Meet 20-year-old Skyler Coons of Bristol, Pennsylvania. She is a tattoo artist at Den of Sinz.
And she is amazing.
I had the chance to sit down and talk with her, as she told me the story of how she went from a girl with a dream to an artist with a chair.
Skyler doing what she loves.Skyler Coons
Skyler was very young when her passion for drawing took over. She had sketch book after sketch book filled to the brim with her creativity.
When the opportunity arose for her to go to Bucks County Technical High School in the ninth grade, she thought it would be really fun to go into cosmetology. She had always loved doing makeup and hair, and it was another outlet for her creativity to flow.
She quickly realized, however, that this art form wasn't for her. She lost interest during her first year at the tech school.
Skyler said her mother and stepfather are covered in tattoos. She was introduced to her mother's tattoo artist, Dopey, around the age of 15. Dopey had also been Skyler's mom's childhood best friend, so when she spoke to him about the passion igniting in her heart, he was more than welcoming to her. He took her under his wing as her mentor.
Because Skyler was still too young to do any serious tattooing, she mainly hung around the shop and drew. She practically lived there, watching and drawing and watching and drawing.
Finally, when she was 16, she got her first tattoo (with parental consent, of course), and that allowed her to start her apprenticeship at the shop.
Being an apprentice was a full-time job, Skyler explained. They wanted her at the shop all the time, which made it impossible for her to work anywhere else — meaning no income (apprenticeships aren't paid). Being a sixteen-year-old girl with no money and even less time on her hands was rough.
But she pushed through it. That's what you do when you want something bad enough.
After about a year, the owners lost their shop, which meant Skyler lost her apprenticeship.
In the free time she was now burdened with, Skye picked up a job at the local Plato's Closet. She realized retail was not for her, and that only lasted a few months. A fiery soul like hers couldn't be satisfied within the confines of clothing racks.
Luckily for her, it was right around this time that her mentor found a new shop, American Saints.
This was a rough transition from what Skyler had been used to. She had to become re-acclimated to the responsibilities of her apprenticeship, while also dealing with this new home and all of its quirks.
Meanwhile, back at her actual home, things were far from coming together. She and her parents got into a fight that ended with suitcases packed, doors slammed and Skyler setting out to find her own way.
She found a new home with her aunt... in her attic! With three days before high school graduation, no place to call her own and still no steady income, Skyler's hopes for the future seemed to dim a little.
As luck would have it, her boyfriend was kicked out around the same time. Her aunt opened her home to him as well, but they had to find a way to provide her rent.
Skyler left her apprenticeship and became a certified makeup artist at Sephora.
She was at Sephora for about a year, and although she liked the job, she again realized that, although it provided her with an income, it still wasn't what fueled her.
She talked to her boyfriend, and he supported her through and through. She went back to her mentor and begged for her apprenticeship back — literally! He was mad at her for leaving and almost didn't take her back. But eventually, she was back in the game. Apprenticeship, take three.
After she completed her year of apprenticing, they opened a new shop called Den of Sinz on Cedar and Mill Street in Bristol Borough.
At first, she was only allowed to tattoo twice a week, and she couldn't charge more than $100 per tattoo. But she didn't have to make any cuts. All of her earnings were hers.
Skyler's first tattoo that she did on her own leg.Jasmine Conti
While Skyler was still brand new to tattooing, her mentor quit out of nowhere and left her to her own devices.
So, instead of getting the additional help most artists get their first year, she had to self-learn or get help from the other artists at the shop.
After all of these obstacles were thrown her way, she still succeeded. She is now at Den of Sinz full-time and has an amazing clientele. She is constantly building up her portfolio and learning new tips and tricks and artful tactics, but she has made it.
She has left her mark on the world (and many, many bodies).
A gorgeous piece Skyler has done.Skyler Coons
The challenges don't stop just because she is now accomplished.
She still struggles with embracing each new client and their likes and dislikes — how their personalities may clash or what opinions they have of her work. But she never lets that stop her, and thank God she hasn't.
Another one of Skyler's original pieces!Skyler Coons
If Skyler Coons had let her obstacles hold her back, there would be so much empty skin in this world just craving her magic touch.
Skyler's favorite piece of all time!Skyler Coons
