How I Created Skindependent Magazine (And Why I Finally Stopped Waiting)

For more than a decade, the name Skindependent lived in my world like an unfinished sentence — something full of potential, but never brought all the way into reality. I always knew it would become a tattoo magazine someday, but life, timing, fear, and perfectionism kept getting in the way.

This year, I finally decided to stop waiting.

And that’s how Skindependent Issue #1 became real.

Where the Idea Started

The name Skindependent was born back in 2010 during a brainstorming session with a friend, long before the concept had shape or structure. We created a Facebook page, shared a few ideas, and imagined something that blended tattoo culture, art, independence, and community energy.

Then life scattered us both in different directions.He traveled, I traveled, and the idea went into the “someday” folder.

But I never stopped loving the name.I never stopped believing tattoo culture deserved a magazine created by people in the industry, not outside of it.

Why It Took So Long

To be honest, fear played a bigger role than I expected.

I had dozens of ideas, layouts, notes, and concepts… but I kept telling myself:

• “No one will care.”

• “It won’t be good enough yet.”

• “Wait until I have more time.”

• “Wait until I have more funding.”

And then the perfect moment never came.

Perfectionism is sneaky like that — it hides behind excuses that sound reasonable, until you realize years have passed and the thing you love is still sitting inside a computer folder.

This year, I finally hit a point where I said:“Enough waiting.”

I opened every file and started putting the magazine together page by page, photo by photo, story by story. And once I started, I couldn’t stop.

Why I Released It Digitally First

Originally, Skindependent was meant to be a print-only magazine.A physical, hold-in-your-hands, $20-per-issue tattoo publication.

But printing high-quality magazines requires buying large quantities — around 500 copies upfront just to get reasonable pricing. I didn’t have the resources to sit on that many boxes, and print-on-demand options were either:

• low quality, or

• too expensive ($35+ due to the 84-page length and binding costs)

So instead of letting all that work sit unseen, I released it digitally first through my nonprofit, the Creative Solution Foundation. And the response was more supportive, encouraging, and exciting than I ever imagined.

People wanted this magazine.People connected to it.People shared it.People asked for Issue #2.

And suddenly, the “someday” project became a real publication.

Why Skindependent Belongs to the Community

Skindependent isn’t a corporate magazine.It’s not watered-down tattoo culture.It’s not a press release disguised as an article.

It’s a magazine made by people who live in the world of tattooing and creativity:

• real artists

• real stories

• real community projects

• real photography

• real culture

This magazine reflects the energy, grit, beauty, and independence that tattoo culture has always represented. It’s art, storytelling, expression, and identity — the things that matter.

And by connecting Skindependent to the Creative Solution Foundation, the magazine also helps support:

• art programs for youth

• tattoo-based healing through the Tattoo Phoenix Project

• future gallery and studio space

• community creative events

• Flint-centered art initiatives

Every page has purpose.

What Comes Next

The support for Issue #1 has already sparked so many new ideas for the next edition.Plans for Issue #2 include:

• more artist features

• community columns

• photoshoots

• tattoo culture stories

• Flint Free Art Fridays involvement

• expanded creative programs

• even working toward print editions

And yes — printing physical copies is back on the table now that interest is real.

The foundation is growing.The magazine is growing.And the creative community around it is growing too.

A Final Thought

For years, Skindependent lived in my head.Now it lives in the hands and hearts of people who care about tattoo culture as much as I do.

If fear or perfectionism has ever kept you from releasing something, let this be proof:

It’s better to start imperfect than to never start at all.#StaySkindependent.

👉 Read Issue #1 (free): Magazine – Skindependent | Creative Solutions