I was born in Lai King in the New Territories and went to school there. Generally, when I think of school, I didn't like it. All kids secretly want to break school rules but I was the one who did. I tried drinking in secondary school and, yes, I did get drunk.

Luckily I had a father who thought that girls should know how to drink. Moreover, I learned an important lesson from it: you need to test and set your own limits and drinking is one way to do that.

I suppose I was also a loner. During breaks between class I didn't want to be with the others. It wasn't that I couldn't socialise but more that I liked to be on my own.

My parents split when I was young and I was brought up by my siblings, who were adults. In fact they were much more like my parents, except that they let me do what I wanted.

My father was what some might call a little weird. He very much let me do anything. He acted like an artist but wasn't. He'd go from job to job and particularly liked sales.

My best time was in primary school, which was great. So much of why I liked it was because the principal loved art. We'd draw patterns and pictures, and were surrounded by walls filled with our work, which felt happy.

I'd never let homework bother me as I was quick to learn and do it. That gave me free time to do what I wanted and I was the kind of kid who, if you gave me paper and crayons, off I'd go. Very self-sufficient.

Secondary school was where it changed for the worse. On the one hand, it was Catholic and I liked religious education. It was the only time I read the Bible and I loved it because it's truly a storybook.

On the other hand, I'd ask awkward questions that wouldn't be encouraged. I also liked writing my opinions about things in general so I didn't get good marks.

A lot of the teachers knew I was a little naughty, although I still keep in touch with some of them. Sometimes I'd even miss school or just wouldn't bother to study.

In fact, there was a period of three years from about the age of 12 to 15 when I didn't study. I didn't feel exams were my business and the teachers had made up their minds I wasn't any good.

The problem was I did like to study but wanted to choose what I did.

One day I woke up and just wanted to prove that I could get my Hong Kong certificate, so I set about and did it. But it made me realise I didn't want to continue with school.

I left and despite not having done any drawing or art for ages because I didn't feel happy, I was accepted into an art school in Yau Ma Tei. There I set about doing a three-year course in art, but after a year I felt it wasn't right.

That first year was very useful but I wanted to be more creatively stimulated and being in school wasn't helping that. So I left, teaching kids to draw and carrying on working in a bar.

Eventually, with friends, I opened a small shop and designed T-shirts, or would be given the design for them. It was doing that that gave me the idea to become a tattooist.

I went to Thailand to learn about it expecting it'd take a year, but I completed it in a few months after intensive one-to-one tuition.

I love my job. Every day I meet different people and every day's a surprise. I don't work nine to five and it's better I work by myself. That way life's more flexible and I don't feel stressed. I'll often start at midday but frequently don't leave until 11pm.

I'm hidden away off Wellington Street because I don't encourage curiosity seekers. About 80 per cent of my customers are foreign with the oldest being a 70-year-old American woman. Local people don't tend to think individually so they don't come. I only want serious people to have tattoos that they don't regret.

The first time I meet a client we discuss what they want. I don't hesitate to say, if they're not sure, to go away and think about it.

It's not an easy job, especially doing abstract designs, because the talent is to get inside the client's mind and figure out what they want. As a result, I've realised that you can study design and technical skills but I don't think you can study creativity. It just comes from within.