Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Perkins
Hi Alisha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My best friend says that I am the best gift-giver she has ever seen; in fact, she wrote an entire blog about aspiring to achieve the level of gift-giving I possess. I tell you this not to brag (although I am a gift ninja) but to prove that I take pride in being thoughtful and deliberate with time spent making others feel joy. Combine that with my creative spirit and add me entering my “f*ck it 40s” era, and what you get is a late-blooming tattoo artist looking to leave her mark on the world.
My love of tattoos started when I was young. I remember finding beauty in telling the world who you were without speaking a word. The funny part was that for far too long, I held back on allowing myself to say to the world who I was through tattoos for fear of rejection. Anxiety can do that to a person, a battle I fight daily.
One day on that battlefield, I told my therapist about how fascinating I found tattoos, to which she told me that when she was in school to become a therapist, they were taught that tattoos were a form of self mutilation- but after hearing my take she was moved to think outside the norms. This was the first moment I realized that people’s perspectives on tattoos could change, and maybe I could be a catalyst.
After many years, lots of therapy, and courage later, I took that step and became a tattoo artist. Now, I am on a mission to break the stigma and prove that tattoos can be beautiful and classy and that mental health is as important as physical health. It’s an odd combo, perhaps, but then again, I have never quite fit into a box.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Learning anything new in your 40s is very humbling. You are used to things going a certain way and having enough life experience to figure things out, but in this situation, I was starting from ground zero, and it was super stressful and humbling.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the sole tattoo studio in MN that ONLY tattoos women. It is nothing against men, but for so long, tattoo industries have been dominated by men, and therefore, the environments are super masculine. I wanted to create a feminine, sweet, empathetic, and safe space for women to come for ink therapy.
Things that have multiple meanings are my jam. Hidden meanings bring me joy, and thinking outside the box is my favorite. When starting this new venture, I did not want to simply call it “whatever by Alisha” or pigeonhole myself into something specific. I wanted the space to be creative, safe, healing, and liberating. Encompassing all those emotions into one thing was challenging, but The Asylum was born in the end.
Asylum can be a place in which someone seeks refuge, and it can also be a space in which someone goes to better themselves. Ultimately, it is a place where you are free to be who you are and know you are safe. Asylum is for the seekers, the misfits, and the brave. If we are honest with ourselves, we are all just looking for a safe space in a broken world, and we are all dealing with something in our heads that we may not have the courage to say out loud.
In the words of the Mad Hatter, “You’re entirely bonkers. But… I’ll tell you a secret… the best people are!”.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Trust your gut and create the environment you feel most comfortable in, giving you the best chance to thrive. And also- you do not owe anyone an explanation for anything,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theasylumink.com
- Instagram: @the.asylum.ink
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theasylumink
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theasylumink
