Life & Work with Desiree Bennett of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Bennett.

Hi Desiree, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Desiree and I am a proud North Philadelphian Boricua. I relocated to Atlanta in 2007. I’m a kickboxing coach at American Top Team Team Lima in Duluth, as well as a full time tattoo artist at Blue Siren Tattoos in Loganville.

I started my fight career in 2016 and became a coach in 2021, meanwhile I simultaneously began working at Blue Siren Tattoos and attained my apprenticeship there in 2022 at the age of 38, which was a life long dream of mine. I can remember wanting to be a tattoo artist when I was barely 6 years old when I saw my first tattooed person and wanted to be the one to put the art on people!

And while 38 is considered a very late start in tattooing, my mentors felt I had the talent and drive to be successful. I completed my apprenticeship in under a year and have been tattooing full time ever since.

At the moment, I am also undergoing treatment for stage 2 breast cancer. I want to inspire people to take charge of their health and understand they don’t have to give up what they love.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I first wanted to dive into becoming a tattoo artist in my early 20s, it seemed that it was heavily gate kept and not exactly welcoming to female artists. I still took art classes in college, but when I eventually made the move from my hometown of Philadelphia to Atlanta, I changed paths to major in psychology. I switched gears again and attended Atlanta Technical College for EMS. I became an AEMT.

I still worked on my art and continued to build on a portfolio, still holding onto my dream of eventually becoming a full time artist.

Finally when the opportunity came, and I snatched it up. It was a huge change. I had to focus completely on my apprenticeship. It was unpaid, but the grind was worth it. My fiancé and I discussed everything and with his support and my ability to continue coaching, we were able to make things work as a team until I graduated.

My client base continued to grow, even through this economy because I genuinely care about the art and my clients.

And then my diagnosis came. Now my challenge I have a new challenge due to my health. Cancer treatments definitely have taken a toll on my availability- but not my love of what I do. Navigating my health has been difficult, but tattooing has been my escape.

As for coaching? Oh, it’s definitely tough physically but again, my students and boss/gym owners Dhiego and Douglas Lima are all incredibly understanding and it honestly motivates me to push through the discomfort to show up and put them to work!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a coach, I love Muay Thai. So I incorporate a lot of technical skills and knowledge to motivate my students to push themselves and surpass their own goals in their martial arts.

As a tattoo artist, I absolutely love working in black and grey, but color is always fun. I specialize in fine line and stipple shading. I take so much pride in my work and am a perfectionist when it comes to bringing a client’s vision to life. I genuinely care that my clients have a great experience and that they understand I will always care more about the art than the money.

I’m also an aspiring writer with a few projects in progress, so stay tuned!

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as being able to love what you do and being able to take pride in it. Success looks so different for everyone, but as long as you truly enjoy what you do, it will show in your work. Success is also understanding that you should always want to continue to learn and grow in your field. Never stop learning and your success (and opportunities) will never stop flowing.

Pricing:

• 100/hr for large sessions
• Pricing per design varies based on size, color, and location

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmurder_tattoos?igsh=MWU5cHJ5cms0aDM0cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr