an important question: natalie bell

my favorite (and only) tattoo artist in the bay

an important question will be an on-going series of asking the questions that get to the heart of it all. this series is inspired by durga chew bose’s interview, time will tell, with dev hynes where her nostalgic and candid questions touch on the small moments of being human that we all share. i was incredibly touched by people’s responses to these very personal questions and i hope you find something in these questions and answers that make you feel less alone, inspired and comforted that gently, we exist.

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natalie is the only tattoo artist i go to in the bay area. she’s done almost all of my tattoos and coincidentally, they are all my favorite ones. natalie is not only so incredibly talented at what she does but she is also so effortlessly cool and effusively warm and friendly. she’s endlessly patient when it comes to figuring out the right placement and is so collaborative and assuring when it comes to the design. throughout our many conversations at her studio, i’ve come to love the way natalie approaches her artistry which translates to her every day life. she is someone that is genuine in their love for their work and the people they get to meet and encounter and you can tell from the moment you meet her.

you can find natalie here and here.

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when was the last time you fell asleep easily? i fall asleep easily most nights, to be honest. my full bedtime routine sets me up to knockout as soon as my head hits my pillow.

what makes your home feel like your home? omg don’t get me started on my home because i swear i will not shut up about it; my home/abode/girl cave is my everything. mood lighting, unique facebook marketplace finds, plants, art! i used to really enjoy ultra modern interiors, but since i’ve gotten older my taste has transformed into loving a more eclectic space. i love when my apartment looks lived in - water glasses, shoes, etc lying around in an oddly satisfying way.

what word do you find powerful or meaningful? peace

when was the last time you felt bliss? nature will always put me in the best mood, that and food. so combine the two, get a little picnic going with comforting company, and i’ll surely feel bliss. the last time was a couple weeks ago. It was a sunny day on the lake with some wine, fruit, and sandwiches on good bread - perfection.

if you could say anything to anyone right now, what would it be? i would tell my mom how much i appreciate her, she deserves to hear it more than just on her birthday and mother’s day. this is my sign to text her now.

what is something you wish younger you understood? patience.

what song plays inside your head when you’re feeling down? any sade song. her music helps me romanticize being an emo girl.

the last stranger that made you smile. someone who was helping me on the phone. it’s special when you can feel good energy through a phone.

if you could go back in time, would you? i don’t know if i would go back in time to change anything, but i definitely would to relive moments all over again. i feel like it’d be so dope to have a tape of our experiences that we could go back and watch at any time.

savor kindness because cruelty is always possible later, yes or no? yes

the pursuit of true love is never exhausting, yes or no? maybe? still figuring that one out.

pain is a signal, yes or no? no

if you could have one smell on your hands forever, what would it be and why?citrus. i love natural scents. something about the sweetness and brightness of citrus is *chefs kiss*.

what is art? art is the light in life. anyone can create art. when someone sits down and creates something, putting their effort, style, and love (or sadness) into it, that is 100% art. my dad used to always say he didn’t have an artistic bone in his body. he recently retired and started painting these stripy abstract pieces. he described that “zoned out feeling” you get when you’re immersed in creating as a feeling he’s yet to have felt in his 62 years. he now regularly re-ups on art supplies. that is the beauty of art. cooking is art, writing is art, gardening is art, music is art. art is the most magnificent substance in life.

how do you celebrate your birthday? with friends! outside! good food and drinks! nothing like spending your special day surrounded by the people you love.

heartbreak or loss smells like: paper, bleach, rain on concrete.

childhood smells like: plastic, grass, waffle cones, sunscreen.

what did you hate most as a child? the color pink

if you had a child, what would you want them to know? to treat everyone with kindness.

what dish would you make for someone you care for? i make a mean miso butter pasta. so probably that accompanied by a fresh little salad.

what article of clothing feels most like you? shoes

if you could speak to your 15-year-old self, what would you say? “wlow down. enjoy your young days. there’s no reason to have life planned out now, things will work out beyond your imagination.” this year i’ve learned a lot about living in the moment, and i wish i had learned that sooner.

what’s an act of humanity you witnessed that made you feel something? my friends and i were grabbing some dessert the other night. one of my girlies noticed someone who worked there as they took trash out in the front of the building. she simply said hello and wished them a nice day. he found us all sitting together about 10 minutes later and brought 3 extra tubs of their dessert specials for the day, and said that she made his day. i find it really special when we can share happiness in those ways. we ended up crying about how sweet of a moment it was LOL.

what age do you never want to be again? twenty.

what color describes you? butter yellow.

what color describes your first love? bright red.

what do you miss? long phone calls with my grandma.

what is your favorite part of loving someone? being selfless.

what is the most important thing life has taught you? to stop being so hard on myself. it takes active practicing, but i think that life has become more peaceful with giving myself more grace. being hard on myself meant burying my emotions - criticizing my emotions in times of sadness, pain, weakness. i learned that in the long run it helps to be there for myself in those moments. since learning this, i always try to remember that i’m striving for peace with my emotions no matter what i’m feeling, not trying to force unrealistic happiness.

what life do you hope parallel-life you is living? i really hope she’s an actress. i always think about how fun that would be. it was my dream job when i was a kid.

what feels freeing to you? driving down the california coast with a good indie playlist blasting. traveling alone. that feeling you get when you know you’ve started a new chapter. biking. running.

in what ways have you become more loving? being more selective with who i give all my love to. i’ve seen my relationships prosper by saving my energy and love for those who are really worth it (including myself).

is there a song i should listen to today? oh we’re setting the summer vibes.

when sadness makes its presence known, how do you greet it? by feeling the rush of it. and most likely crying. i’m the world’s biggest cry baby.

what do you see from your favorite window? a bunch of trees.

what did you learn from your grandmother? my grandma taught me to be a bad ass. to not take shit from anyone. to gossip with friends, drink wine, eat good bread with butter. she taught me to always tell people i love them. to travel. to never filter myself. to put pictures all over my walls. and to prioritize friends and family.

what’s an object you possess that is precious to you? my laptop from high school. it has pictures saved from when I was 14 years old to now. i love to spend hours going back and reminiscing, it’s like my little virtual memory book.

wow do you show your love? kissing, cooking, and cuddling.

what was the last wish you made? wishes don’t come true if you reveal them! my lips are sealed.

how do you know when you are in love? it’s very physical for me. it’s a tingly feeling in my gut, a sense of excitement. anything involving this person can make me tear up (world’s biggest crybaby). i’ll fantasize about the future with this person. i’ll want to tell them about random snippets from my day. i’ll enjoy the most mundane things just because i am with them.

what do you find very overrated? random hookups.

what are your favorite kind of gifts to give? and to receive?

to give: unique flowers, a sit down dinner, experiences, baked goods.

to receive: items of clothing or home goods when someone knows my taste

when was the last time you laughed so hard your stomach ached? when i was really high the other day - it was one of those moments where i couldn’t even tell you what was funny.

biggest pet peeve. when people are rude to servers.

what makes a perfect love song? is it weird that i prefer sad love songs? something i can simp to, with a slow jazzy melody. think amy winehouse, faye webster, and sade ofc.

what makes any day feel like a saturday? saturdays are for sleeping in and rotting around until about 2 PM, so any lazy day like that.

if you could go back in time, what time would you revisit in your life? i’d love to relive my early childhood.

what ice cream flavor makes you feel like a kid again? birthday cake

tattoo etiquette that people might not know but should? hmmm. there truly are those stereotypical “irritating things” that can happen during an appointment that us tattoo artists love to joke around about. tattoos are forever so i try to give people grace with most of these situations that may arise. something i personally struggle to be patient with is when a client is completely indecisive. cince almost all of my appointments are booked around a month ahead of time, i expect a level of choosiness when figuring out a tattoo idea. to go through a couple placements or design tweaks to explore options is totally encouraged, of course; however, when a client struggles to pick between a spot, or even to go as far as not knowing the overall idea for the tattoo they want, it can feel wasteful of my time. for example, i had an appointment where a client had spent 2 hours to decide between moving something 2 inches apart just to reschedule to think about it some more. times like this usually makes me feel that the client isn’t ready for the tattoo; in those cases i’d much rather not tattoo them until they’re really sure. all this comes from the overhanging fear of completing a tattoo that someone could regret. so, my overall advice is: when you get a tattoo, be particular! it’s much easier to work with that than read someone’s mind.

finish this sentence: to be loved is __________to be seen in your most authentic form.

where do you go from here? i’m really just taking life day by day! the future could really hold anything for me. it’s a both frightening and liberating feeling, but i couldn’t be more excited to look back and see what i accomplish in the next 5 years.

after you answer these questions, what will you do today? i finished these questions on my way to NY, off to make more memories <3

thank you so much, natalie!

if you have any tattoo related (etiquette, what to expect etc) questions, leave a comment and natalie will give her takes.