OU never know when inspiration will strike, and it often comes when our brains are in a relaxed state.

Neuroscientists will tell you that overthinking dulls the brain and reduces creativity because the brain was not designed to work without rest. Through rest and play, we access our subconscious mind, the vault to our memories, beliefs, skills, life situations and images.

So Kelsie-Ann "Sweets" Valentine was simply vegging at home, watching the tattoo reality show "Ink Master," when she hit on the idea of applying temporary tattoos to the heads of women who have lost their hair to chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Say what?

"It’s a reality show that gets annoying sometimes, but I like to see the challenges and the work the artists put out," she explained. On that particular episode of "Ink Master," the tattoo artists were putting their talents to use covering the scars of breast cancer survivors.

"I felt, why not try that on heads of women who have lost their hair to chemotherapy?"

Valentine empathized with their plight because for five years the University of Hawaii-West Oahu English and philosophy senior was the primary caregiver for her grandmother Audrey Swift while she endured chemotherapy for breast cancer, which is now in remission.

"It really affected me," Valentine said. "It started when I was a senior in high school, and it was really hard to balance school and taking care of her. She couldn’t work, so my grandpa had to spend more time at work to make up for lost income.

"I watched her go through a lot of pain and depression."

Today, Swift heads the Breast Cancer Awareness Project at Kapolei High School every October and is an avid fundraiser for Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society.

Valentine, a self-taught artist who says she’s always been able to draw and paint, creates her hand-painted "crowns" as a way to raise the spirits of those in need of TLC.

"When people lose their hair, their self-esteem goes down, and this is pain-free, so that’s even better."

Valentine’s first experience with the hand-painted tattoo was in May when, during a trip to Maui, she discovered a small shop in Lahaina that offered henna tattoos.

With her goal in place, an Internet search showed that the reddish-brown henna crowns are not unusual, but knowing that in Hawaii people tend to have darker skin, Valentine decided to use jagua instead. Nontoxic jagua ink is derived from the fruit of the same name, and when applied like henna and dried, it leaves a blue-black stain that lasts 10 to 14 days.

Since June, Valentine has worked on 30 heads. She will work with men and women dealing with hair loss as a result of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but wanted to shed light on her work during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The cost starts at $5 for a 2- by 3-inch design, going up to about $130 for a full crown. The first design for individuals who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments is free.

She said clients can request a design, and she’ll usually come up with work fusing the requests with her inspiration based on their personality. "When I look at a person, I see it," she said.

"I really love doing this, and I’m hoping to turn this into a business I can do for the rest of my life."

Kelsie-Ann Valentine can be reached by emailing sweetestat.hawaii@gmail.com.