Artists In Jackson: Dylan Sodt

Inside the welcoming walls of 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio, Dylan Sodt (he/they) is quietly reshaping how people see themselves, one piercing at a time.

Dylan is a piercer, but that barely scratches the surface. For them, piercing is not just a form of body modification. It’s a practice of empowerment, trust, and transformation.

“I can build a little home with people in 30 minutes,” they say. “It creates a ritual environment. It’s an energetic exchange. They’re trusting me—and that’s when I think I have the best job.”

Born and raised in Jackson, Dylan’s path to piercing was anything but linear. He started by sketching the human figure as a kid and later found creative expression as a drummer in local bands. For much of his adult life, Dylan worked in restaurants, eventually managing the bar and kitchen at Sandhill Crane Vineyards. But even while building menus and leading teams, a deeper pull was growing.

“I hit a point where I needed something new,” he recalls.

Just two days after leaving the vineyards, he began a piercing apprenticeship.

“Piercing found me,” Dylan says.

Precision Meets Purpose

That leap of faith led them into a world where artistic intuition and technical precision are inseparable. Their practice is steeped in anatomy, geometry, and material science.

“It’s engineering on a smaller scale,” Dylan says.

Before he started working with Lauren Maureen of Emerald Sun Studios, Dylan had to start at the beginning: an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship is the cornerstone of ethical piercing, and Dylan’s journey was a slow and deliberate one.

“You don’t even touch a needle for months. You learn the biology of wound healing, jewelry angles, and sterilization.”

But even more than technique, piercing is about people. Dylan specializes in body reclamation: helping those who have experienced trauma, abuse, or body dysmorphia reconnect with themselves.

“I want clients to feel more empowered when they leave here,” they say. “I’ve had clients squeal when they see themselves in the mirror. That sound? It means everything.”

Their work is artistic and deeply personal. Dylan observes each client closely: how they dress, carry themselves, the undertones of their skin, hair, and eye color.

“I have 30 minutes to clock your style,” he says. “It’s like painting on someone else’s canvas. Then it walks out the door and lives a whole life.”

From simple lobe studs to advanced curated ear setups, every piece is placed with aesthetic intention and precision measured in millimeters.

“We have to create the illusion of symmetry. If it’s off, people will feel it. Others will notice.”

Confidence, Care, and Ritual

Empowerment doesn’t come without responsibility. Dylan sees self-confidence as a professional obligation.

“You need a god complex to do this work—not arrogance, but self-respect,” they say. “You have to put clients at ease. There’s no room for shaky hands.”

They draw on Buddhist practices like breathwork and meditation to stay grounded and present, offering their clients not only a piercing, but also a moment of calm and clarity.

Outside the studio, Dylan finds creative joy in cooking—“an art form that doesn’t belong to me,” they say. “It’s all colors and flavors, and then it’s gone in 15 minutes.”

They surround themself with earth tones, thrifted treasures, and houseplants, always seeking to breathe new life into the old. That ethos flows directly into their work.

“What I do gives people a new image of themselves,” they say.

Community and Collaboration at 21 Blooms

At 21 Blooms, Dylan has found a creative home. The studio, owned by Emily Radke and envisioned as a hub for full-time piercers, is more than a workplace.

It’s a collaborative sanctuary.

“We push each other here,” Dylan says. “We talk through designs, hold critique nights. There’s a vulnerability in that, but it makes us all better.”

For them, the studio is also a commitment to raising the standard in Jackson.

“This city deserves a proper piercing space. If you get pierced by me, I consider you a client forever. I’m an island of proper piercing.”

Looking ahead, Dylan is pursuing certification with the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), a national standard of excellence in the field.

“There’s no ceiling in this work. You can always get better,” they say.

From the restaurant floor to the piercing chair, and no matter their tools, Dylan has always been in the business of care.

“I’m in service of an idea,” they say. “That people can see themselves differently. That they can walk out of here and feel like they belong to themselves again.”

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