CLAY COUNTY - Here in Clay County, many female tattoo artists dare to stand out. 

Their vibrant styles, colors, skills and personalities make them who they are. 

 Decorating your “temple” is something that all of these women know how to do and have in common. 

But, the road to get there was not easy. Faced with discrimination and bias from an industry that’s supposed to be their calling, they each had to learn how to cope and break through the mold. 

And, frankly, defy all odds to do their job and do it well. 

For artist Mickayla Santiago, tattoos symbolize her artistry. Putting a needle to skin, Santiago said she enjoys being the person who creates and sees what’s important to her clients. 

Drawing and art has always been her passion. She defines herself as a crafty individual. Anything different and out there is what speaks to her the most. Mandala dot work, traditional, black and gray, and custom lettering are all some of her favorite tattoo designs. 

But, her road to getting there was all but linear. Santiago said she has been in the tattoo industry for eleven years. She was initially supposed to go to college but didn’t take that route. 

“I got scared, and I chickened out,” Santiago said. 

Right out of high school, she began her first apprenticeship in what she calls a "respect-run industry." But, she said it was very hard to gain that respect at first. 

“But sometimes you gotta tough it out and bite back a little bit. And, I think women have had to do that a lot coming up in the years,” Santiago said. 

Ever since she was 14, artist Kera Scene said she loves tattoos. 

“I always thought that body modifications and being able to decorate yourself was really cool,” Scene said. 

Known as “teeny tiny,” she has always been the shortest person in all the shops she has visited. But her passion for what she does stands tall. 

She said she didn’t get into the industry until later in life, but it didn’t come without its challenges. As a woman, she found it hard to get shops to hire her. 

“It was really hard to find a shop that wanted to take a female,” Scene said. “Because nobody really wanted to teach a female how to tattoo. I don’t particularly know why.” 

Eventually,, she said, someone gave her the chance to do what she loved, and she's been doing it ever since. Of all the designs she curates, adding a pop of color is her specialty. 

“If you're gonna get tattooed by me, be ready to have like 20 colors out on the stand,” Scene said. “And, be ready to sit because I want to put as much as possible in there.” 

Morgan Stout said that art has always given her a way to express herself and to create a voice for what she is feeling. 

Stout is decorated with many tattoos, one for her childhood pet, some for her grandparents, and some for her children. All of them mean something special to her. 

 And being a tattoo artist, she said she is proud to help provide that for others. 

“I like being able to do that for people,” Stout said. “[To] allow them to carry something with them for the rest of their life.” 

But, although she is flourishing in her career now, early on in her apprenticeship, Stout said she remembered an offensive incident. She said a man who entered the shop was very dismissive of her art portfolio.

“He didn’t even take the time to look through it, and he really was just like, ‘I’m not letting any female touch me with a needle. I’ll get a man to do it,’” Stout said. 

When artist Suzi Clark first entered the tattoo scene around 20 years ago, she said she dealt with situations like this head-on. Starting out in the corporate world, Clark said she was laid off during the recession in the early 2000s. 

After being unable to find a job in her field, she said she began her apprenticeship. She said the industry was very old-school, and only 3% of it at the time were women. 

“It’s hard to fit in. You had to deal with a lot of inappropriateness,” Clark said. “Because you’re already in a tattoo shop where people have those free reigns to be who they are and say what they want.” 

Clark said she has seen the industry make great strides. With a much larger percentage of women joining the field, Clark said she has seen some massive changes. 

“Now, I have dudes that look for girls,” Clark said. “Because they’re like, ‘Well, you’re just probably more light-handed or more sympathetic. So, I actually have now the reverse of what it was when I first started.” 

Faladeen Andrews and Tabitha Chandler are young artists just beginning their tattoo journey. Andrews started a year ago, while Chandler officially began consistently tattooing around four to six months ago.

Chandler is thankful for the ones who came before them, making it easier for her.

“I thankfully just started tattooing to where the industry is overwhelmed by women,” Chandler said. ”Which is amazing.” 

Andrews, an apprentice, said she luckily doesn’t have to experience any significant challenges, but she does remember the owner giving her a warning at the very first shop she visited. 

“He’s like, I can't do the apprenticeship, but a heads up, it is a male-driven industry,” Andrews said. “There are going to be shops out there that will use you as just the shop maid. You're going to not be tattooing, you’re not going to be learning, you're going to be cleaning.” 

But all six of these women are proving to defy those odds, walking their own ink-stained paths. In the future, they all hope to see continued progression in the male-dominated industry.

They said we were getting there slowly but surely. And for any woman who is trying to enter the industry, Scene said she has some touching advice. 

“Be tough and be persistent, “Scene said. “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t. Just keep moving forward and find somebody who tells you you can.”