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

Hi Hailee, what do you attribute your success to?
Personally, the ability to make sure my clients feel safe and comfortable while getting tattooed by me and that they are all getting a unique custom tattoo are the biggest contributors to my success as an artist. As long as I can make sure my clients are both getting a quality tattoo and a positive experience when they come to see me I get new clients just from word of mouth and from my tattoos being out in the world for people to see.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I primarily do custom work for my clients in any style they are interested in. This usually requires a consultation beforehand so I can gather any specific information about subject matter, style, and placement in order to design the tattoo with their ideas in mind before they get the actual tattoo done. I especially enjoy doing anything nature inspired in an illustrative black and grey or full color neotraditional style but I won’t turn down a chance to work in other styles if that is what my client is interested in. Professionally I think what has helped me progress the most is taking on as many projects as possible and trying to make each tattoo a little better than the last so that I am constantly improving my skill set. The more tattoos I do the more confident I am that I can accomplish anything my clients might want. It definitely hasn’t been an easy journey to becoming an established tattoo artist in flagstaff but it has been well worth it. Patience and dedication to tattooing have been extremely important to me getting to where I am as an artist now and I’m hoping to improve more and more as the years go by.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many amazing places to check out in flagstaff and particularly downtown!Some of my favorite places to get food and drinks would be Lux north, Flagstaff Brewing Company, Pato Thai, and the Juice Pub. My favorite places to hang out would include any of the beautiful trails and parks in the coconino national forest surrounding flagstaff or any of the various music venues in the area including the Orpheum, Fire Creek Coffee, or anywhere I can find live music in general (pre/post covid-19 of course).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to Mirror Gallery Tattoo in Flagstaff, Arizona. Mirror gallery has been my tattoo home for the last 4 years as well as where I met all my various mentors/coworkers, completed my tattoo apprenticeship, and have been building my career ever since.

Website: mirrorgalleryflagstaff.com
Instagram: @tattoosbyhaileemarie
Other: I can be reached by email at tattoosbyhailee@gmail.com for any tattoo inquiries.

Image Credits
Shannon Swain (photographer)

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