Most of you don’t know my story as I truly have never spoken much on it. I was born and raised in Des Moines Iowa. All through my school years I never felt a sense of belonging. I know pretty typical for growing up...I was an artsy kid, from a family of real-world thinkers. Art can’t make you money, and it isn’t something you can do with your life. You either need to find a rich husband lol (which my mom seriously used to say to me!) or you have to go to school to become something like a Lawyer, Doctor, or Nurse. I knew by the age of 10 I had to get the heck out of Des Moines Iowa and I knew there was something more out there!

Flash forward to senior year of high school. Shit was getting real. I had to start making REAL LIFE decisions that would be best for myself. My parents never trash talked being an artist, however it wasn’t something that was even on their radar for me to become. Silly quick story, I was obsessed with 2 shows. Laguna Beach, and The Hills. Not sure if you remember these shows? They really were something for me that helped guide and push me into believing I COULD become a fashion designer; these girls were doing it why couldn’t I? So, I applied to go to FIDM - Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I GOT ACCEPTED! My parents at this point not even knowing I applied. LOL I set up a meeting with the school counselor and my mom. By the end of the conversation, needless to say she was shocked but supportive - I couldn’t believe it was happening! Oh, and did I mention I’d be moving out of Des Moines Iowa and driving by myself to Downtown Los Angeles!

I had never visited...

I knew no one...

I had no place to live...

I had no idea what I was getting myself into...

All I knew is I did not belong in Iowa!

Want to know the full story and get the juicy details? Keep reading!

Fast forward from Iowa to LA, so I don’t bore you! I became obsessed with school and wanted to take advantage of any program or apprenticeship they had to offer. I was finally immersed in the art world I had always dreamed of.

One time I signed up for a textile apprenticeship through the school so I thought it would be safe. It wasn’t! I ended up apprenticing for a man, that struggled badly with drug addiction. Not only that I would go to the textile business and men outside the building would be armed with machine guns! Later to find out he was also dealing large amounts of unknown substances and the business was just a cover up. After a few times of that I never returned.

Another time I was an apprentice designer to a young man (who actually was insanely talented). I worked for him and one of his clients was well-known hip-hop icon LL Cool J. I worked with him and the designer for about a year, spending every day - 12 hours a day designing concepts for the stars - wife’s jewelry line. LL and his family were always nothing but nice to me. However, this all came crashing down on Thanksgiving Day when the designer I worked for told me he had fallen in love with me. I cried and cried as I thought it would put an end to my early design career if I didn’t approve. But I didn’t want that to be the reason someone kept me around, so I put an end to that work relationship. His last words to me after saying he loved me “I knew you wouldn’t settle.”

Lastly, I worked for Universal Studios in California in the costume department! This was such a rad job! I worked overnight and bartended during the day. When working with the costumes it was my job to go from site to site during Halloween Horror Nights. If a costume got torn, I quickly stitched it back together.

Those are just a couple of the many experiences I had when trying to “make it” in LA. As you can see there were a lot of things to dig through to get to where I wanted to be. Honestly, I wouldn’t change any of it. I had some of the best years of my life there.

I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude from FIDM with a dual major in Fashion Design and Merchandising and Visual Communications which had never been done before! School wasn’t easy, and trying to become something in a giant city where I knew absolutely no one wasn’t easy.

I lived in LA for 6 years and was working myself to the bone to just pay rent. 2-3 jobs at all times for 6 years. I sat and thought there must be a better way of life. My lease was up, so I decided screw it, I’m moving to Las Vegas! I moved to Las Vegas with my dog, my cat, and 2 jobs but no place to live!

When arriving to Las Vegas I went straight to work literally. I left LA at 5am and started work at the breakfast restaurant at 10am that same morning. No place to live my dog and cat stayed in the car that fall morning. On my breaks I came out and walked my pup and fed and gave them water. It was cool in Las Vegas (as it was December) Not ideal but made it work. I got off work that day at 2pm, and drove all around Las Vegas to find an apartment to live in. Thankfully I found one and signed the lease a 4:45pm (the office closed that day at 5pm)!

As you know job one - I was working at a breakfast restaurant and job two - I was cocktailing on the strip. Graveyard shift. This is what pushed me into the world of Permanent Makeup. I was sick of waking up at midnight and getting ready for work to put my eyebrows on! I’m not kidding! Having no eyebrows I was someone who wouldn’t leave the house without putting them on! When you work 2am-10am and then 10am-4pm your makeup is the last thing you want to worry about! Once I got my brows tattooed, I was presented with the opportunity to become a permanent makeup apprentice. Of course, I said yes! I then spent the next 5 years as an apprentice learning everything I could! I cocktailed my way through my apprenticeship. Which helped financially but was draining!

After completing my 5-year apprenticeship and working as an artist at a studio for a few years I finally felt I had a direction in life! I was actually making this art thing work!

Then COVID hit! Covid was at first very scary. But a few things I noticed very quickly was when I have quiet time, I am able to DREAM, I’m able to focus on my health, and I’m able to CREATE! The last 15 years of hustle and bustle really muted these things for me and for the first time I could think clearly. I wanted more! I remember thinking “If the world ends tomorrow, what is it I still need to accomplish?” I had always wanted to have my own business! Oh boy. So many thoughts crossed my mind! Are you crazy Amber, really, right now!? Everything is closing down and you’re going to open up a studio...(everyone around me thought I was crazy. Let’s not even discuss how it made my parents feel!) lol

Every single time a negative thought came to my mind I had a positive thought replace that fear within a matter of seconds! For instance: (negative thought) If you open a tattoo studio it won’t work, they’re literally closed down right now due to Covid (positive thought) You have worked your ass off, have saved money - take advantage of things being closed go get a DEAL on a lease and take your time remodeling a space to make it exactly how you want. And that is exactly what I did!

In 2021 opened a beautiful studio in Las Vegas Nevada. I expanded from 1200sq ft to 3000sq ft in my 1st year and now has a talented team behind me! In 2023, I launched Inspired by Ms Amber Red an online virtual studio where new and experienced PMU artist can come to learn a variety of my techniques without ever stepping a foot in my studio!

This isn’t where it stops.

Most of you know me as Ms Amber Red. We have slowly been building the Inspired by Ms Amber Red brand and community. You’re probably thinking what is that? Ms Amber Red has always felt very personal to me. It became who Amber was from the very beginning. It’s me. To me it doesn’t feel like an scalable brand where I can provide other artists with the individualized freedom to create. Remember I’ve struggled to find a creative identity my entire life... I do not want other artists that join my team to struggle with having their own identity! I want them to be a part of a creative team, yet still be able to have their own look, their own style, and their own artistic vision. This is how Inspired by Ms Amber Red was born! As a transitional brand to become one day in the near future known as Inspired.

Inspired provides the community and support the artists provide the creativity and artwork.

Inspired is a creative art community that thrives on individuality. We may all be under one roof, but we all are unique and have so much to offer. I feel clients book services with you not only for your work, but your style and your personality and it’s important to showcase that! This is why every artist at Inspired is encouraged to develop and nurture their own look and style.

We currently have artists that offer permanent makeup, lashes, facials, small body tattoos and more. The opportunity at Inspired is endless. We strive on creativity and welcome all things art! We not only are embracing this idea within our brick and mortar but in out online virtual studio as well.

You’ll find any artists we host on Inspired have a custom webpage designed specifically to their branding. You can see an example of this HERE

If you’re an artist and looking for a home in person - or online, we’d love to chat with you.

Email us: [email protected]