Who I am, I do what I do

Emily is one of these remarkable people who is independent and self assured. She has learned to not pay attention to the thoughts and critiques of others. She adopted tattoos as an extension of herself, and while some disapprove, she says...  

My body is more of a canvas. Each image says a little more about me and my likes. Many of my tattoos can be linked to my love of the Asian culture. The Tattoos are the work of many artists. I’m a walking gallery.

Some can relate but others can’t understand my love of ink. Many people, including my parents see all this body art and assume I must work with gangs and perhaps do drugs. But the reality is I’m just defining myself. We all need to learn to be ourselves, accept ourselves.

In today’s world so many are prone to anxiety, depression, loneliness … Some have a hard time accepting who that are, or are still seeking to discover who they are. 

I’ve learned to love myself and the tattoos have helped me in building self-esteem. Some ladies feel the need for dramatic make-up, glamorous clothes. Not that I dislike those things, but the tattoos are so much more personal, more “me”. 

A while back, I took the step of opening a tattoo parlor.  I wanted to share my love of ink and to help others with their own personal stories of expression and self-esteem. So this is not just who I am but what I do.