Greensboro woman sketches new blueprint for future at Strange Beauty Salon and Tattoo Collective

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Jessica J. Paul has seen a dramatic shift in attitudes toward tattooing in the 20 years she’s been in the industry.

She says back when she started, the customer base was dominated by men, and it was rare to see female artists in shops.

“I have had experiences where people have asked me if there are any male tattoo artists on staff or been surprised that I was the artist at all … A lot of, times they’d ask me whose girlfriend I was,” she said.

However, she says the gruffness of the industry has eased.

“Everyone you know is getting tattooed: your grandmother, your auntie, your sweet Uncle Jim,” she said.

Paul believes there is still more to do within the industry to appeal to what is now a much broader clientele.

In April, she opened the doors to Strange Beauty Salon and Tattoo Collective on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro.

“I wanted a place where we could offer more than one service,” she said.

Paul was also motivated to open her own place after not being able to find the kind of environment that would be the right fit for her.

Strange Beauty is a tattoo shop and salon with a variety of beauty services as well as piercings.

Paul says the priority isn’t just the business model but also how people are treated when they’re there.

“I feel like a lot of places you go, they have an attitude where they say, ‘What do you want? Why are you here?’ and it’s scary. Most of the people you meet are nervous, and so it’s really important to approach this with a kindness and a mutual respect that I don’t think you get everywhere in this industry or in this city,” Paul said.

Her goal as owner and operator of Strange Beauty is to create an environment where people feel like they are around family or at least good friends.

Speaking of family, Paul’s mother is a supporter and customer.

“I think that looking at my mother is a great example of how tattooing has changed,” Paul said.

“When we were kids, she wouldn’t allow us to have temporary tattoos, and she had a set idea of how things were supposed to be because that’s how she was raised. So for her to come and get a tattoo from me, I felt like that was the ultimate show of support,” Paul said.

In this latest part of her career, Paul stands by putting what the client wants first.

“There is no tattoo too small. There is no project that I won’t take on. If you want it, and it’s going to make you feel good … that’s why we’re here,” she said.

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