Her Ink Empire

About Her Ink Empire

The Artist Altar is a tattoo podcast focused on tattoo education, creative entrepreneurship, and building a sustainable career as a tattoo artist. Hosted by Justine Almaraz, tattoo artist, educator, and founder of Earth Altar Tattoo Studio, this show explores the business, mindset, and mastery behind successful tattooing. Launching Season 2, the podcast supports beginner and established tattoo artists and creative entrepreneurs ready to refine their craft, scale income, and build aligned, profitable creative businesses.

Publisher

Justine Almaraz

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 May 2025

Latest episode

4 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

24 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Mar 2026

   EP:3 How to Choose a Tattoo Apprenticeship: 9 Paths Compared

   In this episode, I’m breaking down the nine different ways you can learn tattooing. What each path really looks like, the pros and cons, the hidden costs and the outcomes you can realistically expect. I wanted to make this because so many aspiring tattoo artists feel overwhelmed trying to figure out where to begin. Apprenticeships can feel mysterious, gatekept, or confusing, and I want to lay everything out clearly so you can make an informed decision that actually supports your life, your learning style and your long-term goals. We walk through traditional shop apprenticeships, paid programs, tattoo schools, online education, hybrid mentorship models, self-taught paths and multi-path learning. I also talk about the importance of structure, mentorship and proper hygiene education, especially bloodborne pathogen safety, because those foundations directly affect your career, your clients and your reputation. This episode isn’t about declaring one path as the only right choice. It’s about understanding what each option really involves so you can move forward intentionally, avoid major gaps in your education and build confidence in your skills. My goal is to help you feel empowered, informed and supported as you choose the tattoo education path that fits you best. What We Cover The 9 main tattoo apprenticeship paths explained Hidden costs behind “free” apprenticeships Why mentorship quality matters more than price Education gaps and how they affect your career Tattoo schools vs. traditional shop learning Hybrid models that combine structure and hands-on mentorship The realities and risks of self-teaching tattooing Bloodborne pathogen safety and hygiene standards Choosing a path that aligns with your goals and lifestyle If you want deeper guidance, I share a free guide for aspiring tattoo artists to help you decide if tattooing is the right path and how to prepare for it. I also created a tattoo activation toolkit with materials, resources and hygiene fundamentals to support your early learning. I’d love to hear from you tell me in the comments which apprenticeship path resonates most with you, or share your own experience if you’ve already been through one. Let’s keep the conversation going and support each other in making informed decisions. Thanks for being here. Here are my free resources mentioned in the video. Get instant access to the FREE MASTERCLASS & FREE TATTOO PREP TOOLKIT: https://www.earthaltaredu.com/programs (https://www.earthaltaredu.com/programs) Connect with Me:Instagram: @earthaltaredu (https://www.instagram.com/earthaltaredu/) Website: (http://www.justinealmaraz.com)https://www.earthaltaredu.com (http://www.earthaltaredu.com/) YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio)https://www.youtube.com/@TheJustineAlmaraz (https://www.youtube.com/@TheJustineAlmaraz)

2. 

   11 Feb 2026

   EP:2 A Collaborative Tattooing Experience: Chat With Thea + Alex

   In this episode, I sit down with tattoo artist Alexandra Husmann and Joy Practitioner Thea Monyee to reflect on a deeply collaborative, intuitive tattooing journey we’ve been creating together over time. What began as a subtle, gentle first layer evolved into a living, breathing practice of trust, improvisation, and shared authorship where skin became a canvas for “jazz,” duality and embodied truth. We talk about what it means to let tattooing be a conversation rather than a plan, how collaboration can dissolve boundaries between artists and clients, and why the most meaningful creations often require us to slow down, pause, and live with the work before adding more. This episode opens up the inner world behind intuitive tattooing where consent, vulnerability, and listening to the body become the real art. Thea weaves in her work around joy and grief as coexisting forces, reminding us that joy is not surface-level happiness but a metric of aliveness and that anticipatory grief is often what keeps us from fully expressing who we are. Together, we explore tattoos as portals for visibility, healing, and becoming, and why choosing to create (and live) out loud can feel both terrifying and liberating. In this episode we talk about: ✨ Collaborative tattooing as jazz, call and-response and improvisation ✨ What intuitive tattooing really means beyond aesthetics ✨ Why blank spaces on skin and in life are essential for creation ✨ Navigating duality: softness and structure, flow and geometry, joy and grief ✨ Consent as a nourishing, pleasure-centered practice ✨ Tattoos as embodied markers of transformation and becoming visible Plus, Thea shares more about her joy-centered work, including her free joy assessment and upcoming joy immersion experiences and Alex talks about her approach to collaborative, intuitive tattooing and finding harmony within existing forms. This conversation is an invitation to trust the process, to honor not knowing, and to allow creativity to be a living relationship rather than a fixed outcome. Like jazz, like life, like a tattoo that keeps unfolding. Connect with Thea Monyeé Instagram: @theamonyee (https://www.instagram.com/theamonyee/) Connect with Alex: Website: www.alexandrahusmann.com (http://www.alexandrahusmann.com) Instagram: @alexhtattoos (https://www.instagram.com/alexhtattoos/?hl=en) Connect with Me: Instagram:@justineartstudio (https://www.instagram.com/justineartstudio/) Website: www.justinealmaraz.com (http://www.justinealmaraz.com) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio (https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio)

3. 

   4 Feb 2026

   EP : 1 Why I Stopped Making Art for Two Years and why I had to sacrifice my art practice

   In this episode, I’m sharing what it’s been like to step away from my personal art practice and what it means to come back. After two years focused on building a tattoo education system with my husband, Luis, I reflect on the sacrifices, growth, and clarity that came from putting my own painting on pause. We created an in-person, curriculum-based apprenticeship model that honors tattooing as a serious art form while helping artists learn more efficiently. This episode is really about identity giving yourself permission to call yourself an artist, even after breaks, pivots, or life changes. Being an artist doesn’t disappear just because your focus shifts. This also marks the beginning of my return to painting, and I’m inviting you to join me in the process of the rust, the rebuilding, and the joy of creating again. What We Cover Taking a break from your art without losing your identity as an artist Building a tattoo apprenticeship model that actually works Mentorship vs. traditional art school Developing a recognizable, signature style across mediums Tattooing as an extension of fine art Returning to your creative practice after time away Schedule your meeting with me here:::: RESEARCH INTERVIEW BOOKING LINK: https://www.justinealmaraz.com/book-project-2026-research-interviews (https://www.justinealmaraz.com/book-project-2026-research-interviews) Thanks for being here. Connect with Me: Instagram: @justineartstudio  (https://www.instagram.com/justineartstudio/) Website: www.justinealmaraz.com (http://www.justinealmaraz.com) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio (https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio)

Who has been a guest on Her Ink Empire

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jessica Hitchcock
• Clare Storck
• Jade Chung
• Sophia Kaminski

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

66

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0