Addie (they/them) is a co-founder and tattoo artist at For Keeps Tattoos in Brooklyn, NY. They travel often between Chicago, New York, and Austin.

When I moved to Austin, TX as a makeup artist my main goal was to become a permanent MUA. Thankfully soon after I moved I landed a job at a brand new shop as an apprentice to learn permanent cosmetics. As I was the only MUA in a shop full of artists it inspired me to start drawing. I was horrible but the people I had met kept encouraging me to keep drawing. After a year of self taught drawing and tattooing (my friends and the college girls at UT are real ones for trusting me) I decided to take a different path into tattooing. 

After moving shops i was really given the space to flourish and build relationships with clients that i wouldnt trade for the world. It helped me realize that my favorite part of tattooing is creating and holding spaces for clients that make them feel comfortable in the chair. To make getting tattooed less scary and to make people feel heard. 

Though most of my clients are repeats and I love the work I make i realized that my art still needed some cleaning up so then i moved to nyc to learn from other people and immerse myself into a wider variety of art that goes beyond what i would see every day. 

After 5 years i am finally starting to feel confident in my art and my skills. I moved to chicago to slow down and focus more on my art with the skills i learned and tools i was given in NYC. 

Being an artist (especially a newer one) is constant evolving and im happy to be in a city that gives me the space to do that but to also mix my other passion which is community. Through tattooing i have been able to meet and help people in ways that i never thought i could. Not only was it great to meet like-minded people but also people who helped me expand the way i think that helped me see other points of views that helped me become a not only better artist but friend. 

Outside of tattooing I love to ride my bike, go to the gym, and think about drawing flash. My recent passion has been cooking,learning, and wondering if im ready to get a pet (im not) or a plant (im not). One thing about me is im gonna be outside!