Meet Caroline Wright of Sound Sanctuary Tattoos Private Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Wright.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up, I had a deep appreciation for art. I’ve been creating various forms of art since I was little. Heading into my teen years, I loved shows like LA Ink and Miami Ink and thought it would be a really exciting career. In high school, I learned how to do henna (temporary tattoos) from friends from India, Pakistan, and Palestine. I went on to do henna for bridal showers and large corporate events, creating custom paintings in my free time.

Once I became a mom, it seemed that I’d never have time to pursue tattooing, so I put the dream on the back burner for quite some time. My best friend ended up renting a room to a tattoo artist from the LA area and I jokingly asked for him to teach me. To my surprise, he took me under his wing and taught me the basics.

From there, I accepted tattooing opportunities at a small shop in Tucson and then a full-time spot at a now-closed tattoo studio in East Mesa. I found it even more rewarding than I thought it would be, so I began to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the goal of opening my own shop. It’s been a wild ride, but it’s been so incredible to receive so much love and support, especially considering that all our marketing has been through social media and word-of-mouth!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Honestly, I’ve come to terms with the fact that most things that are worth having come with struggles. The pandemic brought some weird challenges but didn’t stop the momentum. I kept grinding and saving as much as I could toward a shopfront.

Once we found a location, we spent a couple of months fixing it up, as it had sat unused for more than five years. Let me tell you, I learned a whole lot about “home improvement” during this time. It felt like those months were YEARS long. There was constantly something to do, and I was still trying to make ends meet financially during that time.

Since, there have been random issues like plumbing, which is never fun to deal with. We’ve dealt with a couple of slower months due to the economy. We’ve dealt with losses in our families. But through it all, we kept pushing and I really don’t think I’d have made it through without the amazing support system around me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in… well, a little bit of everything, to be honest. I’ve always been the type of artist that customized my work to fit my clients’ needs, and tattooing has been no different. My favorite styles to do are mandala, abstract, watercolor, and illustrative. A lot of my clients come to me specifically for clean linework, which is definitely something I pride myself in.

I think what sets me apart from others, more than art styles that I’m capable of capturing, is that I genuinely care about making real connections with the people I tattoo. I want each of my clients to walk away with the mindset of “This is even better than I’d imagined!” or “This is exactly what I pictured in my head”.

I love hearing clients have this reaction because it affirms that I’ve given their requests the attention they deserve. As someone who has gotten tattoos that weren’t even remotely what I had asked for, listening to clients is HUGELY important. I want each client to feel like they’re respected and heard throughout the entire process, and unfortunately, that’s not something you get from every shop you step foot in.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m a pretty open book, but many people don’t know the reason that I love doing memorial tattoos as much as I do. I’ve always been an empathetic person who picks up on others’ emotions, but I value memorial pieces deeply because of the intense losses I’ve faced in life.

At 21, I lost my first son to an unknown genetic disease at five days old. The doctors had no answers. He was patient zero and there had been no signs of issues until they called for an emergency C-section. I had support, of course, but it didn’t necessarily make it easier. It led to so many other challenges in life, questioning everything, and years of actively trying to heal from the loss.

In 2021, we lost my dad super unexpectedly to Covid complications. This was during the time that I was starting to actively plan the shop opening AND my wedding. I was crushed for so many reasons. I wouldn’t get to have him walk me down the aisle. He couldn’t help with fixing up our space for opening day. He wasn’t going to be able to give me any more big bear hugs when I felt overwhelmed. It still stings to dwell on it.

Everyone has to deal with some sort of loss in life, and it’s not always easy to trust someone to create something to memorialize someone you’ve loved and lost. Because of this, I’m ALWAYS honored when I’m considered as the artist for someone’s memorial piece. I get to be a little part of their healing process, and I think that in a way, it helps my continued healing as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: soundsanctuarytattoos.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sound_sanctuary_tattoos

Image Credits
Heather Wynne Photography