Meet Analia Nicole | Tattoo Artist & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Analia, how do you think about risk?
To me, life is a risk. Waking up every day and stepping outside is a risk. You never know what could happen! I always think of the old quote- “Feel the fear and do it anyways”. I always try to follow my heart and intuition- and then proceed to jump when the opportunity arrives. Risk taking, to me, is a huge part of self growth and excelling in my career. I was full of fear about not being good enough when I decided I wanted to be a tattoo artist. When I first picked up a tattoo machine, I had no idea what I was doing. I started tattooing on myself (very risky, yes) to see what I could do, and it just came naturally to me. I would’ve never known if I had listened to my fear and not taken a chance.

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.
My art is extremely personal and intimate. To me, it’s not just about the tattoo- it’s about the experience of tattooing and getting tattooed. It’s the relationship between artist and client. My business name is “Catharsis Ink” because catharsis is my favorite word in the world. It means ‘the process of releasing, and thereby providing, relief from, strong or repressed emotions”. I feel like that correlates to the experience of getting a tattoo. Through the pain comes relief, which is also why my motto is “Pain Therapy”. Plus you’re left with a kick ass piece of art you get to keep for forever. What sets me apart is my style. I love to do an awesome black and grey piece, and then behind it throw some crazy pops of color to make it stick out. Or I’ll do a color piece and make the background black and gray. Contrast is a huge part of my tattoo style. Another thing that sets me apart is that my chair is a safe space. I’ve had people cry, scream, and tell me their darkest secrets- not because of some crazy pain level, but because I encourage them to process whatever emotions arise while being tattooed. It’s a catharsis baby!
I got to where I am today through blood, sweat and tears. There were months where I tattooed every single day, and didn’t have a day off. I’m self-taught, so of course there were many challenges. A lot of people may not like that I didn’t go through the traditional 2 year apprenticeship, but everyone has their own path, and teaching myself was what I ultimately wanted to accomplish. I overcame challenges by pushing harder and practicing until my fingers bled (sometimes, literally). I knew that if I didn’t keep going, and putting in all my effort, there was a 0% chance of succeeding. But if I continued on, I at least had a chance. I still strive to be better every day! There’s always more work to do to be better.
I learned, and am still learning, some very valuable lessons along my path. One of them is the value of dedication. I heard someone say once that when chasing your dreams, you need to be delusional. You have to believe in even the smallest odds. I also learned that you can achieve whatever you put your mind and will to. If you work hard enough, you will see results.
If there’s one thing I want the world to know about my brand, it’s what I strive to achieve as an artist- which is giving someone an experience, and having them walk away with a piece of art they will cherish forever. I want people to leave my chair feeling lighter, no matter how heavy they felt when they walked in.

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?
I would take my friend on a full blown trip up the PCH. The first stop on the list would be downtown Huntington Beach. There’s so many awesome restaurants and shops to see, and I’d want my friend to have the full experience of surf city. We’d hit 2nd Floor, Hurricanes, Aloha Grill, and Perqs for food and drinks. Secondly, I’d take my friend to Long Beach to check out retro row. The antique thrift shops there are insane! While in Long Beach, I’d take my friend to one of my favorite places- Alex’s Bar. Hopefully we’d be able to catch one of the awesome live shows they have there! After that, we’d drive up to the Santa Monica pier and chill on the beach. We’d get street corn and ride the Ferris wheel!
Lastly, I’d have to take my friend to Hollywood of course. I’d show them the walk of fame, the awesome wax museum, and take them to Salt and Straw for ice cream. Then we’d drive up through the hills and catch the LA skyline view once it got dark!

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?
Oh man, there are so many people in my life that I have to thank for their support. First, my mom, stepmom & dad. They have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and have given me confidence in believing that whatever I want to do, I can do. It’s thanks to them that I have the courage to go after what I want. Second, I have to thank all the friends who let me practice on them when I first started tattooing. My good friend Jake takes the cake for being my guinea pig- he probably has 20 tattoos from me, and he fearlessly allowed me to use him as my human canvas when first starting out. Thank you for believing in me!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayeaye_captain

Other: Email: catharsisink.ana@gmail.com Shop’s website: paradigmhb.com