Brooke is a midwestern transplant living her best life in San Diego, CA. A content creator and impulsive-tattoo lover, Brooke thrives on chasing her dreams and living life to the fullest. Her tattoos are not just simple blackwork – but beautifully chaotic art, representative of her go-with-the-flow lifestyle. We spoke with Brooke to learn more about her, and how her ink represents her lifestyle, personality, and how it has inspired her aspirations as a tattooed model and travel vlogger.

Hi Brooke! To start, could you tell me a little about your background?

Hey! To start, I grew up in Ohio and lived there my entire life up until moving to San Diego, CA this past August 2021. I am currently twenty three years old. I grew up in a divorced family, my mother and father separated when I was about eight and a few years later my father remarried. I have one brother who is younger than me by three years. I love my family, but am not extremely close with them, I would say I am closest to my mother. When it comes to my family and their opinion on my tattoos, they are generally indifferent and love me for who I am.

How you would describe yourself and your personality?

I would start off by saying my zodiac sign is a Sagittarius, and I feel as though I fit the traits pretty well – even if I am not an expert on astrology. I am adventurous, sometimes spontaneous, passionate, curious, etc. I’m not really extroverted though, I am more shy and slightly awkward. I think what has made me stand out most is my ability to unapologetically be myself and do whatever I want or set my mind to. I truly believe in loving life to the fullest and chasing dreams.

What do you currently do for work? Is this what you always thought you’d be doing, or did you have different career plans previously?

Currently I am an online content creator. I work on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. I absolutely love what I do and the freedom it grants me, the only negative part about my job is the negativity that comes from others by being on the internet. In the back of my head, I always hoped/felt this is what I would be doing, but I was stuck in a mindset where I would go to college and obtain a career that way. I started at community college with the intent of being a dietitian. After two years, I earned my associates degree and decided to “take a break”, but I had no intention of furthering my college career. I told myself that college is always an option no matter what age, and if I felt the need to go back at a later stage in life, I could.

Let’s talk about tattoos! You have an absolutely gorgeous collection of tattoos. Could you tell us a little about your tattoo journey up to this point?

Thank you! My journey started about three years ago at the age of 20. At first, I had just started getting a few, small, Pinterest-type tattoos, but quickly realized that there was more to it and that I enjoyed using my body as a canvas. I used to draw and paint but was too critical of my work, so I found tattoos to be a creative outlet for me. I don’t design my tattoos, but I mostly come up with the subjects and placement or pick pieces already done by artists that I love. Once I started, I was unable to stop, and here I am now.

If you had to choose, what would you say is your most memorable/significant tattoo you have? 

My most significant tattoo I think would be the year on my stomach which is also the tattoo I get the most questions about. I have “1971” on my stomach and most of the time people are confused because I don’t look 50 years old. The year 1971 is when both my mother and father were born. I was lucky that they were born the same year.

Your tattoos beautifully compliment each other.  How would you describe your signature style of tattoo that you typically get, and how is this style reflective of you as a person?

My torso is the only part of me that I would say is actually symmetrical. I would describe the rest as chaos that somehow works together to create a masterpiece. The arrangement of my tattoos is called patchwork and I would call most of it just simple blackwork; aside from the American Traditional on my right leg which I realized fairly late was a style I also loved. I think my tattoos look like impulsive decisions, but they work, kind of like me.

Do you always go to the same tattoo artist to get your ink done, or do you like to switch it up?

I have gone to quite a few different artists, but I have had two main artists; Brian Payne Smith and Ryan Campbell back in my home state of Ohio. I love going to different artists, and especially since I have moved to California it’s not as easy to go back and get tattooed in Ohio. I’ve also had a few of my tattoos from one of my best friends, Hannah Shea (@cactihannah) and highly recommend her.

Take us through what your thought process is when you decide to get a new tattoo!

To be quite honest, there is not much of a thought process. I am a fairly impulsive person and I find a majority of my inspiration from Instagram and artists on Instagram. I just typically go with the flow. I have some flash pieces, or if I like an idea I discuss it with my artists and how it can be changed up to fit me and my body. Most of the time, I don’t see my tattoos until the day I get them and I haven’t had any problems so far. Placement is somewhat more difficult because it’s mostly just what “looks right” – which I look to the artist for reassurance. I like to see what I can fit in any of my open spaces. There’s not really a method to it, It’s basically an art project to me.

Could you describe the tattooed community where you live? What do you feel is the vibe surrounding the tattooed community in your area?

I am originally from Ohio which is a very typical, midwestern state. There weren’t very many tattooed women like me at the time I started getting tattoos. I’m sure there are quite a few more now, but still fairly rare. I now live in California, and there are a lot more women and people in general with tattoos. Two of my best friends are heavily tattooed women, so when I’m with them I think we definitely stand out, but are very comfortable and confident. I think a lot of the community is online, and as women, we find each other mostly through social media – especially having something so big in common.

What are some of your other passions and hobbies outside of the tattoo world? 

I absolutely love to travel! I have always wanted to create YouTube videos about my life and travel experiences. This year I started doing that, so I am excited to see the progress I make. I love to model as well, and am hoping to get into that more, especially as a career. I think it would be incredible to have more heavily tattooed women or tattooed women in general in modeling.

What are some of your goals for the future, career-wise or tattoo-wise? 

I have a hard time thinking too far into the future, but I absolutely want to be traveling a lot, which I sort of already do. I want to book more photo shoots for modeling for sure. Of course, I don’t see a stopping point for me in terms of getting tattoos anytime soon. I take each day as it comes and am thankful for the life I am able to live.

Thank you so much for sharing with us! Could you leave us one of your favorite quotes or messages that you want to share with the world?

One of my favorite quotes I made up a while ago: “Pain is temporary, but drip is forever” I thought it was funny and the “drip” refers to tattoos. Kind of like a reason to say “screw it!” and just get the tattoo.

Thank you Brooke!

Follow and stay up to date with Brooke and her adventures on Instagram @bmarkhaa, Twitter @bmarkhaa, and YouTube @bmarkhaa, and check out her website www.bmarkhaa.com

Meet some of our other featured women here:

• Rami Kintsugi Channels Her Individuality and Healing Nature Through Tattooing
• Cypress Bates is a Model, Goofball, and Just Your Average “Ghoul Next Door”
• Sarah Fulford Talks Tattoos and Embracing Being Different