Today we’d like to introduce you to Latesha Burnley.
Hi Latesha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I apprenticed in a street shop in Pennsylvania when I was 20. I moved to Denver immediately after and life happened and I took a long break from tattooing.
I moved to Arlington TX in 2018 with my infant daughter to be closer to my family and decided I was going to give it my all and make my dream a reality. I got into a small street shop across the street from my house and got to work drawing, promoting, and networking.
I have worked in a few shops throughout the DFW I’ve always made it my focus to advance and put myself in learning environments. Lots of long days tattooing followed by long nights drawing, studying, learning, and everything that goes along with this beautiful career.
7 years later I’m proud to say I live in Dallas and work at Third Eye Tattoo Gallery in the Design District alongside some extremely kind and talented artists.
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?
There are a lot of obstacles that come with tattooing. It has helped me to grow as a human being in some ways. There is a lot of patience with yourself and others required and every shop I’ve worked in and every artist I’ve worked with has taught me something.
To grow as an artist you really have to challenge yourself, constantly stepping out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out there. Social media is its own beast, always something new to keep up with or learn in that area! Which can be both fun and daunting, depends on how you approach it.
I think the biggest thing is reminding myself to appreciate and enjoy exactly where I’m at and remember that I used to dream of making it this far. It’s very easy to get caught up thinking about where I want to be and comparing myself to where I think I should be and I think that’s a common struggle for most artists. Just remember to “keep the main thing the main thing”, stay focused and keep making forward progress.
When it really comes down to it I consider myself very lucky to call this my job and be challenged by something that means so much to me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a tattoo artist in my seventh year. I specialize in bold, colorful, stylized designs that I would say are very distinctly my own and fall in the Neotraditional category. I am known for gems and glitter tattoos, as well as weapons, insects, and anything that’s cute and a little spooky. I love tattooing lady faces and anything pop culture as well.
Added bonus if you spend some time in my chair you can expect me to show you some of the finest cinema, most likely a horror movie or two.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
As far as risktaking goes, I think fully committing to anything is always a little risky. Stepping into the unknown and trusting yourself, what you do and what you have to offer, and turning it into something sustainable can be a little nerve wracking.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @elle_tattooer
Image Credits
The photo of me was taken by Shellie Vega.
Tattoo photos taken by me.
