From Passion to Purpose: A Creative Journey into Tattooing

Here is the experience of my recent tattoo apprenticeship graduate, Sammi Lee. Learn about what it was like for her. Taking the leap into a new chapter of artistry can feel both daunting and exhilarating. About six months ago, she decided to go full-time with art and multi-passionate creative endeavors. Once she graduated her tattoo apprenticeship with me in January she guest spotted at Earth Atlar, went back home to Oregon and then shifted. The focus quickly turned toward guest spotting in a local tattoo studio for the summer, while also working on illustration, branding, photography, and collaborative projects.

With a background in graphic design, Sammi has been balancing multiple creative outlets and has art always been part of her journey. But tattooing brought a new level of excitement, merging skills from drawing, illustration, and design into something that felt completely alive.

Walking Through the Open Door

The path into tattooing began when the right opportunity appeared at the right time. It had been a dream for years, but never the right fit. When the chance finally came, it was impossible to say no it felt aligned, even if it wasn’t clear how easy it would be to make it all work out. The decision was to figure it out along the way and walk through the open door.

Wanting to pivot away from other work and lean more into art played a huge role. Drawing, illustration, and design came together seamlessly in tattooing, creating a craft that felt natural. It was also important to step into a learning space that felt safe, genuine, and supportive, especially in an industry that can be male-dominated and at times unkind.

Falling in Love with the Process of Learning To Tattoo

The day finally came in Sammi’s Tattoo Apprenticeship with me for her to perform her very first tattoo on a real client. Can you imagine how she must have been feeling? The first tattoo brought both nerves and transformation. Shaky hands in those first thirty minutes soon gave way to steady confidence. By the second tattoo, the nerves were gone, and the process became captivating. Time disappeared, focus sharpened, and the energy of the moment made tattooing feel ethereal and powerful.

What made tattooing different from other art forms was its living nature. The canvas was alive, the collaboration real, and the work carried into the world on someone’s skin forever. It demanded attention to depth, not just line and shape, and the connection with another person’s energy gave it a unique and transformative quality. Sammi fell in love with tattooing. If you have been considering learning more about how to become a professional tattoo artist without the traditional apprenticeship this accelerator tattoo apprenticeship program I offer just might be made for you! With a focus on teaching women tattooing, we hold a safe and sacred space to fully immerse ourselves into this art form of tattooing.

Opportunities Along the Way

Starting with hybrid learning and an in-person intensive, the journey moved quickly into opportunities at studios in Los Angeles and Arizona. Each experience built confidence, and the momentum led to a long summer residency in a professional studio.

Traveling, tattooing, and expanding into different spaces became part of the rhythm. The chance to connect with new people and different styles made the process richer, and each opportunity reinforced that this was more than just a skill, it was a path into a fuller version of self. Sammi is right now in the process of opening her own private tattoo studio in Vancouver, Washington and will be open and ready to take new clients this month, September 2025! This has been a huge year of professional growth and upleveling and I am so proud of her courage and bravery every step of the way! She is embarking on an epic journey of creative entrepreneurship as a professional, premium quality tattoo artist and I’m just so excited to to witness her expansion in the years to come! Feeling inspired yet?! If you are wanting to learn how to become a professional tattoo artist in record time - you know where to find me. I am accepting tattoo apprentices right now so just email me your artwork to [email protected] and you can fill out an application via my website www.JustineAlmaraz.com 

Advice for Aspiring Artists

For anyone considering the path of learning to become a tattoo artist, the encouragement is simple: be self-motivated and willing to put in the work. A different style of apprenticeship requires self-discipline, but it also offers freedom and flexibility. It removes the gatekeeping often found in old-school shop models, making it more accessible for those who need to balance bills and responsibilities while learning.

The most important practice is drawing constantly. Follow tattoo artists, study their work, copy designs at first to learn what resonates, and allow a personal style to develop. Every artist builds from the work of those before them, and inspiration is the fuel that keeps growth alive.

A Journey of Transformation

Tattooing became more than a skill; it was the missing piece that brought everything together. From drawing tattoos as a teenager and dreaming of inked skin, to finally holding the machine and creating permanent art, it felt like coming full circle. It was a way to become more whole, to step into identity, and to finally feel at home in artistry.

Balancing multiple creative outlets hasn’t always been easy, but focusing on tattooing opened up clarity and direction. What started as shaky first lines turned into confidence, flow, and the realization that this craft is here to stay.

Tune into this episode for a creative deep dive into tattooing as a living art form.

👉 Listen now and discover how passion turns into purpose.