Today we’d like to introduce you to William Luke.
Hi William, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My Story
My first contact with the law came at 12. Shoplifting. Nothing too crazy.
At 15, drunk and lost on alcohol and pills, I found myself locked inside a store. Ironically, it was the store right next to the tattoo shop I now own. That was my second contact with the law.
By 16, things got serious—felonies, guns involved. My third contact. I found a new home in a juvenile detention center, facing charges punishable by life. I was young, dumb, and scared. Little did I know I’d be going home soon.
Around this time, I started selling drugs. It began with marijuana but quickly escalated—pills, cocaine, guns. This became my normal.
At 19, I caught felony charges that landed me on probation as an adult. At 21, I violated probation with new felony charges and went to prison. A year and a half later, I walked out. While I was there, I picked up a magazine with an article about tattooing. That single article lit a spark. I saw potential. I knew I wanted to pursue it.
But at 23, addiction took over—meth, cocaine, and more. It owned me.
At 29, a misdemeanor landed me back on probation. I violated. For a year, I lived with a warrant hanging over my head.
At 30, that warrant finally caught up with me. I went back to jail. The world was normal when I went in, but Covid hit while I was inside. When I came out, the world was upside down.
Not long after, everything changed. I found out I had a son on the way. I was going to be a father. But how could I be? I never had one myself. Mine was an alcoholic and a drug addict until the day he was found dead in a dumpster. Would I offer the same fate to my son?
Separated from the mother of my child and with nowhere left to turn, I knew I needed to change. By God’s grace, I found it. I found Him.
I got clean. That same year, I started Voiced by Design.
At 31, just two days after my birthday, my son was born. A month later, I met him for the first time. I held him in my arms, my son. Odin. Also ironically. In my tattoo shop.
Now, at 35, I’m raising my son, happily married, and blessed with a successful tattoo career. I own a shop and work alongside two amazing artists, Josh and Travis. My wife now owns her own salon.
Life is good.
God is great.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my business wasn’t easy. In fact, I had zero money to begin with. Every penny I could scrape together went into building the shop. There were nights I slept there on the floor because I had no other option. Other nights I stayed at my mom’s place—still battling addiction, trying to rebuild my life, and trying to build a business at the same time.
I didn’t know much about running a business. I had owned a tattoo shop before, but it failed. So this time, it felt like I was starting from ground zero—literally. No money, no safety net, no real roadmap. Just faith, grit, and the belief that I could make it work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a tattoo artist, and I own a small shop in Lake City, Florida. I’m not famous around the world, but in my city, people know me. For a long time, I was known for all the wrong reasons—the mistakes, the trouble, the bad choices. But tattooing and God gave me a second chance, and now I’m known for something else.
Today, people see me as a businessman, a Christian, and a family man. Tattooing has been the one constant in my life—the only thing I could ever truly stick with. Living with ADHD, it’s hard for me to stay focused, but tattooing is different. It’s almost therapeutic. I can sit and tattoo for hours on end, day after day, and it never gets old.
What I love most is the people. Every client brings their own story, and I get to be part of it. Some of the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had happened in the tattoo chair. Honestly, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I know it might sound cheesy, but it’s the truth: if I can do it, so can you. There’s so much I’ve been through in my life—things this article can’t cover, and some things I may never be able to share. But here’s what I know: many of your stories are similar to mine, and some may even be worse.
But your story can change. It doesn’t have to end where it started. You can rewrite it into something you’re proud of—something worth sharing with the world.
Be the main character in your own story. Take charge. Be the change. Because you are worth it, and you deserve it. And above all, never forget—God loves you.
Pricing:
- $900 full day rates
- $500 half day rates
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.voicedbydesign.com
- Instagram: WilliamLuke.tattoo
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/voicedbydesign
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@williamluketattoo
