Life and Work with Hailee Sattley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailee Sattley.

Hailee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I think my story is pretty straight forward, boring even, but I’ve always been drawn to tattoos and all body art, in general. I even expressed interest in getting tattoos when I was very young and have been pursuing it as a career since I was old enough to work. When I was 18, I started my first apprenticeship at a shop in Yuma, my hometown, that lasted about a week before I was let go because I was planning on moving away from town after a few years. I moved to Flagstaff soon after that which is where I was able to find a mentor to teach me at a shop called Mirror Gallery and I was able to complete my apprenticeship and am now tattooing full time at that shop.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road. There are definitely a lot of challenges to tattooing, especially when you are first starting out. You don’t get paid at all during the apprenticeship and you’ll most likely have to work multiple jobs. It’s a slow learning process and it requires a ton of dedication and hard work but it’s worth it. My advice to young women considering tattooing as a career would be not to tattoo before you’ve started a real apprenticeship and to never let anyone discourage you from doing what you are truly passionate about.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Right now, I would say I’m known for being the only female tattooer in Flagstaff. I love to tattoo anything in an illustrative blackwork style or anything neo-traditional and I’ve really been having a lot of fun with florals lately.

I think what I’m most proud of is seeing each tattoo I do get a little better and seeing the people I tattoo leave happy with a gorgeous new piece of art that flows with their body in the best possible way. Getting to see such a positive reaction to a piece of art I’ve given someone is definitely the most rewarding part of my job.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I would strongly encourage finding a mentor that you truly believe in and who’s artwork you admire. Put together a professional looking portfolio of your best artwork to show them and try to arrange a meeting to discuss taking on an apprenticeship. Lastly, always try to learn from and surround yourself with people who are going to challenge you to be better at what you do.

Pricing:

• shop minimum is $60

Contact Info:

• Address: Mirror Gallery
  107 N San Francisco St. Suite 4
  Flagstaff, AZ 86001
• Website: www.mirrorgalleryflagstaff.com
• Phone: 9284405179
• Email: tattoosbyhailee@gmail.com
• Instagram: tattoosbyhaileemarie

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