Posted on Jan 18, 2018
skin deep stories - Bethany
inkbox is an opportunity to provide others with self-expression and creative confidence - whether it’s confidence in yourself, your art, or your desired tattoo. skin deep stories is a series that expl...
inkbox is an opportunity to provide others with self-expression and creative confidence - whether it’s confidence in yourself, your art, or your desired tattoo. skin deep stories is a series that explores the different reasons and ways that people use inkbox in their lives.
Bethany Reinker would have never called herself an artist... until inkbox came along. The 18-year-old Californian heard about inkbox through a friend, who knew that she had enjoyed experimenting with body art in the past. She quickly fell in love with our Freehand Ink, and the flexibility it provides for self-expression.
"With inkbox, one week you could have a palm tree, and the next week it could turn into a dinosaur! With inkbox even if you manage to make a bad decision, it's only temporary... I have permanent tattoos, but I love that inkbox offers the chance to explore tattoos without being permanent."
However, inkbox means more to Bethany that just switching up your look and playing around with designs. In June, she was let go from her job and was overwhelmed with stress and self-doubt. During this hardship she suffered from depression and lost not only her confidence, but her hope as well. She found support through her family, and her brother encouraged her to continue expressing herself through body art. Uploading her beautiful designs to Instagram, she was soon noticed by the inkbox team.
"The way they they responded to me with love, encouragement, and kindness gave me my hope back. It showed me that in a world I thought was so dark there was something so light. They gave me confidence in myself. I never liked to call myself an artist but they did... They showed me that I am something to taken seriously, which gave me the courage to do my first commission piece."
Using Pinterest as her source for inspiration, her inkbox creations are often large, intricate pieces with a natural theme to them - think florals, mountains and skyscapes. Although Bethany has some permanent tattoos herself, she loves that inkbox offers her the chance to explore different styles. She also helps other people decide what tattoos they may want in the future, and helps provide them with a test-run using our Freehand Ink.
Check out Bethany's work on Instagram, @natural_canvas_