“I look at myself as a canvas”, interview with Beckie Bold

25-year-old digital creator Beckie Bold (@beckiebold) lives in North Wales where she creates inspiring content for her followers. We chatted to Beckie (she/her) to find out more about her tattoo collection and body confidence journey…

What made you want to get tattooed?

I’ve always loved tattoos and thought they were super cool when I was younger. Growing up I realised that I look at tattoos as someone painting their own canvas (their body). I think it’s really unique and brings lots of confidence and is definitely a way to express yourself as a person.

I knew when I was younger that I would definitely be a tatted person.

What was your first tattoo? Can you tell us about the experience?

The last time I got tatted, I got three in one sitting. I got a small love heart with the number 13 in behind my ear, because it’s my favourite number and it seems to follow me around. I got a coffin with flowers around it on my upper arm because I thought it went with the spooky vibe of my sleeve and then I also got some crystals and flowers, again to fit the theme of my sleeve.

The experience was great! I was tatted by Emma-louise Bolton (@emm.dots) in Salford, she’s fabulous. She’s so lovely and chatty and always makes you feel super comfortable! She always gives me the prettiest ink.

Talk us through your tattoo collection – any favourites or meaningful ones?

I have lots of tattoos, probably too many to go into detail about each one. Some of my favourites are my mandala in my ditch, that one hurt super bad I wont lie but it’s absolutely stunning. I love my flowers on my chest too as they make me feel super pretty and confident. Another favourite of mine is my little skeletons with the black rose between them, little skeletons in love!

I have one on my back which is quite meaningful to me as it reminds me of my nana and taid (Welsh for grandad) as they were travellers back in the day, so I got a Gypsy wagon wheel for them.

Do you have any themes?

Yes! My right arm is spooky/space themed and I am totally obsessed. I love it and I can’t wait until its completely finished!

You share body confidence and your mental health, do tattoos help you love your body?

Definitely. They let me express myself in a way that is unique to me. They’re beautiful and I want to show them off, which helps me be confident in myself. When I have low days with my body image, I look at all the ink which helps me push through the body battles a little bit more.

Have they made you see your body differently?

I look at myself as a canvas. I get to fill in my own canvas with everyone I love or makes me happy. It’s such a brilliant way to be create in my opinion.

My tattoos make me want to be proud of the skin I am in.

What’s it like getting tattooed when you have lipoedema?

I think it’s different for everyone with lipoedema. For me personally, my upper arms (where the lipoedema is) have bruised whilst healing, while my lower arms (where I don’t have lipoedema) didn’t bruise at all. My lower leg tattoo didn’t hurt at all which surprised me as I have lipoedema there too.

Do you have any advice for anyone who has lipoedema and wants to get tattooed?

It depends on the person and pain tolerance but be prepared for it to potentially be a little more sore in areas where your lipoedema is! I can’t comment too much on this as everyone’s body will react differently.

Can you tell us about what you share on socials, how it all started?

In 2017/2018 when I started university, I began to use Instagram as a mental health diary to help me through my battles. I never set out to do any of this “influencer” stuff and never thought I would reach 40,000 people, but I somehow did.

Seeing all the different content creators on Instagram has saved me in a way, they’ve inspired me to love me for me and I can now hopefully inspire others to love them for them. It’s an amazing platform when you follow people and connect with people that help you feel happy and good about yourself.

I actively speak about body acceptance, mental health and sometimes chronic health such as lipoedema. I want to help people as much as I can. Even if its just one person that feels better because of something they have seen or read on my page, then I’m doing it right.

How do you want people to feel when they see your corner of the internet?

Safe. Included. Inspired. Beautiful. Good enough. Worthy. All the good things! I want them to start treating themselves how they would treat their loved ones. It’s great to love others, but lets love ourselves too shall we?

Follow Beckie for more beautiful photos and tattoos.

Read more tattoo stories including tattoos to mark transformative moments and our interview with Cicely Rae Jackson.

Out For Blood: Interview with SAFIRE

We chat to female crossover metal artist SAFIRE about her new single, aesthetic and tattoo collection…

How would you describe your music? DOM POP! I make dominant pop music drawing inspiration from my love of metal/hardcore punk, RnB and Pop. My music is angry, empowering and sexually charged by my lust for shifting the power dynamics from the masculine to the feminine.

What inspires you as an artist? Rage! War! Blood!

When did your musical career start? I’ve been singing, dancing and acting since I was a kid, but I guess things really started to come to life during the pandemic lockdowns. I lived alone and had a lot of time on my hands to get creative, which is where things really began to take shape.

I wrote a whole record and even recorded two music videos during that period. I think that was the only thing keeping me sane! 

How have you got to where you are today? Blood, sweat and tears. And then some more blood and tears! I’m a self made, independent artist.

I’m lucky to have had the support of some incredible thinkers and creatives to help me develop what I see in my mind. My career and life are synonymous in that respect.

Can you tell us about your new single? I’ve arrived at a point where I have absolute respect for the divine feminine and will no longer tolerate oppression of any kind from the masculine. This is the message.

Out For Blood is about reclaiming your feminine power. It’s a self chant reminding you that you’re a fucking warrior!  

I think the message is clear. You fucked with the wrong woman. You’re on my list and I’m coming for you. 

What’s the process behind your songs? I sometimes draft a concept or storyline based on thoughts that I’ve been having or maybe it’s a nightmare I’ve had. I then draw together a playlist of elements that I’m vibing and will then sit down with my producer and start creating the track.

Whilst the track is being built I’ll start to hear melodies and rhythms. I then build in the storyline and lyrics that I’ve written. The process can be different depending on the mood but that’s a formula that works for me. I like to work in small circles of people that I trust, respect the opinions of and share a similar vision with.

Where can people see you live and find your single? OUT FOR BLOOD is out on all streaming platforms now! The music video is out on the 11th October at 6pm on YouTube.

I’ll be announcing other releases/live shows on socials so follow me there for dates.

When did you get your first tattoo, what is it and do you still like it? I got my first tattoo with a fucking amazing artist and human – Woody @woodfordtattoo. It was a heart made of question marks with soundwaves. It’s done well but nothing I’d have done now. It’s hidden amongst my sleeve on my inner arm. Even though I’m not a huge fan of it I do remember drawing it whilst listening to Tool’s new album (10,000 Days) and it holds some cool memories for me so I wouldn’t change it. 

Walk us through your tattoo collection, do you have a favourite? On my fingers are lyrics from a track by The Hope Conspiracy “It’s a gun at my neck, a voice in my ear, to never look back” handpoked by Adam Sage @adamsage13 and I think they are my favourite tattoos.

I have wings on my neck which is my latest tattoo done by Woody which are my second favourite tattoo. Number three has to be my cat x-ray on my leg by Jack Newton @jackthomasnewton. I got that one done shortly after my cat Canaan died, so it holds a lot of meaning. I’m really into iconography so a lot of my tattoos have some of these pieces within them. 

Do your tattoos help you to feel more confident? I think they did when I was a lot younger but I don’t really see them now.

They’re a part of me and an extension of my thoughts and feelings that I’m willing to convey outwardly. It’s a similar process with my music and visual art. 

Did your fashion style come first or your music, how do these come together? I think both elements have evolved concurrently and are both just a culmination of my interests and influences. I’m influenced by darker aesthetics and sounds for sure! Always have been.

Do you listen to music while you’re getting tattooed? Yes! I remember listening to Isis’s (then) new album ‘In The Absence Of Truth’ whilst getting my tattoo sleeve done. I LOVE Garden Of Light. Very cathartic.

Being tattooed has opened doors and conversations for me that I don’t think would have otherwise been opened. It’s equally closed some!

Can you share any experiences, good or bad, of being a tattooed woman? People definitely make judgements about who you are based on your looks and tattoos. I remember being stared at by an old and very disgusted couple in Belgium years ago. That felt weird to me. I don’t even notice my tattoos any more so I didn’t know what the hell they were looking at!

I’ve had the opportunity to appear in tattoo magazines and to host conventions when I was younger which was amazing. I met some incredible people during that period, so no regrets! 

Follow SAFIRE for more music, fashion and tattoos.

Tattoo stories: Cicely

At Things&Ink we’re a curious bunch – we want to know about your tattoos. Why did you get that design? Why that artist? Tell us EVERYTHING! So we’re introducing our tattoo stories series, as a way to get to know you all better (and be nosy). Here’s Cicely Rae Jackson (she/her) sharing her tattoo story…

Hello! My name is Cicely and I live in Holmfirth with my husband Josh and our two kids Lilith and Abel. I create content for a living and spend the rest of my time hunting for treasures in our local charity shops!

How old were you when you got your first tattoo, what was it and do you still like it? I was 17 or 18 when I got my first tattoo. It was a pretty dodgy studio and there were a lot of red flags that would stop me going ahead with the tattoo now, but I was young and inexperienced! 

I asked for a bow on the back of my ankle (they were super trendy back then ). I was never shown a design and the guy tattooed directly on to my leg without a stencil or freehand drawing, but I was happy enough with it for a couple of months. I then went to another studio and had it coloured in to try improve it, but it still wasn’t amazing. I later had it covered up with a bigger lilac bow, but you could still clearly see the original bow underneath.

So I eventually went to a great artist who worked it into another tattoo and covered up it up with a navy bow

What made you want to get tattooed? I’ve always loved the look of tattoos and grew up with a mum who really supported us in expressing ourselves and I just knew I wanted to be covered in tattoos at some point in my life.

Can you tell us about your tattoo collection, any favourite pieces, artists or experiences? The majority of my tattoos are traditional designs or done in a traditional style. I love how bold they look and how they sit together.

One of my favourite memories of getting tattooed was when my sister and I took a trip down the country to Hastings to get tattooed by Cassandra Francis. We got a hotel room and stayed for the weekend, it was such a great adventure.

When I chose my wedding dress I knew I needed my shoulders tattooed. That was such exciting wedding prep going to shedwolf in our local town to get them done in the lead up to the wedding.

Cicely on her wedding day

Jemma Jones has done kewpie baby tattoos of both our children, on both me and my husband. They are the same but different and I love how they represent the kids’ names.

One of my pride and joy tattoos is a crying lady head by Danielle Rose. She did a guest spot in Manchester on my birthday and it was meant to be. I had had a big year of crying, including a break up and getting this tattoo was a lovely end to that!

Do tattoos have to have a meaning? Not at all! Personally I consider my tattoos a collection of art from talented artists, I have a couple that mean a lot to me but I’d say 85% have no meaning!

What sorts of reactions do your tattoos get? I’m always happy to discuss my tattoos with people that have a genuine interest in them, the style or specific artists etc. I’d much rather people talk to me about them than just stare. 

The negative reactions to my tattoos have predominantly been from family members or people of the older generation. A manager, at one of the jobs I had as a teen, was really against my tattoos being on show as I worked on the women’s wear floor of a department store. The same rules didn’t apply to the staff on the men’s wear floor and we had a lot of disagreements about this!

Can you tell us about your experience as a tattooed mum? My experience as a tattooed mum has been on the whole, a positive one. When my daughter was younger and we would go to different baby groups, I would always be conscious that other mums would judge me but I think a lot of that was in my head.

I’ve also found tattoos to be a really lovely talking point with like-minded mums at these kind of baby groups or in the playground! If my tattoos put people off wanting to approach me as a mum friend then more than likely we wouldn’t get on anyway! 

What do your children think of your tattoos? They don’t really seem to notice them, I guess as they have been part of me for their whole lives. Sometimes my daughter will try to look for matching items that me and my husband have, like snakes or babies. My daughter’s friend refers to my tattoos as my patterns and she always wants to feel them.

Do your tattoos help you to view your body differently? I absolutely adore my body and I think my tattoos have played a big part in that. Sometimes when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or see a photo that includes a lot of my tattoos, I feel so happy as this is exactly how I’ve always wanted to look.

Do you have any future tattoo plans? I would be completely covered if I had the money and the time! The next one I have booked in is my fingers and I would love to start on my chest this year.

Be sure to follow Cicely for charity shop treasure hunts, adorable kids and craft inspiration.

Stretch marks and tattoos

Stretch marks, scars, stretchies, tiger stripes… whatever you call them, most of us have them, and that’s okay. But what about when you want to get a tattoo where you have a stretch mark or a scar? Can you tattoo over them, will the tattoo look alright? We spoke to a couple of tattoo artists to find out…

Hannah Gehrke, Red Tattoo and Piercing, Leeds

As someone who is absolutely riddled with stretch marks (which hindered me a lot in my teenage years, thanks, puberty), I am absolutely unbothered by them and I fully empathise with those who aren’t so comfortable with having them. 

If you do have concerns about them and are looking to get tattooed, the best thing to do – if you feel comfortable – is to send over a photo of the area so I can have a look, and we can further discuss the best way to make a tattoo that’ll look good and last a lifetime!

When someone is looking to cover up stretch marks or scars, I firstly like to make it clear that putting a tattoo over them does not remove them. The tattoo is a distraction – no one will primarily notice stretch marks or scars when there’s a fun tattoo over them!

I’d also say, with scars especially, make sure they are completely and totally healed before getting a tattoo over them. It’s a lot safer and you’ll have a more pleasant experience. Otherwise, as I say to all of my customers, get into a routine of moisturising the area a week or so before your appointment! The more soft and supple the skin, the easier it is to work with, but I feel that’s just a general rule for life though. Get on that daily moisturiser, folks!

Notes for artists:

There’s no particular dos and don’ts when it comes to tattooing scars, but the style of tattoo does have to be taken into consideration depending on what the individual’s skin is currently like, and I do like to have a thorough consultation before going ahead with anything so we can get a good end result.

Scars, especially those that are raised, do tend to be a little physically tougher to tattoo, but that doesn’t mean you can just hammer anything into them; you still have to be careful especially when it comes to doing line work. Go slightly too hard and you’ve got yourself a ticket to Blow Out City, somewhere we want to avoid!

Stretch marks tend to swell and raise quicker as the skin is thinner and more delicate, which can sometimes make them a little tricky. As long as you’re not too heavy handed and it’s applied correctly, line work and colour/shading usually heal and last well. They can sometimes take longer to settle back down to normal during the healing process though, and do need to be babied a little more.

Katherine Alexander, Perseverance Tattoo, Inverness, Florida

I promise you, any good artist will not care about your stretch marks or scars. You don’t need to be scared, worried or self conscious. We’re here to help you feel good and make you some beautiful art! If you are ever uncomfortable in an artist’s chair for any reason, please speak up! For any reason at all. Tattoos are a very personal thing and your comfort always matters first and foremost. We are at YOUR service, don’t forget that!

Honestly, just do it. There’s nothing wrong with stretch marks, but if you are wanting to redecorate them with some art, don’t be afraid!

It doesn’t feel super different to tattoo, but it depends on the scar and stretch mark. It can depend on depth, how it healed and how old it is. If anything, it may be a little more tender in some areas but it isn’t going to feel any worse than a regular tattoo. It is a little tricky to actually do the tattoo, it can blow out or not take the ink. It just takes a little extra time and care! So make sure you research your artist as well as talk to them about their work with scar tissue! Don’t be afraid to look around until you find someone you trust and would like to work with.

There isn’t much prep out of the ordinary that you need to do before your appointment, but it is always good to use moisturiser. Just keep the area clean and make sure there isn’t any irritated or open scar tissue and you’ll be good to go, just like any appointment.


As far as aftercare goes, just give it some extra moisturising and keep it hydrated and it should heal as normal! It’s always good to apply lotion even after it’s healed to keep it looking nice, and your skin will thank you. The scars may be a little irritated and swollen after the tattoo is done, but that is normal, they will go down once everything is healed!

Have you got a tattoo over scars or stretch marks and would like to share them with us? Tag us in your photo on Insta and we’ll share them in our stories!

Skin conditions and tattoos: Aimee Grace Godden

In the world of tattooing, skin conditions including psoriasis, seem to be almost completely left out of the discussion. But what happens when you want to get tattooed and you have a skin condition?

Writer and tattoo collector Lucy Edwards was diagnosed with psoriasis at 16, in this interview she chats to Aimee Grace Godden, a tattooed artist also fighting psoriasis about her psoriasis journey and how it has affected her tattoos.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition characterised by an overgrowth of skin cells causing red lesions that range in severity from person to person. It often flares up during times of stress or when any damage is caused to the skin such as tattoos. The condition affects people so differently that there is no solid tattoo related advice for all individuals battling psoriasis. I have never had a flare due to a tattoo and my tattoos had always healed normally, but this may not be everyone’s experience.

The silence around psoriasis and tattoos unfortunately leaves many people questioning whether or not they can or should get tattoos. I spoke to Aimee to understand her experiences to open up the narrative around skin in the tattoo industry…

Aimee, can you tell us a little bit about your journey with psoriasis so far I was 14 when I first had signs of plaque psoriasis. This mainly affected common areas such as elbows, scalp, knees and my underarms. So although it wasn’t pleasant it was manageable. It wasn’t until two years ago in 2018 when I was 31 that I contracted a virus which triggered guttate psoriasis. A less common but rapidly spreading form of psoriasis. It covered most of my face and body.

This was much harder to deal with not just because of the discomfort, pain and itching. But because my appearance completely changed, I felt ugly at first, like no one would look at me the same. I couldn’t face a mirror or leaving the house except for work. I thought I’d never meet anyone to date and I’d be different forever.

Eventually I accepted and embraced my new look and I actually learned to love myself all over again. I don’t have such high expectations of myself anymore, my vanity has disappeared and I no longer worry what people think about the way I look. I love myself just as I am with or without a flare up.

Talk us through your tattoo collection, do you have a favourite tattoo? I have six tattoos. Including two large pieces, my first was my right thigh which I sometimes regret a little, it doesn’t have a lot of meaning to it, it’s a mixture of random things, a candy skull, roses, a key, a potion bottle. My back piece is made up of symbols I love the meaning behind the Hamsa, Om, Ying and Yang. My smaller pieces are all on my arms. I have of the sun and moon on my right forearm, this is a memorial tattoo for a best friend that passed a few years ago. She is the sunshine.

I have an unalome and lotus flower tattoo on my left forearm meaning wisdom and the path to perfection, and the lotus represents overcoming adversities. I had this tattooed after struggles with my mental health. I also have a quote on my lower left arm saying “The Universe gives its toughest battles to its bravest Warriors” I know this isn’t the traditional quote but I changed it slightly after having my severe psoriasis outbreak in 2018.

People who have psoriasis or another auto immune disease call ourselves warriors and I wanted a tattoo to remind myself and others how brave we are and that we have got this! 

Are you actively planning on getting any new tattoos? (post pregnancy of course!) Yes definitely, I’m already planning a tattoo of an image which represents my baby’s name. I can’t give too much away as we haven’t announced the name yet. 

Do you have a specific aftercare routine for your tattoos that takes your psoriasis into consideration? I keep it simple. I don’t use any product a tattoo artist recommends not because they don’t work, but because I have to consider the fact my skin can be triggered by anything. So I stick with coconut oil. It helps my tattoo heal fast and I’ve never had any problems. 

How does your psoriasis affect your tattoos? There is something called the Koebner Phenomenon, which can happen to many psoriasis warriors. Which is when damaged or broken skin develops new psoriasis around and on that area. For people that suffer with this it’s pretty impossible to have a tattoo done without this happening. So I highly recommend seeking your doctor’s advice. I’m actually one of the lucky ones.

My mum suffers from Koebner phenomenon but I haven’t so far. This means I am able to have tattoos while I’m not in a flare up without any concern it will develop into psoriasis later on. It’s also important to mention my tattooist will not tattoo me during a flare. I’d probably have more tattoos if it wasn’t for flare ups. 

When I do have a flare up I worry the psoriasis will damage the tattoos I already have. I have noticed some of the ink fades faster during a flare but fortunately I’ve had no major damage. 

Do you have any advice for those with psoriasis who also want a tattoo? Please speak with your doctor first and of course with your tattooist. Your tattooist is right to say no if you have any signs around that area of psoriasis so please listen to them. Not many people have heard of the Koebner phenomenon but it’s worth researching.

I think most psoriasis warriors will know how their skin and psoriasis reacts by now to damaged or broken skin. If you ever cut yourself or even a small graze, ask yourself does it turn into psoriasis? If so I wouldn’t recommend a tattoo. It’s not worth it, and the tattoo will never heal well. If you know you do not suffer from Koebner then I’d say it’s safe to have tattoos on unaffected skin not during a flare.

We love that you are so involved with body positivity, how has your psoriasis affected your confidence? Initially the 2018 flare completely knocked my confidence. I couldn’t leave the house except for work, I hated what I saw in the mirror and I realised I took my looks for granted before. I never thought I was beautiful, but I didn’t appreciate that I looked “normal” as some might say or that I had no noticeable flaws.

But, it didn’t take long for me to find self-acceptance. In fact, it only took a few weeks. It was after posting a photo of myself on my social media to explain to my family what was going on and why I was in hiding. I didn’t expect my photo to get so much attention from strangers and the media.

Although I had to deal with trolls the positivity and kindness towards me totally outweighed the negativity. The more I posted the more people sent me messages of love and support. People started telling me I was an inspiration, I never thought I’d be called that. It soon boosted my confidence. I felt beautiful in my skin for the first time even with a huge flare up.

I’ve learned it’s what’s inside that counts and it’s about self-acceptance and embracing your flaws how you treat yourself and what you put out to the world is what you will receive in return. 

Words: Lucy Edwards, a 20-year-old tattooed university student, cat mum and trying-new-things enthusiast. You’ll most likely find Lucy posting about mental health awareness and self-acceptance on her Instagram.