After nearly 14 years of tattooing and six years having my studio in Stawell, I’ve made the heartbreaking decision to close my studio and step into semi-retirement.

 I've been living with chronic illness for several years now and I came back to work just under a year ago with high hopes that I could manage.

The unpredictably has been so hard to navigate, not knowing how I'll feel from one hour to the next, never mind planning weeks or months ahead and it has made running a tattoo studio increasingly difficult. I've always wanted to show up fully for my clients, to give every tattoo my complete attention, creativity, and energy. Lately, I've had to accept that I can no longer do that consistently without sacrificing my own wellbeing.

This decision carries so much grief.

Tattooing hasn't just been my job. It's been part of my soul for nearly 14 years. It's been my creative outlet, my purpose, my livelihood, and the thing that connected me to so many incredible people. Through tattooing, I've been trusted with people's stories, their memories, their healing, and their milestones. That trust is something I will never take for granted.

I don't know what comes next and I honestly don't know if I will tattoo again. Right now, my focus has to be on my health and creating a life that feels sustainable.

But I do  know that I am not saying goodbye to creativity.

Creating has always been woven into who I am, and while tattooing may be ending, my artistic journey is not. I'll continue finding joy in the quieter, gentler forms of art that my health allows me to embrace—painting, photography, and making jewellery. Those creative practices will continue to bring meaning, beauty, and purpose to my days, even if they look very different from the path I've walked until now.

This isn't the ending I imagined for myself, but sometimes life asks us to let go of who we've been so we can make space for what we need to become.

For now, I'm choosing rest. I'm choosing healing. I'm choosing to listen to my body.

And while I don't know exactly what the future holds, I'm hopeful that creativity, in whatever form it takes, will continue to guide me forward.

With love and gratitude,

Bec