Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubrey McDonald
Hi Aubrey , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been an artist since I was a little young but I had fallen out of touch with my creative side as I got older. The pandemic came around, and I was looking for a change of pace and to be more creative in my life. The only thing I was doing during Covid was getting tattooed. I started asking artists about their path into their career, and it was very encouraging to learn that many successful artists forged their own way. I decided to start learning how to tattoo after speaking with several artists about their experience. I picked up a machine and some fake skin and started practicing the basic techniques from there. I started practicing on myself and then eventually reaching out to friends and family and coworkers to tattoo them. Once I felt comfortable enough to start taking clients they referred me to their friends, family, and coworkers and I started building a client base like that. As I was tattooing, my style evolved over time and I really started to lean into the ornamental style, specifically focusing on dot work. The style puts me in a meditative headspace and helps me feel focused while also not overthinking. It really helps me channel myself into my work and also allows me to be hyper detailed, which is just part of my Virgo personality, while still creating art that has an intuitive flow. I am so grateful to be where I am now in my career with my regular clients and new clients alike. I’m always excited for new opportunities, to meet new people, and to continue to grow and learn overtime. Tattooing is a craft that I will always be learning, growing and expanding upon, and I’m grateful for everything I have learned so far. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow throughout my career.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles when it comes to a career that is more creative and artistic. There have been very busy times in my tattooing career, and sometimes that have felt very slow. It’s all about finding a balance and being able to manage your finances so that busy times can support the slow times and also trying to find new ways to find new clients and expand your reach to new communities and new people.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in ornamental tattoos, specifically focusing on dot work. This style is very detailed and somewhat controlled, but also incredibly intuitive. There’s a natural flow to the work that I create and I really like how ornamental tattoos can be expanded upon over time. I find ornamental tattooing to be very meditative. The repetitive nature of it is somewhat trance like and that helps me feel in flow, which is something that is important to me as an artist. The environment that my clients get tattooed in is also something that is very important to me. I make sure that the environment is relaxing and peaceful. I like to have music playing that can help the client enter into a meditative headspace. I don’t believe that tattoos need to be an intense traumatic experience to the body and the nervous system. With a more relaxing environment, clients can lean into the pain of a tattoo and transform that feeling into a meditative, present, and centered headspace. This a really important aspect of tattooing for me and it can be really transformative for my clients as well. I sometimes also incorporate Reiki into a tattoo session which can help clients come into a deeper state of relaxation and tap into a more energetic space of transformation. Tattooing can be a very transformative experience with intention, the right headspace, and the right environment.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
It is incredibly important to me that my clients feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire process of their tattoo. I make sure to check in with them on a regular basis to make sure that they’re feeling OK. I try to use a trauma informed practice when working with my clients and their bodies. I want them to feel comfortable asking to pause, to have a second session, asking for me to adjust the placement of my body or hands, to move the stencil. I want my clients to feel like they have autonomy and a voice throughout the entire session. A tattoo is a permanent piece of art on their body and it is important to me that they feel they can speak up about things that they want to change or that they need throughout their session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heartpotiontattoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartpotiontattoo
