After moving to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, in January of this year, Julie Hough, who tattoos under the name “Seven”, started chasing her dream career of becoming a tattoo artist after she thought she had to give it up in her twenties. Seven was diagnosed with lupus and attention deficit disorder, but with the advancement of tattooing equipment and medication for her disease, she’s returned to the industry at the age of 42.

Shortly after moving into her new home with her partner Amanda Adams, who she met online, Seven began working at Deviant Tattoo Studios and Supply, the only tattoo shop in Excelsior Springs, where a staff of artists have stepped up to mentor her so she can become a licensed tattoo artist.

In her downtime, Seven video chats with her daughters and takes care of her pets Ludo, a one-year-old Cocker Spaniel and Yorkshire Terrier mix, Olive, a seven-month-old Poodle, Vader, a one-year-old ball python and Magnet, a gecko.