Meet Natasha Cantone | Professional Tattoo Artist

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

Hi Natasha, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art was always a creative tool for me that was used to communicate how I was feeling. As a young child, (3 years old) I was going to Therapy. I was non verbal up until the age of 5! So they interpreted my emotions through drawing and creativity. And as I got older it formed into an outlet that’s I’ve always have been drawn too.

I really wanted to go to Pratt institute in NY for fine arts but the option was never their I couldn’t afford it.

Moving foward after high school I picked a trade and went into cosmetology. I loved it and I was really good at what I did but something was always missing. I got bored really easily.

I remember in color theory class one day, we had an assignment to make a color wheel. And we had to use hair color to create this color wheel and we had to paint it with hair color, whatever we wanted to depict the color wheel. I proceeded to paint a rainbow koi fish. Lol. My classmates asked me if I ever thought about tattooing? That was the moment the “seed” was planted. And really thought about it and started doing so research.

I graduated beauty school and never went to state board and proceeded my search into an apprenticeship in tattooing. And now im here.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Getting my foot in the door into a tattoo shop was a struggle.

When you don’t know. People can take advantage of this. My first apprenticeship. I was paying weekly to learn…. Diddly squat. Lol

He took my money and I came to the shop one day and I guess they dipped out in the middle of the night. So their was that.

Then two other shops I had to leave because the mentors were only pursing me to try to date me, not to actually teach me anything. Then another shop had problems with drugs that I was.unaware of at the time till I started there. So I had to re strategize. I litterally buzzed all my hair off and “ butched” it up enough to make my sexual orientation questionable and basically made sure my next mentors were family men as well. Finally I was taken more seriously.

Idk why it was that way, I hear it’s pretty frequent that female tattoo artist have a rather rough beginning into their apprenticeship. Trying to find a mentor that actually wants you to succeed, and wants to teach you. Luckily, now their are more female artist out there so theirs more options now. But at the time the majority were male that were offering me apprenticeships.

I knew, I really wanted to be a tattoo artist. The fact that I kept on pursing it after all the hurdles I went through I just knew inside this is what I was looking for.

When you find that one thing. The thing you want most. You’re going to continue pushing through all of it. And you’ll make it happen!

Don’t give up if you have that feeling. And honestly, it will all fall in place somewhere, some how, it happens. But you have to put work into it too. It’s not just going to happen. You gotta make it happen.

I’m excited everyday to tattoo, I can’t wait to create something special for someone. A lot of clients come to get away from every day life. So I feel like it is my job to give them the best experience possible. I guess in a sense it becomes a therapeutic setting for them with a beautiful permanent outcome. Which I completely relate too. I never really mind when my clients want to talk about their life or to get something off their chest. Or maybe they are quiet and don’t say anything. Either way, I make sure they are comfortable and happy. I want people to feel safe too. And that’s what I’ll continue to offer along with my tattoos.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh man! I’ve been on this kick with the butterfly exhibit in Scottsdale. GO SEE IT. I’ve seen it 3 times now.

Casey Moore’s oyster house if you want to eat outside and have a beer. It’s dog friendly during the day!

Awesome breakfast spot would be the broken yolk (they have mimosa flights) lol but their food is just yuuuum!

salt river tubing! You are bound to see wild horses! It’s peaceful. And fun if you bring friends! Use lots of sunblock though! Lol

Definitely visit Club tattoo. We have three locations here in the valley and we have amazing artists at all of them. We also have an amazing jewelry selection. Best one I’ve seen so far still.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh man, theirs so many people I recognize in my journey, that have helped me become the person I am today. And I’m sure I’ll forget quite a few names

but as of right now, in this very moment. I gotta give a shout out to those who are still cheering me on every day, to my clients now and those who’ve been with me since the beginning , the team and shop I work for. Club tattoo (Mesa location)

I i’ve met some amazing people there since I started 3 years ago. I’m surrounded by like minded people. We work hard and we love to create! I’ve worked quite a few shops in the valley. And this shop has been the most supportive. I’ve grown a lot here. Learned a lot. And still continue to do so.. I’m looking foward to many more years here.

Website: Clubtattoo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindcombustion

Other: www.TikTok.com/Mindcombustion