Parent Portraits: Shaughnessy Otsuji

08/19/2026 | Sarah M.

Tattoo artist. Co-found of Studio Sashiko. Restoring confidence, one stroke at a time.

Shaughnessy Otsuiji is redefining what tattoo artistry can do. Blending artistry with purpose, her work includes natural-looking eyebrow tattoos for hair loss and restorative areola tattooing for clients following mastectomy and reconstruction.

Who are you outside of being a mom?

Outside of being a mom, I am a creative. I love drawing, painting shopping for vintage; I'm definitely a homebody, so we love being at home.

You work is so tied to the body - helping people feel whole again, feel like themselves. What drew you to that kind of work?

I think when I first started tattooing, I began getting clients who were coming to me for different reasons, and I think I quickly realized that it was more than just a tattoo.

Each tattoo that I'm doing is more about the client's story and restoring something that they've lost. I think I found a really rewarding path within this career.

You spend your days giving people back something they felt they lost. Has becoming a mom shifted how you think about that at all?

Going through pregnancy and birth, my body has changed a lot too, and I feel like I can now relate a bit more to my clients in the sense that my body has challenged me, but I am also very grateful for it. So I definitely have a much deeper appreciation for what my clients have been through.

What do you want your son to know about the work you do and why it matters to you?

I am excited for him to learn that your job should be fun, you should enjoy going to work, and it should feel rewarding too.

For us, we built a really cool business, but at the end of the day, the most important thing that I take away from it is the stories that I hear from my clients and the changes that happen in their lives, and that is rewarding for me as well. I think that is the best job you can think of.

"I'm excited for this new version of myself in motherhood."

What are mornings with him like right now?

Lately he has been waking up in the best moods. He greets us with the biggest smile — It's so cute. We kind of roll around a little bit in bed, then we go downstairs and get coffee, lots of coffee. Then we take him to work with us — he gets to come with us, which is so fun.

Five months in — is there anything that's cracked you open in a way you didn't expect?

Having him has definitely made me joyful, more calm, more patient, definitely. Yeah, I never really knew how to imagine myself as a mom — now I get it, everything is so fun.

Did you feel like yourself right now?

I feel like I don't want to be the old version of myself. I'm excited for this new version of myself in motherhood. I'm definitely excited to get back into the creative processes that I worked with before having him, but incorporating him into our lives is amazing and so exciting.

Connect with Shaughnessy!

@shaughnessy
@shaughnessytattoo
Book with Shaughnessy here

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