Rising Stars: Meet Anomalia Rose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anomalia Rose. 

Hi Anomalia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When people ask me where I started, my mind goes all the way back to when I was a small child. Back to when I was drawing on the walls, painting anything I could get a hold of, or dancing along to Britney Spears music videos and trying to dress like her and other celebrities. I’ve always been an artist, a fashionista, a dancer, and performer – I called myself a “jack of all arts.” This title is still my favorite way to describe myself because, well, it’s true! There’s always been so much I want to do, and I really took it personally when people said, “you can’t do everything you want in one lifetime.” 

Being an open-minded, outspoken girl with a conventionally old school family definitely made me feel out of place where I grew up in northwest Arkansas. I knew early on that leaving would be what was best for me, so at 19 years old, I packed up my budding family and we moved to Colorado. It was difficult leaving my friends and family at such a young age, but I already had a daughter and a future to worry about, one that wouldn’t be satisfied in a small, quiet town. Moving to a new state with no close family around was no easy transition. My partner and I worked hard at dead-end jobs to keep a roof over our head, even working opposite shifts so we didn’t have to put our daughter in daycare. I often worked retail, while instructing wine-and-dine painting classes on the side. I sold art and picked up commissions when I could. Modeling seemed like a far-off dream that I rarely thought about, and I had almost given up thoughts of tattooing altogether. 

My very first photoshoot was in the summer of 2017, and I had no idea what I was doing! I got lucky and had come across an ad by an independent photographer who was kind and helpful with the whole process. When it was all finished, I was SHOCKED. The resulting photos were beautiful, I couldn’t believe it was me. They all looked like a gorgeous painting of a magical woman. I was hooked! Modeling was officially a part of my life. Pretty much the entire first year was unpaid shoots, but I loved it so much, it didn’t bother me at all. I started shooting on almost every day I had off work and eventually started getting paid gigs. I’ve been a freelance model on the side for 5 years now, and I never slowed down until I came across an ad for an Art Business Program on Facebook. 

This Art Business program was a tattoo apprenticeship and yet another ticket into the art world, and I absolutely took it. I quit my day job and immediately got to work. Six short months later, I’m a tattoo artist. Now I’m juggling that, being a mom, wife, and a model, and it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life. I love getting paid for doing what I love and still having time for my family and myself. I still have work to do and a ways to go, but I honestly could not be happier with the progress I’ve made and the place that I’m in now! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would say my biggest hardship was a rough childhood. My father was an alcoholic (who’s since recovered in my adulthood) and my mom was fairly emotionally unavailable most of my life due to her own trauma. My family wasn’t very supportive of really anything I loved except visual art. I was deterred from dancing (especially since the only dance examples I had were stars like Missy Elliot and other popular 2000s artists), comedy, and other things. There was even quite the little uproar when I started modeling, but I’ve learned what makes me happy doesn’t have to make other people happy. I was bullied a lot about my weight, too, and it still feels strange to think about how low my self-esteem was compared to now. Modeling has helped me in that aspect so much, even though what finally sparked me to do it was getting healthy and losing over forty pounds shortly after moving to Colorado. Modeling has a lovely way of showing you how beautiful your imperfections can be. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I model, I tattoo, I draw, I do it all! While I love all kinds of modeling, I’ve lately been reserving it for my favorite ideas, the strange and unusual. I prefer those eye-catching, neck-breaking, and breathtaking shots! That’s what visual art is all about, the beauty in the eye of the beholder. Tattooing is also all about the art, but I tend to take a much more client-geared stance in that field since it is going on their body of course. I’m still building my portfolio for tattoos at the moment as well, so I don’t turn down many opportunities to tattoo! 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
All dreams require great risks. We almost always run the risk of being uncomfortable, financially and physically. There were many points in my life that I pursued my dreams while my husband paid all the bills. We could have been “better off” in those times had we both been bringing in stable income, but that’s just what we give up for a better ending to our own stories. The key is knowing which risks to take, what’s worth it, and what’s not. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Modeling instagram @anomaliarose Tattoo instagram @anomaliatattooco
• Other: 719-357-7470

Image Credits
TKM Photography