Winter doesn’t get enough credit in the tattoo world. While many people wait for warmer months, those who understand the craft know winter is an ideal tattoo season — not because it’s trendy, but because it’s practical, intentional, and better suited for the art itself. January is quieter in the best way. Less noise, fewer distractions, more focus. It creates space for thoughtful design, meaningful conversations, and tattoos done with purpose rather than impulse.

Tattoos often act as time stamps on our lives. Instead of journaling or documenting grief, growth, and milestones, we let ink tell the story. From breakups and loss to sobriety, identity shifts, and survival moments, tattoos become proof that we didn’t just watch the year pass — we lived it.

Meet Kim Lague — The Loyal Sparrow tattoo artist in Belgrade, Montana; storyteller, and unapologetically herself. She’s the kind of person who can make you laugh mid-tattoo, drop a line that makes you think, and still send you out the door feeling more grounded than when you walked in.

November hits different. The noise fades, the air gets heavy, and what’s left is stillness — the kind that makes you look back at what broke you, built you, and what’s still standing. Gratitude this month isn’t polished; it’s raw, messy, and real. It’s about taking stock of the year, scars and all. And for many, that reflection doesn’t come through words — it comes through ink.