Josie Nicholson follows her dream and opens Josie Bee Ink Tattoo in Brussels

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

Josie Bee Ink Tattoo in Brussels has only been open for a few months, but it’s already generating so much “buzz” that The Citizen sent a scout on over to get the scoop on the new shop and add a little more ink to the permanent record.

 

Josie Nicholson has worked a lot of jobs and had a lot of bosses over the years, but this is her first time running the whole show. Opening a small business might be a daunting endeavour for some young people, but this 20-something entrepreneur is taking it all in stride. Once she settles on the thing she wants to do, she figures out how to do it, and gets it done. Opening day was Oct. 1, but before she welcomed the world into her studio, a lot had to happen.

 

First, she had to decide that she wanted to become a tattoo artist, which took a little time. “I've always been artistic my entire life,” she explained. “All of my teachers that have come by the shop are like, ‘yeah, you used to draw on yourself all the time in the class, so this makes sense for you.’”

 

It was one teacher in particular who set her on her current path. “I didn't really know what I wanted to do over co-op…. My favourite teacher, Mr. Johnson, suggested it, and I was like, yeah, like, why not?” McKee Tattoo in Wingham was near the school, so she brought her art portfolio into the shop.

 

Next, she needed an artist who was willing to take her on as an apprentice. Shop owner Sheldon McKee looked over her portfolio, told her she had potential and agreed to teach her what he knew. Nicholson still tattoos the old-school way, with a coil machine, just like McKee. “Sheldon was a very traditional man, like he was taught the traditional way, so he very much believed in teaching the traditional way.”

 

McKee also did her first tattoo. “It’s the world, and it has the co-ordinates for my childhood home around it, and north, east, south, west coming off of it, and a paper airplane flying around it. I thought my first tattoo should have a meaning behind it. It has even more meaning now, because it's the only one I ever got from Sheldon before he passed away.” The tragic loss of McKee cut her apprenticeship short, and the young artist wasn’t sure what her next move would be.

 

Nicholson grew up just outside of Brussels, on her family’s hog farm. She’s always loved working with animals, and has found her hog-raising skills have come in handy whenever she needs to make a little extra money as she pursues her dreams. She considered going to school for photography, but it felt impractical. “It’s really hard to get into anything art-related that isn't tattooing and knowing that you'll get paid, right? You have to have money to live.”

 

That’s when she decided to strike out on her own and open the tattoo parlour. Her parents helped her search for a place where she could set up shop. “My mom was looking all around, and we thought Brussels would be good, because it's not that far from my house.” When the space at 439 Turnberry Street became available, she decided to go for it.

 

Picking a name was next. She settled on “Josie Bee” as a blend of her first name and middle initial. “I was like, I can't put my last name, because if I get married, that changes it. My first name and my middle name are never changing. And I love bees.”
Once she had a name, she needed a logo. So she called on a local graphic designer: Heather Logan. “She’s actually right here in Brussels, and she's amazing. She does a great job. She did a lot for me. She made my business card, she made my aftercare card, she made my waiver form. I just sent her everything and I was like, here you go!”

 

Then came painting and planning. She decided on white walls, and that Wednesday would be for walk-ins. She hung some of her designs on the walls in antique frames, organized her flash sheets, set up her piercing chair in the front window, opened an Instagram account (josie.bee.ink), and prepared to take the plunge.

 

The community embraced Nicholson’s business before she even opened her doors. “The minute I even started posting that I was going to be opening here, I had people all over sharing it. I had people stop in. I had lots of people just stand outside and look through the windows.” 

 

Her burgeoning business also got a boost from a baseball team that came in to get matching tattoos. “It’s been awesome.”
Nicholson knows that tattoos aren’t for everybody - that’s why she also offers piercing and waxing services. She had to take some classes to earn her certifications, but she thinks putting in the effort to broaden her customer base will pay off in the long run. 

 

So, if you’re looking for some creative ink, an extra hole in your face, or a smooth bikini line, head on over to Brussels; Nicholson would be happy to help you out!