This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Madi Ford. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up, I loved art and was what some might call an “alternative” type of teenager. Unlike other parents, my dad always encouraged me to take art classes and never dampened my desire to make art a career.
At 16, I remember wanting to be a tattoo artist, but I didn’t think it was a viable career. I was scared and nervous about making the jump, unsure of the path I needed to follow to make it happen. I even remember telling my dad that maybe I would attend cosmetology school to work on hair instead. He looked at me and said, “You don’t want to do hair. You want to tattoo. Don’t give up.”
I became an apprentice
When I turned 18, I got my first tattoo, and my dad made a big deal about it when I showed him. He took a photo of it and posted it on Instagram. Whereas lots of kids hide tattoos from their parents, I had a dad who encouraged them because he knew how much I loved them.
After going in to have my first tattoo, surrounded by a welcoming and creative environment, I decided to ask if I could be an apprentice to one of the artists in the same shop where I had my tattoo done.
Three years later, once I had developed skills and felt ready, I asked my dad and stepmom if they’d like me to do tattoos for them. Dad had a daruma doll, a Japanese wooden doll, and my stepmom had a red-headed nurse to represent her years working as a nurse.
To give them both something of myself, of my own artistic style, was incredibly meaningful, and it went on to inspire me to do it again for more of my family this past Christmas.
I gifted my family tattoos
While my partner and I typically travel three hours to see my family, we asked my dad, stepmom, stepsister, step-aunt, and her partner to come to us on December 26 instead, and spend a few days in Missoula with us.
I asked them if they’d like me to give each of them a tattoo as a Christmas present, and each of them agreed, thinking in advance about what they’d like to have. They all shared their ideas for the tattoos they wanted and explained why they wanted them. It was a glimpse into who they were and what was important to them.
On December 26, I opened the shop at 10 a.m., and we spent the day tattooing, taking only a brief break for lunch.
It was special for me to get to know each of my family members at such a vulnerable point for them. It provides a great icebreaker for conversation and enables me to spend ample time getting to know someone.
Although I know my dad and stepmom well, I don’t see my other family members often, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to get to know them and for them to get to know me. It was one-on-one time that we wouldn’t have had in a large, family gathering.
It felt better than giving them a store-bought present
Instead of giving them a generic Christmas present, I was able to give them a handmade, personalized gift, which was an extension of me. And it’s a way to connect and get to know each other on a deeper level.
Another thing I love about tattooing friends and family is inviting them into my shop, where they can see that tattoo shops are for everyone. They often carry a reputation as being for only the coolest and toughest people, but that’s not true, at least not for all of them.
After my family had their tattoos, they couldn’t stop talking about how much they loved them, and my dad spoke endlessly of how proud he was of me.
I’ll definitely be offering the same in the future whenever family comes to visit. I think it might be the best gift I can give them.
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