Getting to Know Kaia: A Dive into Her Story, Passion, and Journey

This month marks the *5 Year Anniversary* of Kaia tattooing with us here at Terrarium Tattoo! Holy Moly, Time flies when you're making dope tattoos with awesome people. Anyone who knows Kaia or has been tattooed by her already knows how incredible she is, both inside and out. But for those who don't know, we thought we'd do a fun little interview so ya'll can find out...

How long have you been tattooing?

I have been tattooing for about 11 years now!

How did you get into the tattoo industry and become a professional tattooer?

I was always the artsy kid. Forever drawing and adding to my portfolio. A little bit after graduating from high school I got together my best work at the time and brought it to a local tattoo shop. I bothered them until I was accepted for an apprenticeship. I went through my apprenticeship and was guided by a handful of great artists.

What/who are your biggest influences? What inspires your art style?

Nature will forever be my biggest inspiration. The world is absolutely gorgeous and constantly impressing me with what it can create. I can stare at a plant for the longest time and come up with hundreds of different ways to recreate it. I love the fact that nature is forever changing and evolving.

What are your favorite subject matters to tattoo?

My favorite subject matter to tattoo is nature. I love tattooing flowers, plants, bugs and animals. I like working with sharp geometric shapes, mandalas and anything that has a witchy feel to it.

What are your favorite/least favorite parts of being a tattoo artist?

My favorite thing about being a tattoo artist is being able to create everyday. Art is so important to me and a huge part of who I am. I put my whole soul into my art. That I’m able to support my family with this passion is incredible.

At the same time that is one of the hardest things about being an artist. To constantly create is a lot of work both mentally and physically. When your livelihood depends on your creativity there is no time for art block. You have to constantly be producing beautiful and unique work. To forever be “on” is exhausting. Also my back hurts.

Can you share 3 fun facts about you?

1) I’m a big true crime, thriller, horror fan. I am constantly consuming books, podcasts, audiobooks and videos of cases and stories that get my blood going. If you get tattooed by me I guarantee that on the other side of my headphone is something intense.

2) I am obsessed with the smell of Freon. You know that smell that comes when the AC kicks on? I will shove my face against the vent to get a lil whiff. I also love the taste of freezer burn and just ice in general. I eat a few bowls of crushed ice everyday. I can’t get enough of it.

3) Over the past year I have grown a green thumb. My house is slowly getting overrun with plants and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I usually spend about 2-4 hours a week caring for my plants and adore this time.

Coffee or tea?

I am a big fan of a good cup of coffee! My go to order is a hot vanilla latte with oat milk, double shot and extra sweet.

Cats or dogs?

I absolutely love dogs! My best buddy is a  9 year old frenchton (part French bulldog, part Boston terrier) He’s a funny guy, has wonky eyes and no tail. He’s crazy smart, still picks up new tricks in no time and I swear he follows conversations like he understands every word. His name is Binx but usually gets called “Billy” “Bubu” or “Butterbutt”

No company or bad company?

For me no company is always better than bad company. I’m crazy introverted so socializing can really take it out of me. I prefer to keep my circle small but solid!

Summer or winter?

Summer! I love the long days of summer and the liveliness and energy of everything, it feels like more is possible in the summer. Even though I’ve lived in Colorado my whole life I still can’t figure out how to stay warm in the winter. I would hibernate if I was allowed to.

Sweet or savory?

Sweet all the way. If you know me you know that I have an unhealthy obsession with sugar. My favorite treats right now are Oreos, pastel mints, matcha ice cream and Krispy Kreme. Any time is a good time for a sweet little treat in my book.

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If you are interested in getting tattooed by Kaia go follow her on INSTAGRAM. She solely tattoos her pre-drawn designs that are posted weekly on her Instagram page. She also has a highlight named "AVAILABLE". Scroll through and pick a design then shoot her a DM to claim and schedule your appointment. Kaia's designs go QUICK so don't snooze, go get a Kaia tattoo! We look forward to seeing you at the studio!

We Moved... AGAIN!

With each relocation we get to grow, reflect and adjust. Naturally, this is our favorite location yet! We are back in our old stomping grounds, right in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado. For those who have been with us from the beginning, our new location is just one block south from our original studio. We are tucked on the 2nd floor to keep the chill, terrarium vibes we all love, but still in the epicenter of Old Town. It is perfect!

Terrarium Tattoo's private tattoo studio in Fort Collins, Colorado

Terrarium Tattoo's new location

Custom Tattoo Studio

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Terrarium Tattoo Merch

Terrarium Tattoo's View of Old Town

Saraswati

Wood mushroom

Alter

Many people have asked WHY we moved after just a year and a half at our prior location. As life often goes... things didn't go as we planned. We poured our hearts, time and resources into creating our dream space only to learn our unit had a roof that leaked every time it rained or snowed. As if that wasn't enough fun, we had a landlord who could never seem to fix it. After a year and a half we made the difficult but necessary decision to leave. We hit the ground running and in a period of 5 weeks we packed up, renovated our NEW space, moved in and started taking appointments. It was a whirlwind but we are beyond psyched with the final result. This is our 3rd location and we are all loving it, 3rd times the charm, right?

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As always, we are forever grateful to our amazing clients who continue to support us. Terrarium Tattoo currently has 5 artists, many of who have families and children. When you get tattooed you allow us to continue doing what we love, providing unique, custom tattoos in a chill environment. So much has changed since we first opened in 2015. One thing that will never change is our "Art First" motto and approach to providing beautiful tattoos to our clients!

Terrarium Tattoo Entryway

Terrarium Tattoo's studio entrance

Terrarium Tattoo

Be sure to follow our studio and ALL our artists on INSTAGRAM for portfolios and shop specials!

We are HIRING!

We are officially into our second month at our new location! We have received so much support and love, thank you to everyone who has messaged, liked, shared, and/or come in for a sweet new tattoo. This new space has allowed us SO much room to grow, it's the bigger fishbowl we've all be needing. We're riding the wave of excitement and creativity into 2023... weeeeeee!

With a bigger fishbowl comes room for more artists. WE ARE HIRING!

Terrarium Tattoo operates as a private studio by appointment, this allows our artist's to have full control over their scheduling, hours, and projects. We are looking for individuals who are chill and self-motivated. Our motto has always been "art first", with the goal of providing unique, creative, art-driven tattoos. We typically work closely with our clients to create custom, one of a kind tattoos. We keep a calm environment that's filled with buzzing tattoo machines, music, houseplants, and burning sage.

If you'd like more information about booth rental, checking out the shop, or joining our crew, please e-mail us at terrariumtattoo@gmail.com and include your contact information and portfolio. Let's do this!!!