Evie's tattoo style is traditional, sure, but it is more about referencing vintage art (think kewpie dolls, Betty Boop, adorable pin ups) and pulling on your nostalgic heart strings, than it is about Sailor Jerry. I had such a hard time choosing which of her tattoos to showcase. They all gave me an ache in my chest as I looked through them. Check out the episode post on my instagram (@micahriot), to see which ones I went with.

And of course, tune in to hear Evie and I talk about tattoo apprenticeships, changing tattoo styles, moving from Chicago to Orange County just two years into tattooing, knowing absolutely no one and having to rebuild her clientele and community; her incredible mentor, Esther Garcia, a pioneer in modern tattooing; the lost art of spit shading, and writing postcards, and why some other tattoo apprentices wanted to push her down the stairs back in the day.

We could have talked for many more hours.

Find Evie through her website:

https://www.showpigeon.com/

and of course on instagram @showpigeon

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Here is your quick summary:

Eat fat and protein along with your carbs.

If you don't eat, or eat carbs only (think: just toast, a bowl of cereal, a bowl of pasta, pop tarts, pancakes), your blood sugar will jump up and then crash and you will be cranky, shaky and sick feeling. And the tattoo will hurt more.

To prevent this, eat a lot of protein and fat along with your carbs (eggs and bacon with veggies and potatoes, bagel with lots of cream cheese and lox, tofu scramble and a half an avocado on a piece of toast.

Fat and protein will help your blood sugar stay steady and support you being able to handle the intensity of getting tattooed easily.

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

There are many things we love to hear our clients say. These are just the first few that came to my head when I started thinking about my favorite things my clients say.

What it comes down to is that I love it when my people appreciate the care and attention I put into the environment as well as their actual tattoo. And when they notice the little things.

Enjoy and let me know if I should make a part II!

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

I met Syd Botanica through PerfumeTok, a niche little community on TikTok where people discuss, review and recommend small artisanal perfume brands and specific scents.

Syd is a perfumer, but beyond that, they are absolutely an artist in all senses of that word. On this episode we discuss how much perfume making has in common with creating music and with tattooing, marking people's skin with ink.

Few things make me happier than a stimulating beautiful exchange with a person equally passionate about exploring ideas and getting inspired by each other's thoughts. We even talked about doing a collaboration and creating a perfume inspired by the way people feel about getting tattooed, vulnerable, excited, grounded in their bodies, transcendent.

This is exactly the type of conversation I love to put out into the world. The keywords are all things dear to my heart. Niche perfumery. Tattoo art. Music. The beauty and pain of being part of humanity.

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Have you ever felt stuck with a tattoo artist who makes you uncomfortable but the tattoo isn't done? Or perhaps you've been ghosted by an artist who still has your deposit? or maybe the work you've had done so far is just not... good? I've talked to many people throughout my time as a tattoo artist who didn't feel comfortable moving on.

In this chat, I tackle the question those clients face: "Do I have to go back?" Whether dealing with an artist who makes inappropriate comments, consistently cancels appointments, or simply produces work you're not happy with, many people feel trapped in these situations—especially when they've paid significant deposits.

One of the most persistent myths I encounter is the belief that no other tattoo artist will touch another artist's unfinished work. This outdated notion keeps many clients returning to uncomfortable or unprofessional situations. The reality? Many of us in the industry are willing to help clients complete pieces when the original relationship has broken down. Creating a genuine connection with a new artist and being honest about your situation can often get you what you want. A new relationship with a tattoo artist who is a better fit for you.

And that deposit you don't want to lose? Consider that payment for never having to deal with that person again. Your body, your comfort, and your agency are worth far more than any deposit. You don't owe anyone your skin, time, or money. When reasonable efforts to maintain a good professional relationship fail, giving yourself permission to move on is the right thing to do.

Listen to the episode, and remember, that the art you wear, ideally comes with positive memories. Share your experiences or questions with me—I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

One afternoon I received a message over IG thanking me for having a page on my website that mentions cultural appropriation in tattooing. I looked at the person's profile and saw that they were a tattoo artist too. This person was Renée Mak. I thanked Renée for her acknowledgement and suggested that we take this conversation onto the Ink Medicine podcast.

It is no secret that the western and predominantly white tattoo industry is still very insistent that tattooing Chinese characters, Japanese body suits, Maori markings, and other Indigenous symbols on a white client's skin is totally fine. Is it? Maybe. Sometimes. In general, not really.

We talk about all of this in great detail.

Renée Mak is a Chinese Canadian queer human, a tattoo artist, a Buddhist, an acrobat and a circus artist, a producer and a writer. The words that come to mind most insistently is that Renée is brilliant and luminous. I could talk to her all day. Enjoy.

Renée can be found on Instagram at @the.magician.tattoos and @disasterclown

Her tattoo studio is @softhearts.studio

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

The books I read in 2024 and what I thought of them!

Books mentioned:

1. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

2. Death Valley by Melissa Broder

3. Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

4. Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

5. How Not To Drown In A Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

6. Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

7. Knife: .... By Salman Rushdie

8. Stoner by John Williams

9. How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

10. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

11. A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins

12. Mona of the Manor by Armistead Maupin

13. Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

14. The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis

15. Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

16. I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

17. Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain On Purpose by Leigh Cowart

18. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

19. Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir by Sara Glass

20. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

21. My Year Of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfeigh

22. All Fours by Miranda July

23. The First Bad Man by Miranda July

24. My Husband by Maud Ventura

25. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg

26. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

27. The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare

28. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

29. To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

30. The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by Victoria E. Schwab

31. The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

32. Perfume And Pain by Anna Dorn

Bonus early 2025 mentions: My Brilliant Friend and The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante, Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics by Elle Reeve, The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.

It's been about six months since I put out an episode of Ink Medicine. I am back. Hello. May this new year of 2025 bring us some unexpected joys.

I got chopped. I concentrated on healing solely for a while. Now I am slowly getting back to my regular life. Including this.

It's good to be here. I will talk to you next week.

I am happy to hear your questions, suggestions, and feedback. Please send Ink Medicine a message.

You can connect with me, Micah Riot, as well as see my tattoo art on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/micahriot/

Micah's website is www.micahriot.com
Find the podcast on that same website as well as everywhere you listen to podcasts.