About Me - A Short Summary

Hello!

My name is Laura and I go by “Laura”, “Lou”, or in some circles “Whimsy”! I am 26 years old and I have been an artist for most of my sentient life. I have always gravitated towards high-fantasy and character creation. I would describe myself as a sketch artist early on. Some of my favorite sources of inspiration from my childhood that I still tap into this day include: “Guardians of Ga’Hoole”, “Warrior Cats”, “Dinotopia”, “Homestuck”, many forms of nature documentary/mockumentary, and much much more. I would draw these characters tirelessly, sometimes even having my sketchbooks taken away from me at school.

The earliest memory I had where I knew I wanted to be an artist…well it’s a bit more complicated than that…was sitting in my grandfathers studio, a little corner of my grandmother’s basement. I don’t remember how old I was, but I remember him making cat whiskers out of black electrical tape. It was as simple as that. Having an idea, and using any means necessary to bring it to life….what a gift that we all carry. Both of my grandparents were talented artists, and they sparked that joy of creativity for me. Although they did not live to see me pursue my dreams, I carry them with me everywhere.

As I grew and developed as an artist, I realized how much I didn’t know where I wanted to take these skills that I had been fostering. With the added confusion of family members that didn’t understand my passions or felt they were too impractical to achieve; I fell into a self-isolated spiral that has held me back for years. Constantly doubting myself, my work, and my place in whatever creative industry I tried to step foot in. Who am I without my creativity? I graduated with my Bachelors in Illustration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and boy, was it a beast. I felt empty after art-school, what was the point? I completely disconnected from the source of my creativity and pursued other avenues. It was one day where I was sitting in my truck as a Seasonal Park Ranger, where a tiny voice whispered in my ear that my creative journey was just about to take me through the ringer.

I began my tattoo journey in November of 2021. I was 22 and felt excited to have this opportunity to work with other artists, grow my skills, and find community. Well, things don’t always go as planned and instead I learned more about myself and my insecurities than I did learning to tattoo in 2022. I finally settled down with a serious mentor in February of 2023. This apprenticeship brought about new challenges along with magnifying my insecurities and doubts (thanks to an ex-mentor who loved making fake accounts to remind me how useless I was and my own hyper-criticism of my own work ). I had to unlearn a lot, and start anew. I graduated my 3rd and final apprenticeship in March 2025 and let me tell you, this is simply the beginning.

Follow my story here as I share my day to day. I do this simply as a journal to myself recording the emotions, the steps forward and the steps backwards. The things I did that worked and didn’t work. The embarrassing truths and the relatable awkwardness.

We’re all a bit whimsical in our own way. Let me help you find your whimsy; it’s calling…