Conversations with Sierra Susha

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Susha

Hi Sierra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! My name is Sierra 🙂
I am 27 years old & began tattooing four years ago. Growing up immersed in the arts, I’ve known I wanted to be a tattoo artist and a painter since I was a little kid. I started taking it seriously shortly after I graduated college. I had some great mentors and worked in a few amazing studios in the beginning, but very quickly learned I wanted to open my own studio and surround myself with other amazing artists. I opened up my first studio in Scottsdale at the end of 2022 and just recently my boyfriend and I opened up our new tattoo shop, The Afterparty, in Uptown Phoenix. Now we work out of there with our team of amazing artists.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been anything but smooth. I have struggled a lot and am grateful for the challenges I face. Being a women in the male dominated tattoo industry is difficult. I receive a lot of hate but I hope to do what I can to make other women feel comfortable and welcome in this industry.

My biggest struggle though was being diagnosed with breast cancer last year. It was terrifying and very unexpected. On top of dealing with the endless doctor appointments, physically feeling extremely sick, several surgeries, and the mental health struggles that come along with cancer, I also had to run my business. My cancer journey taught me a lot – to put everything I have into what I love and that’s how The Afterparty came to life. I knew I would be more grateful for my life when I recovered but I had no idea it would be this significant. It gave me an intense appreciation for this life and my business and I genuinely wouldn’t change a thing about my story.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist & I specialize in detailed fine line tattoos and oil paintings. I’m most proud of my recent work for both tattoos and paintings, I’ve been challenging myself and growing a lot lately regarding my art and I think my work reflects that. I think what sets me apart is being a female in this industry, as well as my willingness to try new things & constantly pushing myself to be better and take risks.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The tattoo industry has been around for a very long time and it’s definitely not going anywhere. It’s going to continue to expand and grow and I am excited for that. I think a big change is going to be more and more private studios opening up compared to just tattoo shops. A big trend right now is the fine line sticker sleeves, which I think is going to stay around for a while.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://emogirlink.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emogirlink?igsh=eGMzeDR2aHlqNmRn&utm_source=qr