Meet Zelda Morning Star | Tattoo Artist & Spiritualist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zelda Morning Star and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zelda, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
For me, pursuing an artistic career was something I never actually questioned. Though I definitely questioned what artistic medium it was that I wanted to pursue the most, the more artistic and whimsical side of the world was something I always felt extremely connected to. I have been in awe with the magic of nature since I was a child, and my love for the Earth inevitably led me to finding a very spiritual relationship with life itself. A career that was not linked with creativity was something that genuinely felt terrifying to me. I have always had so much emotion and passion inside me that has needed to be used for something transmutable. Art has always been so healing for me. I have always known that was the path I was meant to follow without a doubt.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My current favorite medium and offering I provide is tattooing. I believe receiving a tattoo is a very spiritual experience, and I feel so honored to have the trust to provide such a sacred artistic offering. I believe that we take on the energy of the tattoos we get, and the pain we feel during that tattoo can help us transmute any deep suppressed energy we maybe haven’t actually dealt with yet and have been storing in our bodies.

To be honest, I wouldn’t say it was a very easy path to become a tattooer. I actually started my journey to tattoo back in 2016, when I apprenticed at a large tattoo shop in Tempe, AZ.

Tattooing being a male dominated industry (even more so in 2016), I had a lot of trouble trying to not be as sensitive as I was, especially as a young woman. My sensitivity was not something that was appreciated, but was told would destroy me if I wanted to be a tattooer. This didn’t resonate with me very much, as I felt that being a sensitive person as a tattoo artist would be good for the clients I would end up tattooing because I would have so much empathy for them. I lasted about 6 months into my apprenticeship before leaving to focus on my mental and physical health. Working 66 hours a week for no pay and being treated the way I had been was not conducive for my well being, and I had to make the difficult decision to walk away and focus on my health at that time.

Over the years, I had multiple apprenticeships offered to me that I inevitably declined because they seemed to be the same environment I had already been in regarding the tattooing world. The older and more spiritual I became, the more sensitive I became, and ultimately knew that I needed to be in a warm and kind environment when it came to me tattooing or creating art. I told myself I would only go back to tattooing if I found the right connection, and that finally happened 9 years later when my husband and I moved up to Flagstaff last summer.

Upon moving to Flagstaff I was greeted with nothing but community and what seemed to be heaven sent connections. I had the absolute pleasure of becoming good friends with tattooer Kate Penn, who really inspired me to open up my own tattoo studio, that way I could be in control of my environment and focus on what I really wanted to focus on, which is the art!

Now in present day, I am getting ready to finally open up my own studio, CORPSEY STUDIO. My grand opening is September 13th, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic! At CORPSEY STUDIO, I will be offering spiritually focused tattoos, in person tarot readings, and one on one classes for those interested in learning the tarot themselves. The tarot has helped me in many ways, and I only hope to help others learn so that it can help them the same way it helped me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area, I would first take them to Firecreek Coffee in downtown Flagstaff. Firecreek has incredible fresh roasted coffee, and a great selection of freshly baked pastries to choose from. For lunch or dinner I would either recommend Fat Olives, or Karma Sushi! They both have fantastic food and a fantastic atmosphere.

For fun, I would definitely take them to the creek in Sedona. Oak Creek is only about a 40 minute drive from Flagstaff and is absolutely breathtaking. In Flagstaff, Buffalo Park is a gorgeous place to spend the day as well.

Downtown also has many fun shops to check out. I recommend checking out Crystal Magic and Victorian Moon!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many individuals who I am so deeply grateful for. This past year has been the first time in a long time I have actually connected on a deep level with others and have made more divine feminine connections as well. I spent a lot of time alone during my years becoming an adult and am finally making soul friendships this year that I am so so deeply grateful for. I think human connection is such a prominent part of this life. and though sometimes we need to heal on our own, nothing else comes close to those relationships we carefully curate over time. A huge shoutout to two of the most wonderful women I have become close to this year- Taylor & Kate- you two have restored my faith in feminine connection and I am just so thankful to be your friend! And as always, shoutout to my absolutely wonderful husband. Thank you for keeping me sane when my workload is overwhelming, and always knowing exactly how to make me feel better. I feel so supported in my inner circle and it has helped me heal in so many ways.

Website: https://corpsey.com

Instagram: corrpsey

Other: tattooing instagram- @zeldazapz