From Tattoo Artist to Teacher
Sarah Spinks: From Tattoo Artist to Teacher
How one woman transformed civic engagement, public art, and the classroom—with ink, intention, and unapologetic style.
By Katie Melendez
Photography by [Insert Photographer]
Published in North County Post – Community Voices Series
It started with a needle.
Not a pen. Not a picket sign. Not a lesson plan. Before Sarah Spinks was a first-grade teacher and a civic firestarter, she was an artist with a vision—and a challenge. “I just wanted to open a tattoo shop,” she laughs. “I didn’t plan to get political. I just ran into a wall—and decided to paint it.”
That wall would become the beginning of a lifelong pursuit: not just of art, but of access—for artists, for educators, for residents whose stories too often stay invisible in the margins. Now, with a classroom full of eager young learners and a city that once declared March 26 “Sarah Spinks Day,” she’s rewriting what local leadership can look like: collaborative, bold, deeply human.
🎨 Ink as Instigation
Spinks’ foray into civic life wasn’t the usual one. A creative force in downtown Vista, she quickly became known for turning alleys into art galleries and vacant walls into community canvases. With the founding of Backfence Society, she curated more than art—she curated connection. “We weren’t just putting up murals,” she says. “We were making space for neighbors to talk, feel seen, and get involved.”
From organizing the Alley Art Festival to launching the cheeky-yet-effective Only Losers Litter campaign, Sarah built a movement that blurred the line between protest and party. “I always thought civic engagement could be weird and fun,” she says. “Why not?”
🗳️ Politics with Paint Under the Nails
When Sarah joined the Vista Public Arts Commission, and later became chair, she brought with her not just an artistic eye but a sense of responsibility. “I realized that what we paint, fund, or ignore sends a message about who belongs here,” she reflects.
By 2017, she had embedded herself in Vista’s political landscape—not through self-promotion, but through service. As a key figure in local Democratic clubs and an organizer behind multiple progressive campaigns, Sarah made her mark without ever losing her authenticity.
🍎 A New Kind of Classroom
Today, she’s channeling all of that energy into the lives of six-year-olds. As a first-grade teacher, Sarah applies her core belief in expression, justice, and kindness—whether it's through classroom rituals, creative play, or union organizing.
“Teaching is another kind of frontline,” she says. “You’re shaping how kids understand fairness, empathy, how to use their voice.” And when it comes to teachers’ rights, she’s not quiet. As a union member and advocate, she’s continuing her mission to make institutions accountable—and nurturing the next generation of thinkers while she’s at it.
✨ Spinks Unfiltered
In between lesson planning and city clean-ups, Sarah still finds time to stay weird. She’s fiercely loyal to her friends, in love with vintage fashion, and unapologetically punk in her politics. “People sometimes think being soft or creative makes you unserious. But it’s actually the opposite,” she says. “Caring this much is the work.”
💬 Words She Lives By
(Insert a pull-quote from your interview here—e.g., something powerful, funny, or reflective.)
“You don’t have to be loud to make noise. You just have to show up. Every day.” —Sarah Spinks
📍 Community Legacy in Motion
From tattooing to teaching, from murals to motions in City Hall, Sarah Spinks is the kind of leader who turns personal resistance into collective resonance. She’s not waiting for someone else to fix the system—she’s painting a new one.
In her hands, a classroom becomes a movement. A sidewalk becomes a statement. And a woman becomes a whole world of possibility.
Sidebar Idea: Sarah’s Picks
Current obsession:
Favorite local restaurant:
Song that gets her moving:
Classroom must-have:
Dream mural location:
(Add more personalized bits from the interview for texture.)