Jaehee Cho

June 18, 2025

What Changed Me?

I can think of many moments that have had a great impact on my life—some happy, some sad—but I believe the moment that truly changed me as a person was when I picked up a tattoo needle for the first time. I remember telling myself:

This is it. No more giving up.
No more bargaining, negotiating, or procrastinating

I wasn’t a strong person, nor was I someone who usually finished what I started. But somehow, when I grabbed that tattoo needle, I felt no anxiety. I was so determined, and I knew I wouldn’t break the promise I had made to myself.

It was a promise for myself—to be who I am, and to do what I love.

I was going through a really hard time personally because of my health. I couldn’t work for half a year due to a sudden illness, and that affected me deeply, especially mentally. One day, I just thought, “F*ck this. I’m sick and tired of feeling this way. I’m scared, and I feel like it’s already too late to start something—but it’ll be really too late if I don’t start now.” So I got my tattoo needles right away. It was the best decision I’ve ever made for my dream.

I ran to a tattoo shop when I turned 19. I got my own drawing tattooed because I wanted to be me, and I thought my drawing would be perfect to decorate my own body.

I love tattooing because it allows me to be me. It helps me visualize what’s going on in my mind. Growing up, I didn’t really have the opportunity to express myself—I was always trying to blend in, to fit in. But oh my god… in the tattoo world? THE MORE ORIGINAL OR DIFFERENT YOU ARE, THE BETTER. For the first time, I felt like I could stop pretending.

Tattooing is beautiful because it lets you decorate your body. Your body is the one thing you’ve always had—and will always have—for your entire life. Cherish it. Be kind to it. Decorate it. Be yourself.

Tattoos helped me accept things more and overthink less.

Before I got my first tattoo, I used to worry—What if I get sick of this design? But once you get a tattoo, it becomes part of you. It just feels so normal that you barely notice it anymore. That mindset helped me approach bigger life decisions with less anxiety and more calm.

I sometimes have a hard time holding onto ideas if I can’t see them. But when I get them tattooed—or tattoo something that feels like me—it becomes visual, physical, and tangible. I can see it. I can touch it. That helps me appreciate it more deeply.

When I first started, I thought of tattooing as just a cool job I wanted. But it turned out to be so much more than that. Sometimes I help people reconnect with their roots—since I’m Korean, I offer designs inspired by Korean culture. Sometimes I help people decorate or reclaim parts of their body they once wanted to hide.

Tattooing has become deeply meaningful to me.
It allows us to be more human, more personal, and more connected.

I believe that if you really want something, you can make it happen. I really wanted to become a professional tattoo artist—and on the very first day of my guest work, a dear friend of mine (who owns the studio) saw my potential and offered me a job. That was my first day. If something is meant to be, it always works out.

Don’t think—just do it.

You might feel like it’s too late to start, but ask yourself: Would you rather regret it for the next 60 years, or enjoy those 60 years doing what you love? I started learning tattooing at a relatively late age too, and I was scared. But when you’re that afraid, sometimes the best thing you can do is stop thinking. My friends tease me sometimes, saying I don’t think things through—but maybe that’s exactly what helped me follow my dream.