Tatted Mom and Artist: Kristin Richardson

Kristin Richardson at Sally's

---

When I noticed the stunning tattoos on the arms of the Manager of Sally's, I was eager to feature them in our Style issue. I introduced myself to Kristin Richardson and found out that she would soon be exploring this art form as a creator. I also discovered that Richardson writes and creates art. However, her true joy comes from advocating for her son, Jaxxon.

Her eyes widened as she spoke about Jaxxon and his experience with Autism. Garden Spices needed to showcase her tattoos as an art form, but we also wanted to give her the opportunity to share her tribute to Jaxxon and his caregiver. Gate open.

- Victorine

---

Artist/Advocate Statement

My name is Kristin Richardson, and I’m a 33-year-old artist, writer, advocate, and lifelong learner. I hold a degree in Human and Social Services, have eight years of management experience, and spent two years working at a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Shelter, where I supported women and children seeking immediate safety, resources, and compassionate care.

Advocacy has also become deeply personal to me. For the past five years, I have advocated for my youngest son, Jaxxon, who has Level 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder. Walking alongside him has strengthened my voice, expanded my perspective, and taught me even more about patience, perseverance, understanding, and the importance of advocating for those we love.

Creativity is one of the ways I process and express the world around me. My artistic interests have never been confined to a single medium—I’ve explored everything from pencil sketches and pen art to graffiti, painting, and, most recently, tattoo work. Writing gives me another kind of canvas, allowing me to put words to experiences, emotions, observations, and pieces of life that aren’t always easy to express out loud.

---

---

When Jaxxon was one, a woman began coming into our home every week to help our little boy find his voice. She continued until he was three, during years filled with uncertainty, patience, tiny victories, and so much hope.

I painted Jaxxon on a swing between darkness and light. Behind him is the darkness—the fear of the unknown, the questions we couldn’t answer, and the words we desperately hoped he would someday be able to share. In front of him is the light: possibility, growth, hope, and a world waiting for him to discover it in his own way.

This painting was created for his speech therapist because she became part of that light.

She didn’t simply come into our home to do a job. She believed in our son during a chapter when his future was still unwritten. Week after week, she showed up with patience, compassion, and faith in a little boy who had so much inside of him, even when he couldn’t yet put it into words.

Today, Jaxxon is five. He speaks in full sentences. He goes to kindergarten. And sometimes I think about that little boy on the swing and all the people who gently helped push him toward the light.

Some angels don’t have wings. Sometimes they knock on your door once a week, sit beside your child, and help him discover that the world is waiting to hear his voice.

This painting is my thank-you to one of ours.

---

---

Kristin Richardson

I’m also passionate about leadership and self-development and spend much of my free time learning, growing, and challenging myself to become a stronger version of who I was yesterday. Whether through motherhood, advocacy, leadership, art, or writing, much of what I create and who I am is rooted in resilience, growth, authenticity, and human connection.