Hi, I’m Justine Almaraz, and I’m so glad you’re here! This podcast is a safe space for artists who want to grow, thrive, and develop their unique creative voice all while building a fulfilling, sustainable career.

In this teaser episode, I share a bit about myself and what this podcast is all about: pulling back the curtain on the world of fine art tattooing, creative entrepreneurship, and developing an iconic style that supports your life and your soul.

Here’s what I’ll be covering:

• Turning my fine art into a tattoo career
• What the tattoo world is really like
• My journey as a creative entrepreneur
• Developing your style, getting seen, and getting paid
• Building a fulfilling, purpose-driven creative career

This podcast is for artists who want to grow their creativity, transition into tattooing or other creative careers, and create a life that feels good while serving their community.

I’m here to share my experiences, interview other artist experts, and help you root your soul in your truest creative life.

I’m excited to share this journey with you. Thank you for being here!

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz

Website: www.justinealmaraz.com  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

In the Finale episode, I reflect on the powerful closing of Season One of Her Ink Empire and the deeply transformative new season I’m stepping into. Turning 40, moving to a new city, and redefining what creativity, health, and balance mean to me, I open up about releasing old patterns, healing my nervous system, and creating from a place of calm and clarity.

From revisiting body image and self-worth to detoxing physically, mentally, and spiritually, I share how stepping out of “hustle mode” is unlocking a whole new wave of creativity. This episode is an invitation to explore your own rebirth to question what still fits, what needs to be released, and what desires are ready to be claimed in this next chapter of life.

In this episode, I talk about:
✨ Closing the first chapter of Her Ink Empire and embracing uncertainty
✨ Turning 40 as a catalyst for deep reflection and renewal
✨ Healing the nervous system and finding creativity through rest
✨ Releasing hustle culture and returning to intuition
✨ Redefining identity as an artist and creator of your own life
✨ Relocating from Los Angeles to Orange County and the energy shift that came with it
✨ Building the Earth Altar Tattoo Collective and expanding Earth Altar Education
✨ Allowing desire and transformation to guide the next creative evolution

I’ve learned that transformation often begins with surrender with the courage to unravel, to release what no longer fits, and to trust the unfolding. This episode is an open invitation to freefall into your own becoming, to honour your growth, and to create from a place of alignment, energy, and truth.

Connect with Justine:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website:  www.justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: Justine Art Studio

Thank you for listening to Her Ink Empire. Your empire is already unfolding one aligned, intentional mark at a time. Stay tuned.

In this episode, I sit down with Jamie, a maker, healer, and founder of The Everyday Empathecary, whose journey bridges art, energy work, and plant medicine. From her early experiments blending oils and herbs for friends, to creating the Magic Salve and tattoo care line that’s become a staple in our community, Jamie’s story is one of devotion, intuition, and deep reverence for the healing power of plants.

She shares how ritual and Reiki shape her process, why crafting salves feels like meditation, and how growing passionflower in her backyard became a cornerstone of her healing recipes. We talk about stepping into fear as a catalyst for inspiration, building a business from the ground up, and redefining skincare as an act of self-love, earth connection, and sacred care.

In this episode we talk about:
✨ Moving through fear and trusting inspiration on the creative path
✨ The story behind the Magic Salve and how it became a community game changer
✨ Why making medicine is a ritual of intention, energy, and prayer
✨ Plant allies like hemp, arnica, and passionflower and their powerful roles in healing
✨ Creating products that work across skin care, wound care, and tattoo healing
✨ How seasonal shifts inspire subtle changes in her recipes
✨ Building The Everyday Empathecary into a business while staying true to its sacred roots
✨ The expansion into oils, scrubs, and bath salts for deeper self-care practices
✨ The challenges and joys of sharing her medicine beyond her inner circle
✨ Tattooing as sacred space and how it connects to plant medicine and ritual

Jamie reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be a jar of earth medicine, lovingly crafted, ready to meet you where you are. Her work is an invitation to slow down, receive the wisdom of plants, and remember that care for the body is care for the spirit.

Connect with Jamie + shop her products:
Instagram: Jamie D

Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: www.justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

Thank you for listening to Her Ink Empire. Your empire is already unfolding one aligned, intentional mark at a time. Stay tuned.

In this episode, I sit down with Krista Roodzant, founder of SuiteStyle OC, a sanctuary for women tattooers and independent artists in Orange County. What started as an unexpected leap into entrepreneurship has grown into a thriving haven, reshaping what safety, beauty, and community can mean in the tattoo world.

Krista’s path has been anything but conventional, from years as a registered nurse and decades as a stay-at-home mom, to real estate ventures, and finally opening her first salon suites in 2022. Her story is one of courage and faith, and what stands out is her heart-centered approach to business: rooted in prayer, hospitality, and a deep belief that artists deserve spaces where they feel secure and valued.

We talk about how SuiteStyle OC has become home to tattooers, hairstylists, estheticians, and more, and why its focus on safety, aesthetics, and belonging is so transformative for women carving their own paths in a male-dominated industry. Krista also shares the challenges of entrepreneurship, what she’s learned about resilience and marketing, and the joy of watching artists build sustainable, thriving careers within her walls.

In this episode we talk about:
✨ Krista’s unexpected path from nursing and motherhood to becoming a business owner
✨ The leap of faith that led to opening Suite Style OC in 2022
✨ Why safety and security are at the core of her vision for artists
✨ How two tattooers asking for a suite changed everything
✨ The surprising misconceptions about tattooing she had to unlearn
✨ What makes artists thrive in independent studios (and what doesn’t)
✨ The role of prayer, intuition, and trust in shaping her leadership
✨ Why aesthetics, design, and hospitality matter so much in creative spaces
✨ How community events and collaboration are transforming isolation into connection
✨ Krista’s perspective on success and why it’s about more than filling every suite

Krista reminds us that building a business can be an act of service, and that sometimes the most powerful legacies come not from doing what we feel most “qualified” for, but from stepping into the unknown with trust, courage, and love.

Connect with Krista Roodzant
Website: https://www.suitestyleoc.com/aboutus
Instagram: @suitestyle_oc

Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: www.justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

Thank you for listening to Her Ink Empire. Your empire is already unfolding one aligned, intentional mark at a time. Stay tuned.

In this episode, I sit down with Mari, a pioneering fine-line tattoo artist from Brazil whose creative journey now expands into painting, visionary art, and live performance. From her early days of breaking barriers as one of the first recognized women tattooers in her area, to painting alongside world-renowned artists at COSM and Burning Man, Mari’s story is one of devotion, reinvention, and deep connection.

She shares how tattooing opened a lifelong path of ritual and service, why painting became a healing force during the pandemic, and how prayer and daily practice continue to shape her work and her life. We talk about cultural bridges, reclaiming art as a human birthright, and what it looks like to create from a place of trust, reverence, and resilience.

In this episode we talk about:

✨ Growing up in Brazil and becoming a pioneer in the fine-line tattoo movement
✨ Building community with women tattooers in a male-dominated industry
✨ Discovering visionary art and how painting carried her through depression
✨ Studying with masters at COSM and being invited to live paint at Burning Man
✨ The sabbatical year that reshaped her relationship with art and tattooing
✨ Why prayer and ritual are at the center of her creative practice
✨ How she balances life between Brazil and the U.S., honoring both roots and expansion
✨ Creating a WhatsApp community for her clients and redefining connection beyond algorithms
✨ The sacred responsibility of art as devotion, not just commodity
✨ Why she believes everyone is born an artist and how practice opens the door back to creativity

Plus our collaborative painting workshop in Califronia on October 5th! Open for six lucky humans to join for free! Email [email protected] to RSVP. 

Mari reminds us that art is not reserved for the gifted but is woven into our very nature, waiting for us to remember. Her work invites us to slow down, reconnect with the sacredness of life, and let creativity become both prayer and bridge between worlds.

Connect with Mari 
Instagram: @marikuroyama

Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: www.justinealmaraz.com  
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

Thank you for listening to Her Ink Empire. Your empire is already unfolding one aligned, intentional mark at a time. Stay tuned.

In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle, a fellow tattoo artist whose creative journey is deeply intertwined with her faith and her art. Danielle shares how following God led her into tattooing, how her apprenticeship began in the most unexpected way, and how her spiritual life continues to shape her practice in the studio.

We talk about her move from Northern California back to Orange County, what it was like to step into running her own studio, and why she chose to build her business in a nontraditional way. Danielle opens up about the freedom of working solo, the joy she’s found in creating big, detailed pieces, and how social media has become an authentic extension of her art and personality.

In this episode we talk about:
✨ How a simple prayer turned into an unexpected tattoo apprenticeship.
✨ The role of faith and spirituality in her creative practice.
✨ Moving from ministry school into tattooing and back to Orange County.
✨ Why she chose to run a solo studio outside the traditional shop model.
✨ The playful, authentic way she approaches social media and content.
✨ Her advice for new tattooers navigating self-promotion and marketing.
✨ The excitement of growing into large-scale tattoo work while staying open to God’s leading.

This is a conversation about creativity, courage, and the balance between building an artistic empire and staying open handed with the future.

Connect with Danielle:
Instagram:@createdbydig

Stay connected with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

Stay creative, stay aligned, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sammi Lee, a multi-passionate artist whose creative path has unfolded through design, illustration, photography, and now tattooing. Sammi shares how stepping into this craft of learning to tattoo brought together all of her artistic skills, and how saying yes to the process of a tattoo apprenticeship with me at Earth Altar reshaped her sense of self and her future.

We talk about what it was like to leap into tattooing, the courage it took to choose a different kind of apprenticeship, and the freedom that came from aligning her learning with her values. Sammi reflects on the intensity of those first tattoos, the collaboration and presence that the work demands, and the surprising way tattooing reconnected her to a part of herself she had loved since her teens.

In this episode we talk about:

✨ The moment she decided to go all in on tattooing
✨ How a background in design and illustration merged seamlessly with tattooing
✨ Why finding a safe, supportive mentorship mattered most
✨ The challenges of balancing multiple creative passions while learning
✨ What surprised her most about the energy and intensity of tattooing
✨ How tattooing helped her feel more whole and connected to themselves

This is a conversation about self-trust, creative alignment, and finding your place in an industry that doesn’t always make space for softer, more supportive ways of learning.

Connect with:
Instagram: @sammi_._lee

Stay connected with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

Stay creative, stay aligned, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

In this episode, I’m joined by Erica, a therapist, mother, and longtime seeker whose tattoos have become sacred markers of her healing journey. What began as an intention to honor her late father has transformed into a deeply intuitive collaboration where art, spirit, and embodiment meet.

We talk about how tattoos can become more than adornment: they can serve as love letters to the self, reminders of empowerment, and reflections of our evolving stories. From her early experiences with traditional tattoo shops to the safety and synergy she found in Earth Altar Studio, Erica shares how choosing intentional artistry changed everything about how she views bodywork, identity, and self-expression.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ The power of intuitive tattooing as a form of healing

✨ How art can hold the energy of seasons, grief, and growth

✨ Tattoos as adornments for warriors and as quiet personal reminders

✨ The difference between tattoos chosen in youth vs. those in later life

✨ Why co-creating art can feel like therapy, storytelling, and ritual all in one

This conversation is a reminder that your body can carry your story with intention and that art on the skin can be as much about spirit as it is about aesthetics.

If you’re feeling ready to dive into learning how to create intuitive tattoos like this or get one with me, I would love to meet you. Please reach out and say hi and let me know you are ready for more!

Connect with Erica Tumbaga

Instagram: @Erica Tumbaga

Linkedin: Erica Tumbaga

Website :www.compassiontowardsself.com

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz

Website: justinealmaraz.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

I’d love to connect.

In this episode, I’m joined by a somatic healing guide and intuitive artist who helps others reconnect with their creativity through body-based modalities like sound healing, breathwork, and yoga.

We talk about what it means to reclaim your identity as an artist even when trauma, perfectionism, or self-doubt try to tell you otherwise.

From a childhood shaped by addiction and poverty, to the grief of losing both parents in her twenties, she shares how her healing journey led her to a path of deep embodiment and how she now helps others meet themselves where they are.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ Why healing often requires feeling, not just thinking
✨ The difference between visualizing and sensing in creative work
✨ How somatic practices like sound healing and yoga unlock stuck emotions
✨ Letting go of perfectionism and external validation
✨ What it really means to be an artist even without traditional “skills”

This conversation is a soft reminder that you don’t need permission to start. You already are the artist you’ve been waiting for.

Connect with Jennifer:
Instagram: @JenniferEveGuides
Website: jennifereveguides.com

Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

I’d love to connect.

In this episode, I’m joined by Alexandra Husmann, a member of Earth Altar Tattoo Collective and a former tattoo apprentice of mine. Alex shares what it means to carve out a path that reflects her values and honors her nervous system.

We talk about the quiet unraveling that led her away from conventional tattoo culture, and the thoughtful rebuilding that followed the moments of burnout, the desire for softness, and the deep trust in letting things unfold slowly.

Alex brings so much presence to this conversation. She reflects on the intimacy of her work, her boundaries, and how offering spaciousness can change the entire tattoo experience, for both the client and the artist.

In this episode we talk about:

✨What led Alex to trust herself to move into learning to tattoo and mentor under me
✨ How slowing down allowed her to reconnect with herself and her art
✨ The emotional labor of tattooing and learning how to hold space for her clients
✨ Saying yes only to what’s aligned,even when it’s hard
✨ Why trust, softness, and safety are essential in creative work

This is a tender, honest conversation about rest, reclamation, and reimagining the way we work. If you’ve ever wanted permission to pause, this one’s for you.

Connect with Alex:
Website: www.alexandrahusmann.com
Instagram: @alexhtattoos

Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Website: justinealmaraz.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio

I’d love to connect.