Rising Stars: Meet Sarah Knott of Winder

Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I actually wanted to be a veterinarian for most of my life. I got a job at my local animal hospital when I was 17 and worked there for several years before and during pre-vet school. I started off working in the kennel, and the Vet Techs and Doctors there helped to train me in various skills that would help along my career path. When I got to college, I quickly realized that medical school was not going to be in the cards for me. I continued working in the veterinary field for about five years there before coming to the difficult decision that my life path would not be the one I always imagined for myself.

After switching majors a few more times, I decided to give higher education one last try and pursue a degree in a subject that I had spent thousands of hours studying and practicing in my free time: Art. I transferred to Georgia State University to formally study Drawing & Painting, and I immediately knew I found the right path. I spent early mornings on a doing still-life charcoal drawings. I spent days studying color theory and art history, and I spent late nights with my roommates working on sculpture projects while they played games and listened to music with me.

During my studies at Georgia State, my world was turned upside down by my father’s cancer diagnosis. Two months after that, the entire world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. I lost my job as a waitress. I loved pursuing art in an academic environment, but I could not continue attending classes and be able to safely visit my father during his treatment. I considered trying to take my classes online, but learning to sculpt or carve prints without the proper tools or an instructor with me to help demonstrate was not feasible. The decision to withdraw from classes in order to continue seeing my dad was easy– family has always been my priority, but I was sad to see the door of higher education close for me for the time being.

I ended up getting a job at a tee shirt printing company some months after quarantine. I wore every hat there was to wear there, and when I finally got to the Art Department, I was thrilled to have a job with “Art” in the title, but the glitter quickly wore off, fading away to the drone of 9-5 days spent in a cubicle. I made that cubicle as cute as could be, but even with fake plants and string lights and cute bunny decorations, I was miserable, underpaid, and directionless. During my time at this job, my father passed away, and what followed was a slow-building sense of realization that my own life will also end one day, and I didn’t want to spend it in a cubicle, no matter how cute it is.

I ended up quitting that job and decided to pursue something that had been in the back of my mind since I was sixteen. Body art had always fascinated me– I can recall myself at 9 or 10 years old drawing backpieces on the kids on my swim teams in the summers. I drew all sorts of designs on my hands and arms throughout grade school and would have to scrub my skin raw to get the Sharpie off before I got home, lest my mom see I’d been doodling on myself and give me the classic Ink Poisoning Lecture. The point is: I had always been fascinated with creating art for bodies. The only difference was that I now had the balls and lack of foresight to do something impulsive to pursue that.

I gathered up my portfolio and started asking around different tattoo studios for apprenticeships. I spoke to and met with several shop owners in my immediate area, around 7-8. Most of them looked at my portfolio of realism charcoal drawings and whimsical digital illustration and simply told me my art was not tattooable. I was happy to hear this— the sooner a studio told me no, the sooner I could move my focus to another one, and the closer I would be to the studio that would say yes.

Finally, I met a tattoo artist who agreed to take me on as an apprentice. There are things that are normal to expect for tattoo apprenticeships, like cleaning, taking out trash, setting up stations, and watching artists work. There are other things, however, that are not normal, and an eager tattoo apprentice doesn’t usually know the difference between what is acceptable and what is not. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time in an environment where some not-so-acceptable things were taking place. Deciding to leave that shop, especially knowing I’d need to seek another apprenticeship all over again, was a very tough decision. I was very lucky to receive great advice from friends in that studio, as well as someone who had been in my situation before, and it gave me the courage to leave.

The opportunity I walked into after that changed my life completely.

I began the second part of my apprenticeship in 2021. I received a personalized and somewhat grueling art education that felt like University all over again, but this time with projects designed specifically for my strengths and weaknesses. I graduated from my apprenticeship in September of the following year and have concentrated on honing my craft and community ever since. I have learned from every artist I’ve worked beside, I formed friendships that have changed the trajectory of my life and career, and I found a deep and ever-evolving passion for the craft.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to becoming a tattoo artist was not easy. The decision to start down that road was made while I was grieving the death of a parent. Being a tattoo apprentice is tough for anybody, but doing so while processing such a loss was challenging on a different level.

Being an apprentice held up a mirror for me. I hit road blocks that came out of nowhere but refused to budge. I had to learn to separate myself from my work. I had to create something, put it down, and be ready to receive direct critique and learn to not let it make my soul crumble a little bit. It humbled me deeply, snuffed out my ego, and opened me to feedback I would have struggled to heed prior to the apprenticeship. I grew exponentially, and have continued to grow in the years since.

None of it would have been possible without the support of a small village. My husband, Henry, has been a constant source of comfort and advice and laughter. My mom and sister have both supported me unconditionally. My friends Samantha, JP, Courtnie, Allison, Q, Ryan, and Gnat have all been rays of sunshine through my career. Additionally, a handful of online friends scattered across the country have offered unyielding and crucial support. I can’t thank any of these individuals enough for their love and friendship— without it, I don’t know where I’d be.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Finding a mentor can be a bit of a coin toss, but it’s important not to give up— every studio that tells you “no” is just one studio closer to one that will take you on. Remember that you can circle back in 6 months or a year to the same studios in case they have new openings for apprentices.

The most important thing is to listen to your intuition. If something feels wrong, it probably is. If you feel like you don’t belong at a certain studio, you probably don’t. Make sure you find a mentor who you are comfortable being around and talking honestly to. Befriend other apprentices in your area. Vet your mentors by getting in touch with people they have mentored before, ask former apprentices about their experience and what you can expect. Make sure you have a broad support system outside of the studio, and listen to that support system if they tell you they’re concerned about you or your work environment. It’s okay if the first studio where you’re an apprentice is not the place where you finish your apprenticeship.

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