Today we’d like to introduce you to Summer Wilson.
Hi Summer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Time has been something so irrelevant to me since starting my tattooing journey.
However, since I was in high school, I always had an interest in the art industry. Something about the permanence of a tattoo captivated me.
Not to mention the community. I’ve been a black sheep most of my life, never fitting into any social group. I’d never call myself a “misfit” because there was nothing, I was missing about fitting in. I simply have always enjoyed being bold and unapologetic about who I am.
And for me, that was exactly the attitude most tattoo artists carried themselves with.
Most of my career has stemmed from the impact art has had on my life. Art to me is expressive and curious. It’s a feeling. Something that’s been tapped into from life experience.
The experiences I’ve had in my life have been enough to continue to fuel the passion I have for tattooing. Art is the one thing I’ve never given up on or forgotten about, it’s something that’s continuously been there for me as a tool or a friend.
One thing from my childhood that has impacted where I am today, is a quote my mom would recite to me when things weren’t looking up. She’d say to me “you’re going to dot the world someday.” And not having a clue what that meant when I was younger, I pressed on in different jobs and expanding my abilities. A Jack of all traits.
I don’t think irony is the right word for what she’d say to me. It’s something a bit more divine than that. Because every day now, I am dotting the world with tattooing. And seeing how much of an impact my art has on folks from all over, most days gets me pretty emotional. In the best way.
I get to take a feeling and turn it into something forever for someone. Whether it’s a flower that reminds them of their grandmother or a three-headed cat beast. These tattoos become unforgotten emotions that add value to people’s lives. And I live for that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anything in life is meant to be smooth. There have been dirt roads, freshly paved, and pothole-ridden, drives I’ve had to take to get to where I am at today.
You learn as you go and that only helps you prepare yourself for the next step.
If I had to narrow down one thing that has been the biggest struggle getting to where I am, it’d have to be myself.
Mental health has only been something newly tapped into in the world we live in today. And the biggest reason we stay stagnant or lack the desire for determination in achieving any set goals. Trying to learn the techniques to maintaining a healthy attitude towards growth can be difficult. I’m no stranger to failure. But, recognizing that I can either stand in front of myself or use my inner dialogue to encourage forward motion is a never-ending relationship. Which always has room for improvement.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a tattoo artist, I work in the industry of body modifications. And I love the term. I take pride in giving people upgrades to their life’s experience. I’d have to say I specialize in giving people a comfortable, safe, personalized experience. Tattooing is a really intimate art form and people are looking at you the artist for trust and confidentiality. It’s our responsibility as artists to treat our clients with a degree of respect they give us! Tattooing can be a very emotional experience for some folks and my job as their artist is to assure them the safety to express those emotions and give them some kick-ass art in the process! I don’t think I’ve narrowed a specific style that sets me apart from other artists. For me, it’s most important that my people are satisfied with their art and experience when leaving, and hope they continue to work with me in the future.
How do you define success?
I define success as an attitude towards what you want for yourself out of life. Success is something like a goal, you practice different routines, jobs, attitudes until you’ve tailored the traits that make you the individual, on the right path for achieving your wants and desires. I love the idea that success is defined by the succeeder. And I don’t think that there is at all any type of scale to define what is successful. Even small achievements should be recognized as success. There should also never be a crowd or role model looked at for recognition. Success is something we reward to ourselves for the work that not one saw us doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sirensrose.com/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/summer.inked/
