Ainslie Walks People Through a Magic Door

IN MY THIRD YEAR of my undergrad in Studio Art, I got my first tattoos from self-taught, queer-identifying artists in DIY studio spaces I found on Instagram. Approaching the end of my degree without an idea of what to do with it, I was immediately curious as to how these artists broke into the industry in a seemingly non-traditional way. Each person's background was not all that different from my own; it was apparent that there was an art school-to-diy-tattoo pipeline. Each person was generous in sharing their journey and good-to-know info when I mentioned an interest in learning during our session. I was walked through sanitation, setup and technique by the community. Eventually as I got better and shared more, I started getting clients. I truly never expected tattooing to pan out into a full blown career, but here I am four years later doing it full time.

Getting tattoos helped me reclaim my body and changed my relationship to it in a way that felt grounding and gender affirming.

I didn’t find language to describe or vocalise my queer identity until around this time in my early twenties when I left my hometown for school. My world opened up; I met more queer people and learned about different gender identities. Upon researching the term non-binary, something immediately clicked in my brain - “that’s exactly how I feel!” I had always struggled with body image issues around weight and size, specifically pertaining to my chest. That part of me never really felt like mine. I struggled to feel present in my “female” body, and I had grown to resent it. I learned what gender dysphoria was and the ways body image issues and gender identity are enmeshed. I found that getting tattoos was a godsend in managing these issues. It was really empowering to have agency and autonomy over my own body in my own hyper specific way. When you get a tattoo, you’re taking control over how you look and how you perceive yourself. Getting tattoos helped me reclaim my body and changed my relationship to it in a way that felt grounding and gender affirming.

I’m interested in how tattoos can affirm (or even signal) queer identity without specific words or symbols.

Online and IRL, I’ve been open about my queer identity, struggles with body image, dysphoria and my gender affirming chest surgery back in 2021. This has connected me to so many queer clients, especially other non-binary and trans folks. While I absolutely love tattooing and making art, connecting with others in my community and encouraging a space for them to talk is the favourite part of my job. If I can help other people have a positive, affirming experience like I had when I first began to get tattoos myself, that means the world to me. My ultimate goal is to facilitate a means for people to love themselves more.

Some people get tattooed for self-care. For others, a tattoo commemorates a specific time, person, or experience in their life. I’m interested in how tattoos can affirm (or even signal) queer identity without specific words or symbols. To me, any reason someone seeks out a tattoo is valid and I love learning the “why” behind the piece. I always make sure to remind myself that what a day on the job for me is often a really big day for the person getting tattooed.

When I first began working as a tattoo artist, there was a steep learning curve. Artistically, my early designs were a bit too crowded with detail for their scale. I had to learn that as a tattoo ages, the ink spreads so I adjusted accordingly. It also took me a while to understand what kinds of imagery people liked to get tattooed. The biggest lesson was that tattooing is as much about bedside manner as it is about art skills. I believe that each session needs careful curation to make the client as comfortable as possible. I like to highlight my clients' right to access information and consent throughout the process – giving them a chance to pause, take stock of how they’re feeling, and ask questions. It’s not enough to be a great artist or to have great technical expertise. You also have to constantly develop your people skills to grow and thrive as an artist.

The (door) symbolism resonated with us as tattoos can help others move through transitions in their lives, as they shift, evolve, and transform. When one door closes, another one opens.

And of course I quickly learned that along with being a tattooer, you’re also a small business owner, illustrator, designer, accountant, admin assistant, content creator, and sometimes therapist. Juggling all of these roles can be hard to balance, but making something I’m proud of while perhaps helping someone through a significant period in their life makes it all worth it.

A lot of my design motifs are rooted in lightness and magic. I love to draw these ethereal and gender neutral figures, with signature flowy clothing and hair in all kinds of situations. Whether they traverse mysterious portals and starscapes, or are simply sharing  a bottle of wine. I love emphasising human figures in my work and incorporating movement—people dancing, singing, embracing—because I find the vulnerability and sense of connection comforting and relatable.

Some of my favourite tattoos I’ve made are custom, a collaboration between the client's vision and my own art style. I love these projects not just for the challenge of artistic freedom within certain boundaries, but the stories and conversations that emerge from the process. I also find it so interesting when a client picks out a flash design because they found their own meaning to something I drew independently, the same way people identify with song lyrics. 

Earlier in 2023, a couple of friends and I opened our own studio called Magic Door. It’s a cosy, bright basement area of a larger shared open loft space. For everyone's privacy we agreed it would be best to separate our space from the artist upstairs. Right around that time, my studiomate Maya (@robotgirltattoos) found a beautiful door with gorgeous floral carvings and stained glass left on the side of the road. I thought “Hmm, a door we needed that matched all of our aesthetics appearing at the exact right time, as if by magic.” It was the perfect name for our studio. The (door) symbolism resonated with us as tattoos can help others move through transitions in their lives, as they shift, evolve, and transform. When one door closes, another one opens.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and four years later I still find myself jogging.

My advice for aspiring tattoo artists (aside from being serious about sanitation and safety) is to be patient and kind to yourself as you go in your learning. Do not expect perfection out of the gate, and understand that your art and technical skills will build slowly, with each tattoo. As the saying goes, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and four years later I still find myself jogging. I also encourage new tattooers to take the time to engage with their clients and get curious about their stories when they are open to sharing. The interpersonal aspects of tattooing are a joy to me—amazing conversations I have every day, the friendships I’ve made, and the community I’ve found myself a part of are what make my job most special to me. I’m humbled that people are happy to have my silly little drawings on their bodies forever. I feel so privileged and grateful that I have found my way as a working artist, but the magic I didn’t anticipate was discovering my ability to connect with others once I took good care to connect to myself.

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Artist Stories spotlights tattoo artists of all styles and backgrounds and shares their unique journey with the community.