A second chance for a self-taught tattoo artist

I’m raising funds for a talented self-taught tattoo artist who would like to have a second chance on his life.

Ray is a 30-year-old young man, a former gangster currently in solitary confinement in a Texas prison. He grew up in the streets and is a self-taught tattoo artist. I met Ray through Adopt an Inmate, a non-profit that connects outside “adopters” to inmates that applied to the program.

Through our correspondence, I learned about the gangster world, tattoo art, life in solitary confinement, prison economy, and all sorts of interesting characters in prison. Despite the harsh condition he is in, Ray often manages to crack me up with his sense of humor. I’m also impressed by his passion for life. The entire Texas prison system is currently on lockdown. Inmates are confined to their cells without access to recreation, shower and commissary. There was a recent suicide by a friend in his section. Yet he said “life is too beautiful to commit suicide. Even if my circumstances are not so well in prison, life is still beautiful.”

I’m raising funds for Ray for his future tattoo studio when he is released. We’re also collaborating on a blog to shed some light on the prison world and solitary confinement. The purpose of the website is to feature Ray’s art and stories. It will also serve as a base for Ray to launch his tattoo studio later when he gets out of prison. That’s why it has the look of an art website. The name and URL will be his future studio’s name. Here is the blog post about how we met and why we created the blog. https://www.innersparkkstudio.com/2023/06/17/musings-in-solitary-confinement-an-unlikely-friendship-between-an-insights-consultant-and-a-former-gangster-2/ I hope you enjoy the stories. I surely do!

Thank you for your time and consideration!