"the deeper the mud
the more beautiful the lotus blooms"
To all my lovely clients and friends,
The time has come for my life to change, and after a great deal of thinking about how to go about letting you all know, I decided to keep it brief and put it here on my website.
This year has been a rollercoaster. Some of you know a lot, some of you know very little, but I wanted to give you an overview and explain the future of my tattooing.
My beautiful private studio Revenant Tattoo in Nottingham is closing permanently, and I will be starting as a full time member of the team at Un1ty tattoo in Shrewsbury from the New Year.
After a seemingly unending series of devastating, traumatic events and revelations that affected both my personal and professional life, I have been on a small sabbatical to tend to my mental and physical health.
I hope it goes without saying that I was unaware of and not complicit in any of the disgraceful situations that have come to light. I want to publicly and privately remove myself physically, socially and emotionally from this evil.
So, I have relocated back to my homeland of Shropshire. I have wonderful family and friends here, and I am excited for my new chapter with my tattoo family at Un1ty.
I have been working on a regular guest basis at Un1ty since 2020, and now I look back, it is obvious that the tides of life were taking me there as my tattoo home. This new chapter will involve my being mentored in scar cover up tattooing by the amazing Jo Harisson. If I could go back and tell 18 year old me, just embarking on her tattoo career, that I’d be doing this now, she could not have believed it or hoped for more.
A HUGE thanks to Jo, Matt, Vicky for taking me under their wing and welcoming me to their studio more than once at a time when I really needed it. I feel safe, inspired and loved at Un1ty, and I’m sure many of my lovely clients that have been tattooed there can see why.
I will be returning to Nottingham on a periodical basis to tattoo my clients who are based there and unable to travel.
I want to extend my sincere, joyful gratitude to my clients, friends and neighbours in Nottingham who made my time there amazing. I met some of the best people, built a client base and local network of intelligent, funny, creative humans who brought more joy and insight to my life than I could ever express. I have loved being a part of the community in the Rebel City. I am sad to leave in some ways, but I also need a fresh start in order to rebuild my life. I will be back when I can, and when I’m ready. Please be patient and keep an eye on updates about booking in.
To you, my treasured clients, I politely ask you to give me some help in this matter by not asking about or discussing the situation if possible. I want to start my new position with positive forward energy, and I am too fragile to discuss what has happened repeatedly. I know in my heart, and from all the love and kindness you have shown me over the years, that you care about my wellbeing and would be there for me in a rough time, but let's hold that close, and tackle 2025 with clear headspace and happy conversations.
Please also be patient with me in terms of health and energy levels for the next few months. I am SO excited to see you all and make some beautiful tattoos for you, but we also need to be aware that I’m dealing with PTSD, so I may need more time to rest than usual.
Please give a huge thanks also to my right-hand-human Emmie who is working so hard to keep the show on the road for me and my clients. I'd be lost without their skills, support, and dazzling sense of humour. Please also be patient with them as this rebooking process is underway.
Whilst away from work, I have been drawing a lot, and reflecting on my artistic practice and creative future, and I’m so enthusiastic to see where this year goes. My time already spent at Un1ty has brought me forward in leaps and bounds with my tattooing practice, and I thank my clients and cohorts for being part of this process, past and future. I love my job more than I can express. To create is to live.
I will summarise what clients need to know about booking in, so do follow the instructions listed, and be a part of this exciting next chapter.
Best wishes,
Anna
Client information summary-
-Everyone with existing appts will be contacted in the next week or so.
-Sign up to my mailing list, new or existing client- this is the way to stay updated.
-Primary bookings from Jan ‘25 for appointments at Un1ty
-All clients are encouraged to travel if, possible.
-Those that can’t- I will have a few dates available in Nottingham in 2025, so we will do our best to accommodate you. You will be contacted soon.
Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings" — Ralph Blum