Meet Madeline Langston | Tattooer & Tattoo Shop Co-Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madeline Langston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madeline, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Tattooing seems and looks like a pretty glamorous dream job, but often the downsides like early carpel tunnel, lack of benefits, inconsistent work load & pay is overlooked by the general public. When you work for yourself, you work 24/7 to maintain the success of your business behind-the-scenes, and young artists who are looking into tattooing as a career don’t usually think about that side of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been an artist and have been selling art & prints professionally since I was 15; tattooing is something that I started doing only 5 years ago. Though my start was rocky with an apprenticeship that was more self-taught than I had signed up for, looking back I can only view it as a stepping stone and a way to get my foot in the door. I knew the dedication I possessed and just needed the right environment to grow and continue my learning so I could build a solid foundation.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry like tattooing, the feeling of needing to prove myself in every way hits pretty deep. I’ve worked with artists whose work ethic and customer service inspire me, but I’ve worked alongside several artists whose egos trump the quality of their artwork, making it rough to exist in the space every day. When I met my business partner, Ryan, we decided to take no part in the toxicity this industry can bring, hence starting our own shop, Moth to a Flame Tattoo in Colorado Springs April of 2024.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming & intimidation-free environment where we tattoo all bodies and value the collaboration process with our clients. In our first year our artists, including myself, took home several awards in local tattoo competitions and the shop as a whole received gold in a citizen-voted Best of the Springs competition held by The Gazette for best tattoo shop in town. This is definitely a testimony to how much energy we’ve put into our shop and I can’t tell you how much it means to me that others are seeing it, too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d look at the Instagram pages of Downtown COS, LuLu’s Music, COATI, Black Sheep, Vultures, & ICONS to see what events they have scheduled like drag shows, concerts, and silent discos. Definitely would hit Mother Muff’s for either breakfast or late night bites then Nova West arcade bar for skee ball and drink deals.

The Springs has a handful of great spots to check out, from vintage & music, to farmer’s market’s & art workshops!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My passion for art and creating has always come naturally for me, and having the space and materials to experiment with come directly from my Mom. Growing up, she dedicated a whole room to glue, tape, legos, and paint for my siblings & I to use at our own pace with the only rule to tidy things up at the end of the day. Her encouragement, support, and her ability to show anyone kindness with her whole being is something I’ve taken for granted too often.

Website: https://www.mothtoaflametattoos.com

Instagram: @madsbodyart

Image Credits
Ariana Zasada
Courtney Gonzales