Mountain Home, Arkansas – Being a woman in a world full of scrutiny and unrealistic standards isn't easy, but Amber Akashyia found a confidence booster in tattoos.

Since she was 20 years old, Amber Akashia has been growing her tattoo collection.

An early addict to the art form, the Arkansas native proudly flaunts her masterpieces to the world and couldn't care less about hate that comes her way.

Before she decided to get her first tattoo, Akashia told Truly that she was struggling with deep depression and severe body issues.

Things took a turn for the best when she fell in love, had kids, and started getting tatted.

"The more tattoos I get I feel like I'm becoming me," Akashia said.

The road to self-acceptance hasn't been easy for the mother-of-two, who hopes to someday have a full body sleeve. Being from a conservative town doesn't help. Sometimes, Akashia encounters religious folk who try to hand her flyers to find the Lord's love, thinking she's satanic simply because she's adorned in ink.

Instead of letting it rile her up, the tattoo-enthusiast brushes it off her shoulders and heads to a tattoo parlor for more.

For all the hate and judgmental glares she gets doing common things like attending her daughters' parent-teacher meetings or grocery shopping, she gets an equal amount of love.

"A lot of people are like, "Hey, you look cool," and I'm like "Hey, thanks!""

As for her children, Akashia said they hardly notice her tatted skin because it's what they've always known their mom to look like.

The first tattoo she got was a chest piece of a moth, dedicated to her daughters. She kept the family love theme strong, getting two other chest tattoos: one for her husband, and for her grandma.

Though some might find her appearance off-putting, it's what makes her feel confident and beautiful, which is all anyone can ever hope for.