Drea lives in Houston. Most days, she listens to music and watches the sunset. Nature calms her. Driving with the windows down helps her reset.
She came to Jennal Wang with a blank space on her shoulder an awkward area she didn’t know how to fill. Jennal suggested an animal, and Drea immediately thought of a phoenix.
At the time, Drea was burned out. A creative project had drained her. She felt numb to her art and business. Working at the tattoo shop gave her some stability. So did a new relationship, but it came with its own challenges.
The phoenix meant something. It always had. For Drea, it represents rebirth. “Every time I hit a low, it feels like part of me dies—and something new is born.
The phoenix rises from fire. That fire is my chaos and my uncertainty.”
The tattoo helped her feel strong again. It marked the start of a shift.
She hopes the piece keeps reminding her: she can start over. Again and again. That she’s strong, and she can get back up—no matter what.
The session started with her chest, which made it hard at first. But she got through it. Watching the piece come together was motivating. “Seeing the full phoenix for the first time—it hit me. It looked exactly how I always wanted to look. Like a real change had happened.”
Now, when she sees the tattoo, she doesn’t just see ink—she sees progress.
