Kristin Hawk and Bonnie Ramone
She/her/hers
Tattoo artists and owners, The Kindred Spirit Tattoo Co.
Kristin Hawk and Bonnie Ramone believe that the experience of getting a tattoo should be welcoming and affirming. As they gained experience as tattoo artists in different shops, they realized that far too many places did not align with that belief.
“I feel like a lot of code switching happens in tattooing, at least from what I’ve experienced from a more traditional shop,” Kristin said. “Sometimes if you want a really, really good tattoo and you go to a really good artist, they might not be that inviting. You either have to lay down your authenticity for the artistry, or you can go to a shop that’s very queer friendly, but you sometimes sacrifice the quality.”
Bonnie is more direct. “I think tattooing can be kind of a coercive, misogynistic, aggressive environment where there’s no need for it,” she said.
They realized that the solution was to create the tattoo shop they wanted to see.
“We always wanted a space where you can come and you don’t have to set your safety down at the door,” Kristin said.
So they founded the Kindred Spirit Tattoo Co., a queer, female-led shop where the artist’s experience is just as important as the client’s.
“We wanted to open a spot where tattooers can just enjoy where they work, and we wanted to highlight queer artists,” Kristin said. “I want my artists to be able to come in and have a good day. You’re permanently marking a person’s body. That’s an intense thing.”
Because that intensity goes both ways, the artists at Kindred take part in yearly trauma-informed workshops. Kristin noted that because tattooing can be a physically painful experience and an incredibly intimate one, clients may find themselves having reactions to more than just the process of getting a tattoo.
“Your tattoo might not hurt that much but out of nowhere you find yourself tensing up,” Kristin said.
That’s where the trauma-informed training comes in. Artists can recognize when a client may be having an emotional response and address it.
“It really does change the experience,” Kristin said. “It allows the client to be more comfortable instantly."
At Kindred, the client and their experience is at the center of their work.
“I think what we do to be inclusive is listen to our clients,” Bonnie said. “A lot of time when we talk to our clients, we’re the first people to tell them, ‘Hey, no, we don’t start the tattoo until you’re 100 percent happy.’ This is on your body. You’re going to look at it for potentially the next 60 years. You’re in charge – you get to say what happens here.”
Kindred’s welcoming vibes extend beyond the shop’s doors. Bonnie and Kristin have worked to create connections with their neighbors in Garfield.
“We’ve been investing in relationships with all our neighbors in Garfield, trying to support their endeavors and just invest in this community in any way we can,” Bonnie said.
That outreach led to Pride celebrations among Kindred, neighboring businesses and the community. While Bonnie and Kristin are taking a break from the activity this year – Bonnie has been giving more attention to her band, Bonnie and the Mere Mortals – they are already planning for Pride 2027.
“It’s slowly but surely becoming Garfield Pride, which is where we want it to go,” Kristin said. “Three years in, we’re starting to find ourselves as a fixture of the neighborhood.”
They’re also looking at a possible expansion for the shop.
“We have a lot of people who want to join, and we are currently outgrowing our space very quickly, which is a great problem to have,” Kristin said.
“We ain’t leaving Garfield,” Bonnie added. “We’re hoping to expand into the Garfield neighborhood.”
In the meantime, anyone looking for a great tattoo in a welcoming and affirming shop can always find that experience at Kindred.
“We’re a shop of queer individuals caring for the people around us and caring for our clients and allowing them to be their whole entire selves while creating art,” Kristin said. “We’re just an environment that wants to foster kindness, foster community and foster good art.”