Meet Sara an intelligent lady and a successful body piercer, these days serving Silver Line Tattoo, Ottawa, Ontario Canada. Her husband is a tattoo artist in the same studio. She herself has few piercings. She finds her husband and she being in similar professions, ‘push our passion for the art.’ She says that they can share so much with each other & both have an appreciation for what the other does. Guys do you know her husband Buzz says that he is ‘a loving husband... and when you enter a profession with your partner, you want to empress your partner with your moves.’ Apart from piercing her clients, she has pierced her husband too.
Check out below full e-mail interview of Sara...
Disha: When did the journey of body art start and how?
Sara: I guess it all started at age 17 (I’m 31 now, going on 32 soon) when I first moved to Ottawa, Ontario Canada. I am originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. I used to hang out at a piercing studio in Ottawa that has since closed. I was a guinea pig for one of the in-training piercers & I paid very close attention to what she did.
Well, maybe my fascination really started from childhood - my Mom’s a Registered Nurse & I grew up in the doctor’s office where she worked. I was always fascinated by all the tools & in trying to figure out how things worked in relation to the human body. I excelled in Biology & science related courses in High School & in College, I had a 92% average in Botany - not exactly human related - but still figuring out the basis of life....
Anyhow, back to the piercing- after playing with my own piercings for years - re-opening, stretching, re-piercing...It was something I had lived with for 8 years & had done research on my own - at age 25 I met my husband - Buzz. He was a body piercer at that time & showed me a few pointers & trained me - my training lasted for about 2 or 3 weeks. I think piercing came so naturally to me because of the years that I had been around it & due to my brain working a certain way.
Disha: What are your principal inspirations?
Sara: I strive to better myself in the way of my knowledge in relation to body piercing. Now to me that covers healing of piercings, ways to aid in healing irritation/infections that can happen over the course of a healing piercing, new piercing techniques, new materials used in initial piercings, figuring out how different anatomy affects placement of piercings, expanding my expierence of scarification, branding, implants. Basically, never to stop learning & never to forget that these people are putting trust in me & my experience & to not let them down makes sure that I am on top of the newest procedures & information.
Disha: Which are the most popular body parts, you are asked to pierce?
Sara: It really changes from year to year and this year it seems to be tongue, navel, eyebrow & surface piercings.
Disha:For what all studios you have worked.
Sara: Started at a place called Agit Prop, then moved to Unique Body Piercing & now myself & Buzz manage Silverline Tattoo & Body Piercing Studio. All these shops are in Ottawa just moved up the street to better & better studios.
Disha:Which is the strangest request you have ever had regarding body piercing?
Sara: I do all types of piercings & am quite hard to shock at this point. It might be when one of my clients that I have been piercing for years now asked if I was comfortable doing play piercings right into his testicles, at this point we had done about 2 or 3 play piercing sessions. After much research on both our parts, I felt comfortable in doing this for him (play piercing means to pierce areas of the body & then to let them sit in for a while & then they are all removed - the point it not to keep the piercing, it is for the sensation of being pierced). There were no negative side effects & the pain was not what you would expect. There are no nerves in the testicles; he said it was more an extreme pressure. There are risks to piercing the testicles, if you poke the wrong area you can do permanent damage, also if the scrotal sack is torn much damage can be done. I would not do this piercing for any other clients I have, as I do not think that they would understand the risks involved.
He wears a suit & tie, runs a company & is a very normal man with a family. He is what he refers to as a ‘type A’ personality, who hurt his back skydiving. After his accident, he was unable to experience that rush he sought after. His marriage suffered because of his depression & they almost got divorced. Then he found body piercing- he found his new release, not in a sexual way. His wife is a part of this area of his life they both enjoy the piercings. He has many more than she does, but she does enjoy the extra stimulation they provide her sexually.
Disha: How much do you charge, approximately, for a piece of art?
Sara: Depending on the piercing & jewelry used, the price can range from $35 to $120. Most of the common piercings cost between $35 & $65.
Disha: Tell me honestly, what is there in body piercing, despite all the pain, that drive people and of course you, crazy?
Sara: I really don’t think it is the pain that people like most are afraid of that part of the process, with a piercing the pain only last for a few seconds, if that long. I find people are beautifying themselves, trying to enhance what they have naturally. For some, it is about taking control of their bodies. For some it is fashion, for other it is spiritual. There are many reasons, some I’m sure don’t know about. For me, it is about enhancing my natural beauty in a subtle way, I do not like to shock.
Disha: Which is your ink dream and why? Have you ever been able to achieve it?
Sara: Body Art for me is a continual growth experience. As life changes, so does my art- it is an expression of where I have been, where I am in the present & where I dream of going in the future. Will I ever achieve it- it is a process, with the end being when I leave this body!
Thanks Sara for allowing us to know you better and giving your precious time to us.
