Anya Arcane shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Anya, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’ve been spending a lot of time outside lately, mostly running and hiking. It’s the daily engagement with nature that keeps me feeling curious and playful, especially when you throw yourself into the elements! I’ve also had the opportunity to be around family more, and that’s been wonderful beyond words.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! My name is Anya Arcane, I’m a nomadic tattoo artist based out of Kansas City, and central Maine. I travel between a few shops in the U.S., México, and occasionally Central and South America. Currently I’m working on larger Japanese style tattoos, designing full sleeves and back pieces. I really love designs that flow with the body.
I started tattooing when I was 15 (my dad’s friend was a tattoo artist at a local shop in town), and got my first official apprenticeship in Thailand in my early 20’s at a place called Space Bamboo. Since then I’ve had the great fortune to learn from Justin Sims, who’s spent more one on one time with me than anyone, and taught me most of what I know, including respect for the craft of tattooing itself. I owe him a lot!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Wow, that’s a good question. I feel like shame really breaks people apart honestly. It’s what keeps us from accepting ourselves, and in turn, accepting others. Shame can be cultural, self inflicted, brought on by abuse, or come from a myriad of other origins, but we all have it. I think the only way out is compassion.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I definitely miss falling asleep next to a campfire, and waking up with the sunrise in a new place each morning. Before I started tattooing full time, I used to travel around doing seasonal farm work. I have my car converted with a bed in the back now, so it’s definitely a lot safer. But nothing beats perma-camping!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Authenticity! Without a doubt. I think it’s one of those work in progress things that most people strive for throughout their whole life. We’re always bombarded with new information, be it from our peers, cultures, etc. the true difficulty is choosing to slow down and ask ourselves how we feel about something, and responding in a way that reflects our values.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I’m definitely excited to be in the studio every time I have the opportunity. Tattooing is one of those things I knew I wanted to do from the start; and while the specifics of what I’m excited about are always shifting and evolving, I find gratitude and inspiration almost every time. When I’m traveling and working in a street shop, I can feed off that crazy fast punk rock energy, but most of the time in my resident studio there’s just a sense of peace that rides through it all. It’s still so surreal that I get to be creative for a living, what a life! Right now I’m super excited to be traveling and tattooing more. Since moving my home base, things have slowed down quite a bit, so I’ve been able to focus my energy on creating larger pieces. This next trip to Kansas City I’ll be tattooing a few full arm and leg sleeves, and a full front torso!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @anya_arcane
