Story & Lesson Highlights with Jenna Leske

Jenna Leske shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Jenna , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
In the first 90 minutes of my day, I am usually greeted by another tattoo artist. I have two apprentices, Brigid and Emily, who are doing very well and another tattoo artist that has joined the group named Loryn. In the morning, I manage the office by making sure everyone has what they need, all the paperwork is getting filled out properly, and I am ready for my client as well. My tattoos are getting larger and more complicated as I am working towards more sleeve work so my preparation in the morning is vital. I encourage the girls to get started early before their client arrives to give themselves time for it all as well. I double check to make sure everything has been cleaned properly from the last session, then all my clean supplies are laid out on dental bibs, my machine is prepped, tray is covered and the design is ready to go. Then it is time to greet the client and get the stencil placed. If they are getting color I am probably waiting to mix until they arrive as not to waste any tattoo ink. It is common that I have the stencil on them and drying before the first 90 minutes of the day, then it’s off to tattooing!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Jenna, the artist and owner behind Floaty Tattoo and The Floaty Channel.
I’m a tattooer, illustrator, and designer with a deep love for bold color, storytelling, and highly detailed work. I love creating tattoos that feel vibrant, dimensional, and full of story—designs that look like they’re floating right off the skin. I mix hyperrealistic detail with bold, folk-art texture to make each piece really pop.
Beyond tattooing, I’m building a creative brand that blends art, education, and hands-on craft. I design custom Procreate brush sets, nail decal collections, and original characters like my “wizard lizard” for my tattoo aftercare line, Potion Lotion. I also share behind-the-scenes tattoo education with my apprentice on my YouTube channel, where we focus on real technique, real progress, and real artistry. My husband and I also own Floaty Grips, which lets us channel our creativity into designing durable, artist-focused tattoo equipment.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding my shop, developing new tools for artists, and creating more educational content to help up-and-coming tattooers feel empowered and confident.
If there’s one thing I believe, it’s that creativity isn’t limited. If you can dream it up, you can make it real. That’s the Floaty mindset I try to bring into everything I do.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Having open heart surgery was a turning point in my life. It made everything quieter and more clear. It taught me to value my time, trust my instincts, and focus on the things that truly matter. I went under the knife in 2017 to close a hole that had been sitting quietly undetected since birth. In the cardiac anomaly world, my surgery was considered a relatively simple fix, which is part of why it went unnoticed for so long. I feel incredibly lucky that we caught it when we did, and at such a young age. My hope is that others are just as fortunate.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
For a long time, I struggled with the fear of being fully seen. Sharing my art, my ideas, and my voice felt vulnerable, and I worried about judgment or getting things wrong. Learning to show up authentically—online, in my work, and with my clients—has been a major part of my growth. It’s helped me trust myself more, connect more deeply with people, and create with a lot more freedom.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the tattoo industry tells itself is that there’s only one “right” way to be an artist. People get stuck in gatekeeping, tradition, and ego, and it can make newer artists feel like they don’t belong unless they follow a very specific path. The truth is that the industry thrives on diversity—different styles, voices and journeys. I love seeing what other artists come up with!

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I grew up with conservative parents, so for a long time I stayed on the path that made sense to everyone around me. I worked in the hospital as a sonographer for ten years, and I truly valued the work—I was good at it, and I loved being able to help people. But I’ve always had a BA in art and a creative side that never really went away. Eventually I felt myself needing something different, something that let me create in a deeper way. Taking the leap out of the medical industry wasn’t easy, but it made space for the other parts of myself. I wasn’t meant to do only one thing in this life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://floaty.art
• Instagram: @floatytattoo
• Facebook: @floatytattoo
• Youtube: @floatytattoo

Image Credits
The floating images over the lake were a collaborative project with Holly Greene photography.