Meet Celli Villarreal | Tattoo Artist & Yoga Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Celli Villarreal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Celli, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My perception on work life balance has changed dramatically, especially since finding clarity with an official ADHD diagnosis as of late last year. Taking time to understand what that means for the way my mind works and learning to work with ADHD rather than allowing it to work against me. I fully embrace being a multi-disciplined artist and give myself permission to study multiple interests. When I was in the thick of my apprenticeship, my mentor often remarked that I should dedicate very little time to anything outside of tattooing; to keep my free time to a bare minimum. I was pushed to the brink of burnout on another level, I felt miserably disconnected to the art I was creating, and I began to question if I was even on the right path as a tattoo artist.

I now work in a private studio setting, a place where I have full autonomy over my schedule, and I can truly work at my own pace. Working in this environment has provided me the space and time to adjust my time management in a way that fulfills my mind and my soul. I recognize that I actually create my best work when I give myself breaks and explore other interests outside of tattooing; I embrace many hobbies. For example, I enjoy learning new cirque aerial skills, applying dedicated time to my yoga practice, teaching more community yoga classes, learning new mixing skills in music, hiking new trails, and learning how to draw new subjects for my own pure joy. It’s allowed me to dedicate more intentional time towards content creation and building my website into something that I feel proud of. Additionally, I work with Fresh Start once a month, a non-profit in downtown Phoenix with an inclusive mission teaching women of all backgrounds how to embody self-sufficiency.

This is the beauty of being neurodivergent and embracing ADHD. I welcome this chapter of exploring many interests. The key for me has been to prioritize time management, regularly checking in to reevaluate and reflect on how I can adjust time management, and learning these new skills with strategy. More importantly, I honor that amidst learning so much, I equally must also prioritize integrating proper rest and recovery. That varies from week to week whether it be more dedicated time towards a yin yoga practice, receiving a massage, practicing breath work, or integrating herbalism into my nighttime routine promoting deep states of relaxation. Balance looks different from week to week due to working with my hormonal cycles in a way that maximizes my time spent. For example, during luteal and menstrual, I carve out more time to slow down. Needless to say, creating a healthy work life balance looks different for every business owner and requires deep self-inquiry; what do I need in order to feel fulfilled yet balanced?

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work in 2 different fields of art, one as a tattoo artist, and the other in the healing arts as a yoga teacher.
I have a background as a licensed esthetician as well, I will forever maintain my license. I believe having that credibility of skin physiology knowledge has significantly helped my path as a tattoo artist given that my canvas is skin! I feel confident in educating my clients how to prepare their skin and how to ensure the best healed results. What lights me up as a tattoo artist are the endless subjects I can learn to study and draw. I specifically am in a chapter of studying human anatomy, various florals, and combining that with other fine arts mediums such as acrylic, watercolor, and charcoal. I am excited to set intentions of taking intensive courses at local art schools. Eventually, I would love to shift my art into a style that combines a blend of many styles with a focus in surrealism.

As a yoga teacher, I am always learning with each class how I can cue more clearly or how I can adjust a student’s alignment better. I have been much more creative in the styles of classes I offer in my community yoga classes each month varying from a traditional vinyasa flow, slow flow, combination class, or even yin. This allows students to explore a variety of different paced yoga flows and feel the benefits from each. I have co-hosted a few events that combined yoga with sound baths. I am excited to work closer with other healing arts creatives hosting more events like these that also combine working with local non-profits creating “yoga for a cause” events. I am also excited to continue building an online yoga community through my YouTube channel @TattedYogi.

It most certainly has not been the easiest route to get where am today professionally. It’s interesting and sometimes a bit isolating when you choose to walk a path of relentlessly pursuing your dreams. It’s challenging to have to let go of relationships you’ve outgrown to create space for new relationships that support your growth. Moreover, when you rely on your creativity and art as a means of supporting you financially and as your primary tool of navigating the world, your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing significantly dictate your capacity to create. Choosing to walk the path of being a small business owner is challenging but it also invites you to literally create a life of freedom; freedom looks different to everyone. There have been many bumps along this journey, it is forever a learning curve to constantly reassess how I can make space for creativity amidst running a business more efficiently.

My brand name is CELLiDUBZ, with a mission of inclusivity, mindfulness, and creativity. It’s an umbrella that captures who I am as a creative and the intersectionality of all the disciplines I study. I think one of the most important lessons I have learned so far is that I am first and foremost an artist of body movement, and I must honor that daily in order to pour into my creativity as a tattoo artist and business owner. I hope that as my brand grows, I can be a source of inspiration to people of all ethnicities and backgrounds but especially those within the LGBTQ+ and minority communities. I hope to inspire that we can embrace ALL the beautiful parts of ourselves, we never have to be just one role simply because that is what society presses us to do. I hope to encourage others that we can always create a life of freedom for ourselves, in whatever ways freedom looks like to us. Each day we have an active choice in the reality we live in; what reality do you choose?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I honestly feel I am still very early on in my journey, discovering places to visit especially when it comes to restaurants, coffee shops, and other local boutiques. My first few years of living in Arizona was dedicated to working long hours in a walk-in based tattoo shop so I didn’t have a ton of time to go out much. However, I do have a few spots I like and have spent a decent amount of time exploring many hiking trails. If one of my best friends was visiting me for a week, I would take us to Phoenix Mountains preserves. We would likely spend a day there exploring the various trails. Another day, I would take us to Camelback for Echo Canyon Trail, so long as she’s down for a challenge.

I do love a beautiful high tea moment so we would definitely have a gal pal tea date at The Four Seasons in North Scottsdale, they offer a beautiful full English high tea experience with stunning views overlooking the mountains. I would make sure we grab some breakfast or brunch at Butter’s Pancakes that’s one of my go to favorite breakfast spots. We would grab dinner at some point for sure at Thea, Global Ambassador’s rooftop mediterranean restaurant.

If we have time, we would likely also make a trip up to Sedona and hike Cathedral rock plus a few other trails nearby. If we’re already there, we’ll also make a drive from Sedona to Flagstaff to have some cozy mountain time there as well before making our way back down to the valley. Anytime I have friends who come to visit we definitely try to maximize as much of the time we can, since most of my friends live across the country.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am blessed to have an incredibly supportive family, so a major shoutout to my parents and sister for always being very encouraging in my pursuits. Completing my yoga teacher training last year in Bali at Yoga Union has also played a massive role in changing the way I carry myself and how I view life. I learned from so many incredible teachers; I am deeply grateful for the experience I had with their training. Learning what it means to embody the role of a yoga teacher from the eastern yogic lens has invited me to pause more before reacting, to love in a healthier manner, and be much more mindful of decisions that stem from ego. I’d also love to give a shout out to a few different podcasts I enjoy listening to; Tara Brach Podcast, The Owaken Podcast, and Her First 100k Financial Feminist. These each have been deeply encouraging shows to listen to while navigating my journey as a small business owner and personal growth.

As far as books, there are a few that have really stuck with me: How to Change Your Mind, written by Michael Pollan, The Creative Act written by Rick Rubin, Initiation written by Elisabeth Hatch, Ed Hardy Deeper than Skin written by Karin Breuer, Ed Hardy, Joel Selvin, Sherry Fowler and Dale Slusser, the Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho, and The Body Keeps the Score written by Bessel van der Kolk.

Website: https://www.cellidubz.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cellidubzink

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celli-villarreal-733373155

Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/nCY0eq02T7JhjanRJa

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tattedyogi

Image Credits
Candid tattooing photo: Monica Villarreal
All other photos: Celli Villarreal