I’m a tattoo artist, a mother, a model, a writer, a daughter, a friend, an Afro in the crowd. My name is Tamara! What’s yours?
Recently, I sat down with EXtra Ink Tattoo shop owner Tamara Keeler to chat about her experience as a mother, tattoo artist, Colorado native, life-long dreamer, survivor, woman, and black business owner.
For context, Tamara recently completed two tattoos for me. During our sessions, we shared a great many meaningful conversations about the world, her passions, and her goals as a person and artist. I learned about her experience as one of the few black business owners in Fremont County running the only women-owned tattoo shops.
If you don’t know, Fremont County consists of a predominantly white and conservative population that doesn’t always support diversity. In many ways, this environment can present various challenges for people of color when trying to feel embraced and supported by the community.
Tamara’s valuable perspective and bravery has inspired this full spotlight on how she is constantly reaching for new heights even when facing immense adversity and hardship.
Here’s is Tamara’s incredible story, which I encourage you to share with others.
Q: What tattoo style is your specialty and how long have you been tattooing?
A: I have been tattooing for nine years now! Crazy to think about now!
At the time, I was tattooing everything that walked through the door so I became familiar with many different styles over the years!
Everyday is different for me, so it’s hard to chose just one style, but I’ve always had an intense passion and respect for color tattoos and my realistic flower tattoos; particularly the roses, are my favorite tattoos to do.
I’m very blessed to have won multiple awards as an artist from the National Tattoo Association and the Colorado Tattoo Convention. The ones I’m proudest of are for my work as a tattoo artist because I’ve chosen and built my life around tattooing.
I have won people’s choice and artist choice awards. I’ve won in realism, watercolor, and color tattoos. I have even won back to back years for American traditional tattoos! I’ve worked very hard to win awards in multiple categories. There is so much more to learn and goals to achieve in those categories as well as others I haven’t won for yet!
Q: What makes EXtra Ink unique and how do you compare to other shops out there?
A: EXtra Ink is unique because it’s the only black-owned tattoo shop in Fremont County, Colorado!
EXtra Ink is also the only tattoo shop with female only tattoo artists. We create high-quality custom tattoos, care about our clients, and we sit on one of the busiest streets in Canon City!
Q: As one of few black business owners in Fremont County, what is that experience like for you and how does it impact your business?
A: Honestly it is a little overwhelming in the sense that, it should feel more important than it does. But, for me, I am SOOO proud!
Being bullied and treated differently all my life for being black, or not black enough, etc., made it very hard for me to feel like I belonged ANYWHERE. I struggle to find my place and I spent a lot of time trying to prove I was worthy of acceptance. Art found me at a young age and I coped with my misplaced shame and sadness by falling head first into it! This lead me to tattooing years later.
Regardless of what I dealt with I still loved where I lived and I know not everyone is hateful and shallow minded. Once I had my children, and went through what I did—opening my business—I realized I wanted to prove that just because people are stuck in their ways, doesn’t mean I have to fallow suit.
I’m proud to be a black woman that faced hardship and chose to stand my ground and build a happy life regardless of the noise. I wish people would be more accepting of our differences and not make us feel ashamed to express our successes and fight against the divide. That’s why I do what I do and hold true, because misery loves company and it don’t live here.
Q: What can people do to better support and advocate for you and other black business owners in Fremont County?
A: I think the best way to support and advocate for me as a black business woman is just being more mindful!
I’m proud of who I am and it makes it extremely weird when people whisper when they speak about black people or ignore black history month all together. It just doesn’t feel like people are very accepting or proud of the diversity in our community.
I was bullied and assaulted for being black, yet I never shamed anyone or blamed anyone. I ignored a lot of hurt and pain to build a life here for my two ALSO black sons! Bravery should count for something.
Q: How long have you lived in Fremont County and what makes you stay in the face of adversity?
A: I was born and raised here in Cañon City so I’ve lived here over 25 years—with a few years in Hawaii!
I stayed because I DO love this area! It’s beautiful and as much as I’m not a fan of the cold, I love all the seasons! Raising kids near my family being a single mom was huge for me and I just love my clientele!
I’ve learned to ignore the small town gossip and leaving the state briefly really made me appreciate my home town! Being around people you know and seeing your friends and other owner friends at the store or at events is also so nice!
There IS beauty in everyone knows everyone! Clients become friends! Other owners become partners, etc. It’s a nice community and the grass is never greener, just different.
Q: Raising two boys, how does this influence/inspire your life and the way you do business?
A: Raising my two sons, I think “often” about how I want them to see me.
How I want them to carry themselves. I never received a degree, let alone one in business, so I’m learning as a go most the time. But I do know how I want to feel and how I want to be treated so I try to business the same way.
I’ve quickly learned that I do have to set boundaries and put my people pleaser mindset on the bench. (lol) I’m a kind, caring person and it matters to me how people and my sons feel about me. I think it’s important to have your game face on, but people also need to see a real person! I’m silly, intense, and passionate, but also fierce and focused and people respond to that kind of real energy.
So, I run my business as real and true as I can.
Q: You created the Eternal Flame Project, can you tell me more about the initiative and what’s driving it? How many tattoos have you done so far and how can people get involved?
A: The reason I am a single mother is because I left an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship.
Two weeks after recovering from a cesarean, I chose to leave. I was dealing with postpartum depression (the blues), had to move back in with my parents, found out I was broke, getting divorced, and had two sons under two years old.
I was sad and felt like a failure and questioned every choice I’d made.
Long story short, I finally made it through the grief and pain of that choice to leave. It would have been nice to have that reminder—that little something—to remind me what I overcame and what I had been through. I wanted a reminder that I wasn’t alone. That people understood and valued my courage to leave my domestically violent partner.
So I created The Eternal Flame Project—a tattoo that I do for fighters and survivors of Domestic Violence and or Sexual Assault.
The flame shows that no one can take your light again! That you are still YOU! The wind symbol in the flame represents the untamable fire! The fire that burns in all of us—our strength, our confidence, our spark! Sometimes in making these hard choices the first step is the hardest to find, and I was hoping this tattoo could be that first step!
Send me an email at tamarajadetattoos@gmail.com! I would be HONORED to do more flames for more strong people! I BELIEVE I have tattooed 15 flames so far and climbing!
Q: What future hopes and dreams do you have for yourself and your business?
A: I am always trying to shoot for the next dream, the next goal (lol). For EXtra Ink I hope to just keep thriving and keep producing the quality work we have!
I have cosmetic things I would like to do to the shop (windows, doors, tv, etc. lol). We are talking getting merchandise soon so that’s going to be a fun busy project! I also am in the planning process of opening my secondary location! It will be a flash shop and out of state so that’s very exciting to dream and manifest on!
It’s definitely my five year plan. Hopefully it will open me up to more options and opportunities to be a better tattoo artist. More importantly, it’ll open me up to being even more present as a mother to my boys!
Q: What projects are you working on right now?
A: Currently I am working on writing a book!
It’s an autobiographical story about what I faced being in a relationship with a narcissist, being pregnant during that experience, and the aftermath of the trauma and the pain and healing that came from it.
I’ve been working on it since November 2023 and I hope to have my first draft completed by Christmas! I also am working on getting a spot in the local art gallery! I had a goal of five paintings for display and I’m almost there! Hopefully, I’ll be sharing that soon as well! Needless to say many exciting things ahead.
Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about you and/or business?
A: I am just a woman from a small town with big dreams!
I am a proud person and a fierce lover! If I’ve been burned it’s hard for me to feel secure and safe, but I am an optimist too!
I like to believe people are good and I’ve been told I’m too open hearted. But I think this world making us hard, and people make it extremely hard to be soft too! I’m a strong woman raising two boys on my own with a business. I make no excuses, but I do expect compassion and grace from others. I’d expect people to want that from me as well!
I take pride in my work and I work hard to improve as a woman and as an artist! I’ve never said I’m perfect, but I’m an avid learner and happy to do so! I run my business as is me! I love my shop and always do my very best to provide the best service for our clients and be prompt! I am always receptive of criticism. I know what failure looks and feels like which has humbled me and given me perspective.
My hardships have also made me cautious, but they have also made me extremely wise, very patient and forgiving. I’m bold and intimidating, I’m a dork and insecure, I’m confident and I’m shy all in the same.
I’m a tattoo artist, a mother, a model, a writer, a daughter, a friend, an Afro in the crowd. My name is Tamara! What’s yours?
Visiting EXtra Ink Tattoo Shop in Cañon City, Colorado
Tamara Keeler and her other amazing female artists are open for appointment only. If you’re traveling to Cañon City and want to get tattooed at EXtra Ink, please contact them for a consultation.
EXtra Ink is located at 1224 9th Street in Cañon City, Colorado across the street from Big Burger World.
