Meet Amanda Mayville

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Mayville.

Hi Amanda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My story starts in Grand Rapids a long, long, long time ago. I grew up very modest, religious, and Southern. Vegetable gardens, cornbread with buttermilk, and Hymns were my normal.

We worked for what we had, repaired what was broken, and very seldom went out to eat or to the mall. I would consider myself to have been very naive and sheltered; I didn’t know you could own alcohol in your home til I was in my teen years, as we didn’t have a drop in the house.

The church I went to didn’t have a piano, organ, guitar… nothing. We weren’t allowed to say words like “Shut up” or “Dang it”. My father was from Mexico, and we weren’t allowed to say that either. While I went to public schools, I didn’t really get to be friends with too many other kids cause I was always just a little not “enough.” Not cool enough to be cool, not nerdy enough to be a nerd.

Once I graduated and started my journey in “The real world”, to say it was a culture shock, would be an understatement. I didn’t know there was such thing as a water bill, what consumer’s energy was, or that people could cohabitate with other races and sexualities. It was when I was in cosmetology school at 23 that I got to be friends with more than only Caucasian/CIS people. It wasn’t until my Grandmother passed away in 2020 that I was finally allowed to be Latina.

I started tattooing in 2011 and met so many different personalities, sexualities, races, histories, and stories that I finally felt I belonged. I finally found my voice and my people. I learned I could be me, and that was good enough. I always felt the need to do something that made a difference, but I wasn’t sure how.

I volunteered for various animal rescues in the past and always donated when I could, but it just didn’t seem like it was making enough of an impact. In September of 2021, The Next Chapter Pet Rescue was born. A project that started as just two friends who loved animals and has since helped close to 200 gently used local cats get vet care and find forever homes.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to becoming whatever I am today has been a learning curve that has shown me I may be small, but I am stronger than I think. Cosmetology school taught me I don’t like working for a corporation that puts money before creativity.

Becoming a tattoo artist taught me that you can do your very best and people will still judge you, they will talk about you, and if you don’t give them the story they want, they will write their own. Tattooing used to be a male-dominated industry, but it has changed so much in the last decade that I am no longer one of the few female artists. I am one of many, and it’s honestly amazing. I had to do better, try harder, and prove I was as good as the boys when I started.

Now, Women are paving the way and doing it while being moms, wives, and ultimately, breadwinners. Tattooing gave me the confidence to push myself past my own idea of what my limitations were. I have now become an Ordained Minister, Reiki Master, Tattoo shop owner, Nutritional Fitness Consultant, Notary, Founder of an animal rescue, and Mentor to a couple of amazing women tattoo artists.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been tattooing for over a decade, and I specialize in cover-up tattoos. I do a little of everything from realism, floral, cartoon, black and grey… I love to do just about every style. I enjoy coverups for the challenge and the difference they make for the client.

So many people feel like they are stuck with a tattoo they hate or that has bad memories associated with it and think their only option is removal. I have covered tattoos that other artists said couldn’t be covered. It just takes some creativity, flexibility, and patience. When it comes to cat rescue, what makes us different is that we stay small. It’s just two of us. We don’t have a lot of volunteers, resources, or fosters.

We hand-raise each kitty that comes through our doors as our very own and provide ongoing support to our adopters until we close our doors. We aren’t in it for the recognition, acknowledgment, or attention. It fills a cup we never knew how to fill before. We may not be changing the world, but we changed it for a couple of cats, and that is what matters to us.

So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
Honestly, regarding tattooing, the best way to be supportive is to research your artist and find a reputable one. Go in and talk to them, see if you like their energy and the tattoo shop vibe. Supporting people who buy tattoo kits off the internet and tattoo out of their house is doing a disservice to what YOU deserve.

People really do not understand the dangers of uneducated people doing tattoos. To support the Next Chapter Cat rescue, spay and neuter your pets, BE the help you seek, and believe in your ability to make a difference to even just one animal.

The idea that you can’t help because you don’t know how or don’t have room is just silly. There are tons of amazing resources and good people who will help you.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/nextchapterpetrescue