Kat Von D became a world-renowned tattoo artist and celebrity after starring on the reality television show Miami Ink. The 41-year-old was born in Mexico and started tattooing at 16. Little did she know at the time that her hobby would become a lifelong passion.

Instead of opting for an ordinary education, Kat decided to drop out of high school to follow her passion for tattoos. Today, she is happily married, raising a child, and trying out a career in music. Of course, at the same time she’s had her fair share of setbacks. 

So how did Kat Von D become a celebrity tattoo artist? And what is she doing today? This is all you need to know about her life!

Kat Von D was born Katherine von Drachenberg on Mars 8, 1982, in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Both her parents were from Mexico and active Seventh-day Adventist Church missionaries. As a result, it wasn’t all that surprising that they grew concerned when their daughter became interested in punk music and dressing in black. Not to mention her later obsession with tattoos.

Kat Von D – early life

Von D’s family moved to Montemorelos when her father got work as a missionary doctor.

Writing for Popsugar in 2016, recalled that they didn’t have electricity or running water for a long time. Moreover, she took baths in a plastic bucket when she was young, and one of her earliest memories is “running around barefoot on the packed dirt,” which formed the floor of their home.

Though she didn’t exactly live a life of luxury growing up, Kat Von D is very proud of her origin.

“At the end of the day, where I come from doesn’t define me,” she wrote.

“But like any life experience, it’s helped shape this beautifully charmed life of mine that I could never take for granted.”

When Kat Von D turned six, her family immigrated to the US. They settled in Loma Linda, California, where their new life began. A decade later, Kat became a US citizen.

“I was six years old, and the seven hour drive that it took to reach the Texas border felt like weeks,” she recalled. “Even though I didn’t fully understand what big changes were ahead, I felt it. I think we all did.”

As Kat became a teenager, she fell in love with theatrics and the drama of makeup. She used beauty products as a tool to express what was happening within her.

First tattoo at 14

“I was inspired by music, music, music!” she told Dazed Digital.

“I remember once I discovered punk-rock music, it wasn’t necessarily a style that I was emulating, but I subscribed more to the feeling of being free. The honesty that comes from ‘not giving a f—.’ That’s what really shaped my style.”

Kat went to school and dreamed of the future, but this also marked a tough time in her life. Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, she revealed that she suffered from physical, mental, and emotional mistreatment. Her parents didn’t know anything about it, mind, and it’s nothing she blames them for.

“I love my childhood, I think I had a great childhood. I think my parents made a huge mistake in sending me to a school, but that was under the guise that it was going to help me in a way that it didn’t. And again, I don’t think it’s their fault or anything,” she said.

Music and makeup were two of her most significant interests growing up. But by age 14, she had found another passion. She reportedly got her first tattoo the same year – a small Misfits skull – and it was then that she began tattooing others. The young Von D used a homemade tattoo gun made from a guitar string alongside a motor made for a cassette player.