For Courtney Laura, tattooing is more than just a process; it's an intricate exchange that goes beyond leaving someone with something permanent.

"Clients are the only reason we have a job," she said. "Without them, we are nothing. So if someone chooses to spend time and money with you, give them a good experience. Be human." 

She firmly believes that the overall experience, not just tattooing, can distinguish one artist from another, and she approaches it earnestly. 

"No matter what they want, do your absolute best and try to give them a really good experience. If you feel you can't, take yourself out of the equation. If they have a bad time, they'll remember that more than the tattoo itself. Treat people like they are gold because they are." 

These are profound reflections from a tattoo artist who has been excelling for over a decade — a feat even Courtney herself might not have foreseen when she used to doodle as a child.

Although she was born in Edmonton, Alberta, she relocated to B.C. at a young age. During her childhood, she described herself as introverted and shy, but she quickly found solace in art.

"I was always told by my mom I was a pretty good kid as long as there was a colouring book close," she said. "I didn't have a lot of friends or do a lot of anything, which is what brought me to art." 

The mid-to-late 2000s saw a surge in TV shows featuring tattoo artists and their studios (L.A. Ink, Miami Ink etc...), resonating deeply with many, including Courtney. That's when her interest in tattooing began to blossom, despite disapproval from her family.

"My family does not like what I do," she admitted. "Maybe it's grown on them now, but nobody wanted me to get into tattooing." 

Although her family was against it, she was not deterred. It wasn't long before she landed her first apprenticeship.

"I knew I full-on wanted to do this," she said. 

When Courtney was 16, she participated in a work experience program during high school, which was prematurely halted due to the school and her mother's reluctance to have her involved in the industry. 

Although they tried to remove Courtney from it, the proverbial "damage" was done as her connection with her mentor and the art of tattooing was instantaneous. 

She shared that, at the time, she couldn't envision completing high school as tattooing gradually took over her life. 

"My mentor told me, 'I will apprentice you, but you need to finish high school,'" Courtney explained. "I'm so happy that happened. High school is the easiest phase of your life, but in the moment, it's not. I'm glad I had someone rectifying my path but telling me, 'I'll do this for you if you do this for me.'" 

She credits her upbringing with teaching her to be fiercely disciplined, which has paid dividends over her 13-year career.

"My dad is a hard worker; my mom is too," she said. "He came here as a refugee. I was raised to work for everything." 

Courtney noticed that, as someone who grew up with little confidence, she knew she had to harness that passion and make the best of it once she found something she loved. 

"It's really easy for people to underestimate you," she said. "I'm not going to say I knew what I was doing or I was super determined; I just knew I wasn't going to fuck up an opportunity. Especially when you have a family that doesn't want you to do something, the stubborn part of me was like, 'I'm going to do this 10 times harder than you want me to.'"

She even tried to take a more academic approach to art by attending the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, but hated it. 

When Courtney started, she figured her style would be primarily black and grey portraits, and that would be it. She always drew her friends and figured that would be the direction her tattoos would go. 

"It's just funny how life evolves for you without you asking," she said. 

It's wild to hear where Courtney thought her career would go, considering she has since become one of the more sought-after lettering tattooers. Having recently won her first award in Edmonton for a back piece she did, you can see she has started to hit a stride with her work. 

"It's cool that people recognize me for it," she said. "It's not something I ever anticipated. At some point, I got a lot of lettering projects so I just kept doing them. I've leaned into it over the last couple of years, also recognizing there are very few women that do it."

Her journey has had its fair share of roadblocks, too. While she may not show it, she has been dealing with psoriatic arthritis for several years, a condition that doesn't make tattooing any easier.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. These can affect any part of the body, including the fingertips and spine, and range from mild to severe. There's no cure for psoriatic arthritis. Treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms and preventing joint damage. Without treatment, psoriatic arthritis can be disabling.

"When it first happened, I was 26," she said. "My hands swelled up so bad I couldn't use them. That was pretty devastating." 

Courtney needed to learn what this meant for her career. Would she have to find something else? Can she somehow keep going? How do you move on with something that affects the most important tool you have as a tattooer, your hands? 

"What are people going to think? I can't keep tattooing if this is my issue." 

She ended up taking a month off to try and get everything in line. Luckily, she now has treatment sorted and can continue to tattoo without too many issues.

"I can't believe I ever complained about my job for a single day," she said. "I genuinely love what I do and can't imagine doing something else." 

To have it taken away from her, even for a month, plays in the back of her mind and keeps her motivated moving forward.

"I don't feel like I've done the best work possible," she said. "I don't talk myself up a lot, but I am a very determined person who works hard. I just want to be satisfied." 

Courtney knows that achieving perfection in any artistic medium is an ever-changing finish line.

"I feel like I'll always be trying to reach a new high," she said.

While she may have become known for lettering over the last few years, she knows it is a medium that few women in the industry have used. 

"I feel like I need to be the absolute best I can possibly be," she said. 

While once being a woman in tattooing was taboo, Courtney said her journey hasn't endured a huge amount of hardships because she is a woman alone, which is a great thing to hear. 

"You used to be the underdog, but now it's not really like that," she said. "There are so many women that tattoo. It's getting to be about even. I'm not sure we're quite there yet and there are still some hurdles we need to overcome."

She noted while she was coming up in tattooing, she was never made to feel any way about being a woman in the craft, mainly because she worked in an all-women tattoo studio.

But that doesn't mean there isn't still work that needs to be done. 

"I know for a fact there are issues being a woman in the industry, even more so in a genre like lettering where there are so few women that do it," she said. "I've personally had a few experiences with men where it solidified me having strong boundaries and calling things out, but also trying to protect my peace. I'm not trying to fight crime out here, I'm just trying to tattoo at the end of the day."

She added tattooing has changed a lot since she started 13 years ago. 

"There are so many women, trans and gay people who are tattooing now," she said. "We need inclusivity in what we do because that makes it accessible to everyone." 

Not to knock men, Courtney added, but women are good at reading people and situations, something that lends itself well to tattooing. 

"And, we are nurturers by nature. I feel like we need to crawl into every little corner and genre of tattooing. That is not slowing down." 

If she had a time machine and could relay important information she knows now to her younger self, Courtney would stress the importance of taking care of yourself and the importance of caring for your clients.

"Take care of yourself physically and mentally," she said. "Don't forget the client experience. This is a mutual journey we are embarking on together to create something."

If you're interested in booking with Courtney, or want to stay up to date with what she has going on, follow her on Instagram.