Today we’d like to introduce you to Klayne Rolader.
Klayne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been drawn to storytelling through images. For over 10 years, I worked as a photographer, exploring intimacy, motherhood, identity, and emotion in a very artistic way. Photography taught me how to observe—how to translate feelings into visuals, how to hold space for people, how to create something meaningful and soulful.
Then I became a mother, and everything in my life shifted. As beautiful as it was, I went through postpartum depression and a huge identity transformation. I started questioning who I was outside of the titles—mother, wife, photographer. I felt like something in me wanted to be reborn. I needed a new way to express myself, something that connected both art and body, something more permanent and powerful.
Tattooing found me at the perfect moment.
I’ve always loved illustration and symbolism, and tattooing felt like the natural evolution of everything I had done before—visual storytelling, emotional connection, ritual, transformation. It allowed me to merge all of my previous skills with something more tactile, more human, more intimate. Tattoos live on skin. They become part of someone’s story. That felt sacred to me.
Starting a completely new career while being a mom has been challenging, but also healing. Tattooing gave me my voice back. It saved me in many ways. It reminded me that we are allowed to begin again—that our soul is not limited to one identity.
Today, I create tattoos that feel like rituals—pieces that hold memory, emotion, magic. I’m still evolving, still learning, but I am exactly where I’m meant to be. And this “second career” doesn’t erase my past as a photographer—it builds on it. Everything I’ve lived through led me here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road—but I think the most meaningful paths rarely are.
Transitioning careers after 10+ years in photography was already a big leap, but doing it while becoming a mother added a whole new layer of challenge. I was learning how to take care of a newborn, healing from postpartum depression, and at the same time trying to find myself again. There was a lot of guilt—guilt for wanting time for myself, for having dreams outside of motherhood, for starting something “from zero” when society tells you to “have it all figured out” by a certain age.
Tattooing is also a very demanding craft. You can’t shortcut the process—you have to apprentice, study, practice for hours, accept criticism, build trust, build clients, build confidence. It’s humbling to start over after being established in a previous career. There were moments when I doubted myself, when I felt behind, when I wondered if I was “too late.”
But every struggle shaped me. Motherhood taught me strength and tenderness. Photography taught me vision. Tattooing taught me discipline and patience. And the hardest moments forced me to face who I really am—and what I truly want.
I’ve learned that “smooth” is not the goal. Growth is. And every obstacle made me more intentional, more authentic, and more connected to the people I tattoo.
So no, it wasn’t smooth. But it was real. And I’m proud of that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My background as a photographer deeply influences the way I design tattoos. I’m very focused on emotion, symbolism, movement, and composition. I love when a tattoo feels like it could live in an old book illustration or a dream.
I’m currently specializing in etching and engraving-style linework, with a touch of mysticism, vintage aesthetics, and storytelling. My pieces often include skeletons, flowers, eyes, celestial elements, surreal or Victorian-inspired imagery—always with expressive lines and a lot of feeling. I like my work to live in the space between dark and delicate, eerie and beautiful.
What I’m most proud of is the connection I build with my clients. People don’t come to me just for a “cool tattoo”—they come because they want something meaningful, something that represents transformation, healing, identity, or memory. I treat tattooing like a ritual. I listen, I hold space, and I create something that truly belongs to them. Many clients tell me the experience feels therapeutic, and that is the biggest honor.
I always try to collaborate with the person’s story. My goal is always the same: for the tattoo to feel alive—like it chose them as much as they chose it.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First, my family has been my foundation. Becoming a mother changed my entire perspective on life and creativity, and my child is actually one of my biggest inspirations. My family supported me when I decided to change careers and start over, even when it wasn’t the “safe” or traditional path. Their love gave me the courage to believe in myself.
My friends have also been a huge part of this journey. They were the ones who reminded me of my talent when I doubted myself, who pushed me to keep going, who celebrated every small win with me. They saw the artist in me long before I had started this journey.
And honestly, all tattoo artists that I have found on my way and helped me. I was lucky to find people who are talented, humble, collaborative, and supportive.
Finally, my clients deserve so much credit. Every person who trusted me—especially in the beginning—helped me grow. Their stories, vulnerability, and belief in my art motivate me every single day. Many of them have become friends, and they are a huge reason why I love what I do.
So even though tattooing looks like an individual job, it’s actually very communal. I’m standing on the support of so many people, and I’m deeply grateful for all of them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/klaynetattoo
Image Credits
Tyler Anderson
Client
