Annika Walker is shown with her skates on, with skating being one of her many passions outside of her career as a body piercer and cosmetic tattoo artist. Photo provided by Annika Walker.

By Caleigh Byrer
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Annika Walker is a Jill of all trades, master of many.

From her many years of roller derby to her extensive body piercing experience, Walker prides herself in her ability to consistently exceed expectations.

Walker’s trajectory changed when she accepted a front desk management position at a local tattoo shop; she fell in love with the atmosphere and the prospect of a flexible career.

“I just hit a point where I wanted to try something different, and I have always been very involved in the industry; I have a lot of friends in the industry so I took the management position and after about a year I received the invitation to be an apprentice for piercing,” Walker recalled.

She was an apprentice for about two years at that location and went on to establish herself as an independent body piercer. After about five years of piercing, Walker began familiarizing herself with other services as well.

She is presently an apprentice for permanent makeup, also known as cosmetic tattooing, and has been studying under a reputable artist for about two years. Walker specializes in eyebrows, freckles and eyeliner. She also does tooth gem application and whitening.

Walker is shown doing a cosmetic tattoo. Photo provided by Annika Walker.

“I like to be able to do a little bit of everything and if I’m going to do something, I want to be the best at it,” Walker stated. “I really dove into this; from day 1 it’s just resonated with me, like ‘if I’m going to do this, I need to go all in.'”

As she currently works at Legendary Ink, 716 S. Main St., North Webster, Walker noted that being certified in so many different areas of the industry is partially why she is so successful in a small town.

One of Walker’s favorite parts about her career is touring for tattoo and piercing conventions. She has the opportunity to showcase her work, explore new places and make new connections.

She also loves that she has the ability to not only provide for her family, but as an independent contractor, she is able to control her schedule so she is able to spend time with them whenever she chooses.

Walker has had to find a balance between all of her passions as she  juggles her family life, working full-time at and managing the Legendary Ink shop and going to her apprenticeship one or two days a week.

“It isn’t easy, but it almost feels normal to me because I’ve done it for so long,” she said.

Annika Walker is shown on the left at a roller derby scrimmage. Photo provided by Annika Walker.

Her ultimate career goal is to join the Association of Professional Piercers and be able to provide the best, high-end services for her clients, which she hopes to be a part of in the near future. Personally, she wants to live a life that reflects her family-oriented values and enjoy her surroundings.

Before she became invested in the tattoo and piercing industry, it was Walker’s intention to work with animals. She has always been drawn to nature and wildlife, she even studied zoology for a few years in college. Although she didn’t pursue a life-long career in the field, she spent roughly eight years grooming dogs and still maintains the same love of animals.

Outside of work, Walker enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, getting outdoors, street skating and roller derby.