This is My Story

Here is a little bit about myself that maybe will give you direction on how I

am as a person. I feel like too many people don’t know their artists personality before

they get tattooed by them. Well at least when you walk into Ministry Ink you can

automatically get a feel for how the shop operates. Well let me help you understand

how I have been connected to tattoos through other means of art.

Since I can remember I have had a pencil in my hand. The earliest I can

remember is drawing at church when I was around 3 years old. I would sit with the

grown ups, because I didn’t want to meet new kids, and I would draw the stained

glass images on the back of the sermon notes. Since then I would ask for coloring

books and comic books for pictures to look at so I could try to replicate them.

Through grade school I would take as many art classes as possible. I wasn’t a big fan

of applying myself to things that didn’t interest me. Art classes were always my

favorite. I believe that to be a true Tattoo Artist you need to know how to draw,

paint, sculp, or any other medium of art. So I would take any class I could when it

came to art.

I was fairly lost with my life when I was a young adult at the ripe old age of

19. I was working at UPS loading the semi trucks at night and going to college for

God knows what. I knew UPS was a great job that has good benefits but I couldn’t

see myself doing that for the rest of my life. So I started praying and searching for

what my calling was. What I was going to do and love doing a job for the rest of my

life. So I knew something was telling me to join the United States Air Force. So I

joined up and shipped out May 2007. I was soon to be a USAF Security Forces

Member (aka Military Police). Though I had no idea on why I joined to be a cop in

the military I did it anyway. So from base to base there was always someone

planting this seed in my mind of how awesome my art was and I should be a “tattoo

artist”. The first duty station I was at was Minot North Dakota. That is where my

tattoo mind would start to be opened.

The military life style was tough and disciplined so I had to make sure I did

what I was told and to clean up after myself. After a couple months of being there I

was to get a room my inspection from my sergeants. They soon pulled me inside the

squadron and briefed me on my inspection. They thanked me for being hygienic and

soon walked me into a conversation of how he could teach me how to tattoo if I got a

tattoo starter kit. It took me by surprise but that was the start of it. The thought

wouldn’t leave my mind so I went online and bought a starter kit for a couple

hundred dollars. But I didn’t do any tattoos in North Dakota due to my up brining in

the church and how they subconsciously make you think tattoos are bad. Soon I

found out I had orders to South Korea.

Now I had all my tattoo equipment in a tackle box soon to arrive at Osan Air

Base. Here is where I started my first tattoo. I had a buddy find that tattoo kit in my

closet. He asked me to give him his first tattoo. I soon told him that I had never

tattooed anyone and I was petrified to even try. He convinced me to watch a

youtube video on how to set everything up. So we did and I drew on him with a

sharpie and started. I had done a few tattoos at Korea but didn’t really get the hands

on time to tattoo until I arrived at my new duty station at Spangdahlem Air Force

Base, Germany.

German was where my tattoo life would spread like wild fire. I tattooed a

German friend that I worked with and she told all her friends. It would be around 4

months and I had people I didn’t know stop me at the grocery store on base and ask

for my number so they could get a tattoo from me. So for the next 2.5 years I would

be tattooing and saving up as much money as I could to eventually build a tattoo

shop of my own when I got out of the military. I got home June 6 th 2013. My family

had a business started already in Lansing Michigan. I knew there was an upstairs so

I started renovating about 6 months later. Building my dream was such a great

experience. So that leads me to where I am now. I have been trying to make the shop

the best and most comfortable shop in Lansing. My goal is to make people feel like

they are not clients but family. You will soon find out that I am an open book . so if

you have anything you would like to talk about…then I am at 610 N. Creyts Rd. See

ya soon!