A TATTOO artist who suffered with postnatal depression has been using her studio as a safe space for people to talk about their mental wellbeing.
Charlene Healey’s tattoo set up has been based in The Studio Earlestown since February, where she also offers piercings as a qualified body piercer.
She previously worked at a studio in Bury where she completed her training, however, she relocated to a closer studio following her partner’s car crash that left him bed bound.
She said: "I always wanted to be a tattoo artist and I’ve been wanting to do it since leaving school; the only thing I passed my GCSEs in school was art, so I was already on my way.
"It took me a long time to get into it, and it was only when I had my little girl that I was able to work part time and train at the same time.
"Luckily, a friend of mine who I worked for previously had a tattoo shop and I just asked him if he could take me on as an apprentice, so I was quite fortunate to know somebody who would train me."
The tattoo artist detailed on the range of styles in the competitive industry.
She added: "There’s so many different artists and styles to choose from.
"It’s so much more than just having people come in and having a simple name tattoo; we are artists, and we want to create things that people might not necessarily be able to picture upfront."
Charlene offers her studio as a space for customers to talk about their mental health, as she herself suffered from postnatal depression after her daughter’s birth.
The mum-of-one said: "It wasn’t great, I didn’t know what was going on, but I was lucky enough that I did go and seek help and I had friends and family around me.
"I always get a tattoo when I’m fed up or not in a good place.
"I have a semi colon tattoo for mental health, and it’s one of those that I try to encourage people to have if they’re not in a good place."
The 35-year-old also explained how she has altered her pricing list to accommodate customers during a cost of living crisis and is currently running a raffle with a chance to win a free day session.
She said: "Money is tight at the minute for everybody, that’s why I’m trying to create little fresh designs and deals so someone could still get a tattoo and get it within the budget."
To find out more about the raffle and Charlene’s business, visit her Facebook page here.
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