I didn’t plan on getting a tattoo that day. Not really. But you know those random Saturdays where something just clicks in your gut, like this is the moment? Yeah. It was one of those.
I’d been circling around the idea for a while. Scrolling through Instagram late at night, saving designs I’d probably never commit to. My best friend had mentioned Karma Tattoo Studio a few times—she got this wild color piece done there that people stop her to ask about all the time. Then I saw all these glowing reviews pop up on Google, Yelp and Facebook. Stuff like “Dany changed my life with this piece” or “Taylor made me feel so seen during the process.” Real people. Real stories. That kind of thing sticks with you.
So, on this particularly sunny Phoenix afternoon, I wandered into Karma just to “check it out.” I told myself I was just browsing. Just getting a feel. But as soon as I stepped inside, the whole vibe shifted something in me. It wasn’t like those super clinical shops that feel a little cold and intimidating. Karma felt…warm. Not like scented candles and couches warm, but the kind of warmth that comes from people who love what they do and actually want to be there.
A girl at the front—wish I caught her name—greeted me like we were already mid-conversation. No pressure. No pitch. Just genuine curiosity about what I was thinking. I rambled a bit about wanting something personal but not cliché. Something tied to my grandfather, who passed last year. I didn’t even have a clear vision, but she nodded and said, “You should talk to Dany. He’s got a real feel for memorial pieces.”
That’s how it started.
Dany sat with me for probably 45 minutes just talking through my ideas. Not drawing. Not rushing. Just listening. And that meant the world. He told me about his background—how he’s a third-generation artist and how his family was big into the arts—and it all just felt right. You ever talk to someone who just gets it? That was him.
I left that day with a scheduled appointment and a sketch that somehow captured feelings I didn’t know how to put into words.
The day of the actual session, I was a mess of emotions. Nervous. Excited. Low-key worried I’d chicken out. But when I got there, everything just…settled. The shop was spotless but not sterile. You could tell they take safety seriously without making it feel like a hospital.
Music was playing, people were laughing, and the energy felt good—like genuinely good. Maybe it’s that whole “karma” thing they talk about. If you send out good energy, you get it back. Cheesy when you read it online, but somehow it felt real in that space.
Getting the tattoo itself was surprisingly calming. Dany talked me through every step—where it might sting more, when he’d pause, what part he was working on. At one point, someone walked by and saw the design and said, “Whoa, that’s beautiful.” I don’t think they knew how much that meant to me.
At the end of it all, I had this piece on my arm that felt like a little piece of my heart etched into skin. Not dramatic—just true.
A few days later, I was talking to a coworker about it, and she mentioned that Taylor at Karma did her sleeve. “She’s magic,” she said. “Not just the work, but the way she makes you feel taken care of.” I’ve heard that more than once now. It’s like the artists there don’t just do tattoos—they hold space for your stories.
Oh—and in case you’re wondering about pricing, it wasn’t outrageous.
I used this Tattoo Cost Calculator before going in (don’t judge me, I’m a planner), and it gave me a pretty accurate ballpark. Of course, it depends on size and detail, but the pricing felt fair for the quality of work and the time they put into it.
So yeah. What started as a maybe turned into something deeply personal. I didn’t just get a tattoo—I had an experience I’ll carry with me forever. And honestly? I kind of want another one now.
—Maya T., Phoenix, AZ
Contact Information
Shop Name: Karma Tattoo Studio
Address: 1618 E Bell Rd #107, Phoenix, AZ 85022
Website: http://www.karmatattooaz.com/
Phone: +1 623-242-9924
Email: KarmaTattooAz@gmail.com
