Today we’d like to introduce you to Sànta Williams
Hi Sànta, 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?
As a little girl, art was always an important part of my childhood and I always found myself inspired to draw and paint often. Growing up I gained more confidence to start sharing my art online when social media started to become popular. Besides creating art individually, I found myself in working well with others and quickly dove into the beauty service industry which I felt best allowed me to use my creativity in a way that made others feel good.
From nail art to hair styling including custom braid designs and crocheting dread locks, I became comfortable working with clients and learned to offer custom services that helps boost their confidence. The magical moment where my love for art and beauty collided , was when a regular hair client suggested that I should give tattooing a try, which was something that was new to me and sparked interest.
That moment became a turning point in my life where I followed my passion and everything else kind of fell into place. Research and personal practice helped me get my foot into a professional tattoo studio. From there, I quickly fell in love with the craft and learned to use my talent to give my clients something to enjoy for a life time. I then began my journey to building my clientele, growing my skills, and eventually starting my own professional studio.
Fast forward 10 years later, I am very thankful to have had the support from my family, friends, and trusting clients who gave me the opportunity to share my art and perform such a sacred and ancient craft on them. Without my community, my skills and business wouldn’t be where they are today, and for that I am forever grateful.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Owning a business has its ups and downs. I opened my shop at the young age of 22, which was a challenge alone on its own because I didn’t have a mentor to guide me through a lot of the professional aspects of it. I knew I had the service side down pact, but dealing with cities, landlords, legalities and such was definitely all learn as you go things for me. Another thing that I would say is a struggle, is managing teams of strong personalities and learning to guide others while still giving them the freedom to be their own boss. Im sure any business that is based of a subcontractor team can have this challenge every now and then.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a tattoo artist who specializes in cover ups and ornamental style tattooing. I like to make people leave with something they are proud to show off. Unfortunately, not everyone who has a tattoo can say they are proud of it, some people have had really bad experiences and ended up with something they either hate looking at or just plainly regret getting.
That is where I come in, to take what they hate and turn it into something they love. I believe my approach to cover up tattoo projects sets me apart from other tattooers because this is something that is often rejected due to its challenging nature.
Artists don’t usually like to be limited to another’s work. For me, I look at it as an opportunity to use my creativity and I run with it.
Another one of my specialities is Ornamental style tattoos, which consists of lines, patterns, gems, mandalas, flowers and other adorning elements that are meant to flow with the natural anatomy of the body area it’s designed for. These types of designs are found all over ancient and modern cultures . I love the timeless aspect of it.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My family and friends are the ones who supported me following my passion from the beginning. the first Tattoo I did was on my child hood best friend Rody, who is now an amazing singer who also follows her passion and was a great support to me from the very start. After that, the owner of the very first shop \ I ever worked at, saw my potential and gave me the opportunity to grow within his business. His name was Jonathan Betancourt and I will forever be grateful for the time I spent at his studio and all the things I learned which has set me up for success. My husband for supporting and helping start and build my first studio, to this day he plays a huge role in my day to day important aspects of my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ytlstudios.com
- Instagram: @yourtattlady
