Life & Work with Garden of Ink Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Garden of Ink Studio.  

Hello Garden of Ink Studio, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Maygen: Since I was ten years old, I have always wanted to tattoo. I was always drawn to the art form and the lifestyle. I started tattooing my friends with stick-and-pokes when I was 14. I grew up in a small town in Maine, so working at an actual tattoo shop there wasn’t really an option (because there weren’t any!) so I went to nursing school. I move to North Carolina in 2016 and continued my schooling. I was unhappy, so despite being only a year away from getting my RN, I decided that nursing wasn’t for me and sought to begin my dream tattooing career. I started in my kitchen with a machine that I bought from Amazon still tattooing just friends, but soon I was offered an apprenticeship in a shop to grow my abilities and clientele. In April 2023, Nikki, Vanessa, and I opened Garden of Ink Studio for a comfortable, safe, and clean work environment for both us and the clients. 

Nikki: I have always been artistic, and began doing freelance digital illustration in high school… but the ultimate goal was to become a tattoo artist so that I could create permanent art. Right after graduation, I began to seek an apprenticeship, which is the traditional start to a career in tattooing. I was young and very naive concerning the industry, however, I had no tattoos of my own, and my portfolio was comprised of mostly digital art. I was told that I had potential but to return with more real media artwork in my portfolio, advice I gratefully accepted, but shortly afterward I ended up segueing into a financial career to help support my family. It was never anything I wanted to do and proved to be depressing and unfulfilling from beginning to end, but it was stable, and I was thankful for that much. For most of my life, if things were okay, I didn’t bother to question them. 

Fast forward to 2021. I moved from Florida to Greensboro, North Carolina with my husband, continuing my financial career when the mortgage company I got my home loan from hired me. Shortly afterwards, my parents moved to Greensboro as well so that we could continue to be close. A month before she got to me, my mom—my best friend and my rock—was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Her battle was short and violent, during which I became her caretaker. Near the end, I told her I would not be able to go on without her, but she tried to console and encourage me, telling me to do something fulfilling with my art. One month after she passed away the company I worked for laid off everyone they’d hired during COVID, which included me. It was the first time I’d experienced a layoff, and I felt blindsided on top of unfathomable grief over my mom’s death. It was the beginning of a period of devastation, but it proved to be a catalyst for many huge life changes. After three days of staying in bed, I suddenly remembered my mom’s words, dusted off my portfolio, and made my mind up to finally become a Tattoo Artist no matter what it took. 

Vanessa: I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona for most of my life and moved here to North Carolina in 2015. I have always loved art! I have spent much time painting and drawing growing up. At the time never imagined to become a tattoo artist. I actually wanted to become a veterinarian, being that I loved having many animals, including horses, dogs, goats, and cats. After moving to North Carolina, I went to school to be a photographer, doing many photoshoots. I learned quickly that it wasn’t for me either. I was offered an apprenticeship opportunity at a shop, and I took off with it! I was able to learn so much in that time and build a relationship with many clients. In April 2023, Maygen, Nikki, and I had the great opportunity to open our very own shop in a comfortable, clean, happy environment. I couldn’t be more grateful to be here with these lovely women. 

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?
Maygen: It’s challenging to learn to tattoo. You have to put in so much time and effort and make many sacrifices in your personal life. Working around toxic men and drama makes it difficult to grow, so it’s important to be around people that support your growth and success, like the group we have now at our shop. 

Nikki: Unfortunately, not. Apprenticeships by design are meant to be tough, to test your mettle, artistic chops, and dedication to a career that can be very taxing. My own apprenticeship was unconventional and terrible in different ways, marred by problems that permeate the industry but have been normalized. My first shop was part of a chain, and my mentor had not one but nine apprentices on his tutelage—I later found out he was being paid a fee weekly per apprentice. I was the second, and they kept coming until it felt like being one in a stadium of spectators for each tattoo. Obviously, it was difficult to learn an artistic trade in that situation. His heart had also seemed to have gone out of tattooing… he taught very limited techniques, never pushing himself nor utilizing many of the tools we have at our disposal. It showed in his work, and in the end, I made up my mind to teach myself. Myself and the apprentice that had arrived first tattooed each other and were learning together, but that person would end up becoming the greatest obstacle I would encounter in my life to date both personally and professionally, as she was a narcissist that abused me physically, emotionally, and financially for the year we were together. I also encountered owners who used their position to pull and abuse young women, an artist who intentionally sabotaged their peers by damaging their machines, and even an artist who hid graphic imagery in tattoos of clients he didn’t like. In addition to those professional experiences, my marriage ended, and my dad passed away only one year after my mom. Together it all made me question whether I even liked tattooing. I kept hammering away, though, determined to salvage some scrap from my previous life. I can say now that I am so glad that I did. I ended up meeting fellow artists who were kind and passionate, who cared for their clients and for their coworkers and wanted to make the industry a positive and safe place for everyone. Two of them were Maygen and Vanessa. We all began to grow artistically at an exponential rate after meeting one another, I found myself genuinely happy again, and now we’ve opened our beautiful shop. My apprenticeship taught me everything about what I don’t want to do as both a human and an artist, and that valuable experience will inform the decisions I make as a co-owner. I am truly excited for the opportunity we have to effect change in the tattoo industry. 

Vanessa: I have poured my heart into learning to tattoo. It take a lot of work from building a good relationship and trust with your clientele. I sacrifice much time from home and away from my children in order to succeed in this industry. Most days are long and exhausting. Even when we are at home, we are working on special designs to ensure we can give our clients exactly what they imagine. I am thankful to be where I am now—we can all rely on each other for support and learn from one another. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Nikki: The thing I love about tattooing, above all, is the collaborative effort with my clients to produce something that means a lot to them. Tattoos are a way to carry moments, people, memories with us… whether it be in happiness or in healing, I love being able to assist them with creating a permanent reminder. I am very grateful always for the trust they have in me. I think this connection has been lost for many artists who view tattooing as a way to make good money, so it is something I’m proud of. I also specifically love the joy that comes from tattooing anime pieces on fellow anime fans, something I hope to do often in the future. It’s so much fun! And my strength has always been in anime- and cartoon-style illustration, so it’s also what comes naturally to me. 

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We love our location and everyone who has visited us in Winston-Salem so far. Because the art scene here is so strong, we feel like we have so much room to grow here with the community, and we’re excited for the chance to do so. 

Pricing:

• Our artists’ hourly rate is $120
• We offer full-day appointments (8 hours of tattooing) for $700
• Shop minimum for small designs is $50
• Most piercings start at $40 for one hole, $70 for two
• Cash, card, Venmo, cash app, and Afterpay are all accepted

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/garden_of_inkk
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardenofinkk
• Other: Nikki’s Instagram: @radbobafett | Maygen’s Instagram: @mayhem_inkk | Vanessa’s Instagram: @esco_inkk

Image Credits
Nikki Merenda