer just learning new techniques I enjoyed, but rather the complex experience that tattooing another really is. It’s the interpersonal connection between artist and client, the space of collaboration, learning how to ensure a clients comfort, and so much more.
Coincidentally, as I’d been sharing progress on instagram, things started picking up around this same time, with complete strangers asking me how to book a tattoo. That July, I began tattooing more frequently, and was quickly making more tattooing than I was as a barista, so I decided to go all in. I guested at a couple of local studios, and by April 2025, I had become a part-time resident at Holloway tattoo, transitioning to full-time that July.
Pretty early on, I noticed something that I didn’t see any artists explicitly catering to clients with chronic health issues, neurodivergence, or disabilities. As someone who personally navigates both, and who grew up with a disabled father, that gap felt real and meaningful to me.
The stereotypes around tattooers don’t help either, rude, picky, not very understanding. That reputation can make people who already need a little more accommodation feel nervous to book at all, or like they don’t belong in a tattoo studio.
Here’s the thing though, those are often the exact people for whom body autonomy matters most. Getting to choose the art that adorns your body can be truly transformative when you’ve spent a lot of time feeling like your body isn’t fully yours, or like it’s constantly working against you.
Although I know many artists would offer the same accommodations and understanding, I built ikam inks to be explicit about it. The accommodations, the communication, the level of collaboration, it’s all a standard part of my practice. With each client, I strive to provide an environment that is consent-forward, sensory-friendly, body-neutral, and queer-inclusive in any way that I can, continuously learning as I go. I want clients to know before they ever reach out that they’re welcome here, and that their comfort isn’t just an afterthought.
Currently, I’m tattooing here in East Austin at Big Feelings Tattoo, a small private studio I share with a few other amazing tattoers here in Austin (check out their stuff on our instagram @bigfeelingstattoo)! My tattoo style varies often, as I take lots of inspiration from nature, abstract art, and archival artwork spanning hundreds of years. However, if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a mix of whimsical blackwork and edgy, bold fineline (contradicting, I know).
If any of this article has spoken to you, whether you’ve been sitting on a tattoo idea for years or just had a vision at 2am, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. You can find my work on instagram @ikaminks and book through the link in my bio. Hope to see you in the studio soon!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
After 6 great months at Holloway, all residents were given a two week notice that the studio would be closing. With 10 clients booked for the upcoming month, and clients expecting the space and accommodating experience I’d advertised via social media, I had to act quick. Over the next month, I would tattoo across Austin, jumping between 4 different studios before deciding to join my coworkers in opening Big Feelings Tattoo. Proposing a cozy space, great coworkers, all for a great price, I agreed and we would officially open the studio by mid November. Finally, after a couple chaotic months, I had a secure place to serve my clients, and began to rebuild my space once again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently, I’m tattooing here in East Austin at Big Feelings Tattoo, a small private studio. My tattoo style varies often, as I take lots of inspiration from nature, abstract art, and archival artwork spanning hundreds of years. However, if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a mix of whimsical blackwork and edgy, bold fineline (contradicting, I know). I enjoy tattooing anything nature-inspired, whimsical, and abstract, combining various techniques like blackwork and stipple shading.
Pretty early on, I noticed something that I didn’t see any artists explicitly catering to clients with chronic health issues, neurodivergence, or disabilities. As someone who personally navigates both, and who grew up with a disabled father, that gap felt real and meaningful to me. Although I know many artists would offer the same accommodations and understanding, I built Ikam Inks to be explicit about it. The accommodations, the communication, the level of collaboration, it’s all a standard part of my practice. With each client, I strive to provide an environment that is consent-forward, sensory-friendly, body-neutral, and queer-inclusive in any way that I can, continuously learning as I go. I want clients to know before they ever reach out that they’re welcome here, and that their comfort isn’t just an afterthought.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned has definitely been that tattooing is so much more than just the practice itself, but rather a complex combination the interpersonal connection between artist and client, the space of collaboration, learning how to ensure a clients comfort, and so much more.
I can confidently say tattooing has brought me across the path of those I never would have met otherwise, teaching me so much about not only myself, but others and life as a whole.
Pricing:
- Tattoo minimum is $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ikaminks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ikaminks/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellamcclelland/
