We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Travis Sleeper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Travis below.
Hi Travis, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
I’m the type of person who counts his blessings. Growing up I had the misfortune of being the black sheep type. I was the only person in my family that couldn’t dodge trouble for the life of me. School was of no interest to me, and I had a hard time acquiring the motivation to show up. When I did I’d spend most of my time doodling on my assignments while listening to music or spending frequent visits to the principal or guidance counselor’s office in hopes they could steer me back in line.
I remember one day I was at my wits end and I was on my way to go drop out when I bumped into my art teacher. In full fledge teenage angst I told her I wasn’t cut out for school and what I was on my way to do… my first blessing was meeting another creative person at the right time who saw me where I was at and passed zero judgement. Then showed me there were other opportunities if I stayed focused on growing artistically and didn’t quit…
The funny thing is after 10 years of being a tattoo artist. I’ve noticed more times than not my story is repeated in countless other artists who make up the tattoo industry as a whole. That in its own way is another blessing for a person like me who was never good at fitting into boxes. From the outside perspective looking in it’s the initial conception of the taboo that was birthed with the start of the tattoo industry.
When you look at the bloody beginnings of most of the fundamental styles that were the driving forces of making tattooing what it is today almost all of them have this reputation of delinquency. From traditional tattoos which symbolized the rejection of the American dream dating back as far as the 1930s. Then to be pioneered in Hawaii during the times of world war 2. To the history of black and grey styles which is said to of originated in prisons in the 1970’s and 80’s… It’s a small wonder why there has been a lasting stigma around tattoos and the tattoo industry.
The funny thing about life is it’s not black and white and no matter how much humanity grows it’s still comfortable at times to approach new things in that perspective. Sometimes new things are too much to digest so it’s easier for some people to try and throw it away… When I started tattooing I feel like something in my mind finally connected and I was where I was suppose to be. I was finally able to give back to the community and function creatively like any normal person who worked a 9 to 5… No matter how many mistakes I’ve made growing up my art was always something positive I could give to another person… I feel like initially due to the way the tattoo industry was created by artists with similar backgrounds like mine people were missing the point of the beauty it was giving back..
Its a blessing to say I’m am part of a new era in the tattoo industry. The era that finally puts an end to the old stigma created from people who were not fully ready to digest other people trying to develop a creative path that is both fulfilling and acceptable to the work force… I have a very eclectic clientele that spans from doctors/nurses, lawyers, and teachers to dj’s, business owners, and athletes. All way to 18year olds just stepping out for the first time. All of them with different backgrounds who are just looking for a creative way to express themselves. That was the beauty that was initially missed by society as a whole during the birth of the tattoo industry. Today every person that steps out for their first tattoo adds to the magnifying of beauty of the industry and guides society out of the perspective of black and white.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a very obsessive personality type with an extreme attention to detail. To some they would look at that as if it were a negative thing but if you asked me I believe it’s a key component of surviving and growing in an industry as competitive as the tattoo industry.
I had an unconventional start to tattooing outside of an apprenticeship. That has been a major driving force for me since the beginning because the moment I picked up a machine I knew there was no going back. I also knew I wasn’t going to resign myself to just tattooing in a kitchen. I knew if I was going to do this I was going to reach the level of any respected higher quality artist in a tattoo shop.
As a youngster I was that guy that most people thought wouldn’t make anything of himself. I hardly took anything seriously. Nothing could really keep my focus to that level. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t resign to the belief that I was probably going to be a failure. Drawing was always a hobby for me from a very young age. It was something I enjoyed but I never really thought about where it could take me if I went all in. That is until I got into high school and met my first mentor, my art teacher. She literally made it her mission to push me in my artistic endeavors. Even when I wasn’t ready for it, she went out of her way to make sure I was placed in advanced placement art classes. She was probably one of the first people that saw me for where I was at and knew I could make something of myself if I focused on creating art.
I can’t harp enough on the importance of mentorship because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt no one accomplishes anything big alone. Also to keep growing one must maintain an open mind to remain teachable.
Around the end of 2012 to 2013 I picked up a tattoo machine. Even though I started tattooing outside an apprenticeship I did not figure things out by myself and had mentors where ever I could find them along the way. I scoured resources I had online watching endless tattoo seminars or picked up techniques from the bread crumbs big name artist in the industry dropped on YouTube. I learned everything I could about machines, inks, and needles. I spent 2 years developing my skill set on willing friends until I had built a portfolio and was offered a job in a tattoo shop. Once I got into a shop I kept my eyes open towards artist’s I could learn from. I noted technique’s used while tattooing, I noted how artist’s would talk to their clients, and I stayed receptive to any pointers that were offered to me.
I have kept this trend over the years of trying to learn everything I could and remain teachable, up to this day. I am very fortunate to be where I’m at among top notch artists in a shop where hundreds of awards have came out of. I am proud to say I have reached the level of being a respected higher quality tattoo artist, and now I have the pleasure of apprenticing other artists just starting out!
When a new client asks me what I specializing in I tell them black and grey realism with a touch of neotraditional. Although, I have a very eclectic clientele which has developed me into a well rounded and versatile artist. I believe it has helped me in my career. I have a pretty firm understanding on the approach to properly accomplish most ideas thrown my way. Which keeps me blessed and busy with an abundance of people reaching out to schedule with me.
There are sometimes when some ideas don’t translate well into tattoos. When that happens I don’t shun my clients. Instead, I sit them down and get real honest on possibilities for adjustments and areas that could be elaborated. The longer I tattoo the bigger my obsession grows to raise the bar on the quality I can produce on a person’s tattoo. It is always my goal to surpass the expectations of the people getting work done by me because from my experience if I can do that then they will come back for a lifetime.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my perspective there are a few things society can do to best support tattoos artists. I think it’s important for society to understand that most artists take their craft very seriously. A lot artists I know devote most(if not all) of their time to honing their craft. There are times where we miss out on a lot of other aspects of life to build our skills to give back to the world. With that understanding I feel like it’s important for people to respect each individual artist’s processes for booking. I feel like it is important for a person to be ready to commit before they reach out to schedule appointments. Time is very valuable to artists at a certain point and managing it can be tricky! I also am a firm believer that people inquiring about tattoos should always look at portfolios, and make sure they are choosing an artist that they vibe with! This helps because when it comes down to the quoting process people will respect the artist’s price that they set for the amount of time, energy, and focus they put out to create something timeless. Just those 2 small things makes an artist feel respected! Positivity begets positivity! Also outside of spending money we do live in the era of social media so following, likes, comments, and saves on their platforms are always appreciated. It helps the algorithm gods to favor them to expand their reach lol.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being an artist has been the most rewarding thing the universe has granted me outside of being a dad. I see art as if it was its own living thing constantly growing and evolving as time ticks on. I have been able to track my progress on a yearly basis and see growth. There’s no limit to how much you can learn about your craft… Although, something I’ve found to be extremely rewarding as of recently is the trust I’ve been able to form with people. I’ve had people fly in from other states and even other countries to get a tattoo just from seeing pictures of my work and having a brief conversation. I am reminded I’ve earned peoples trust when they give me a subject matter and a location then offer me complete artistic freedom, or when a person that has been coming to me religiously drop lines like “Travis just do your thing.” Moments like that make me look back and wonder how on earth I got here!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Sleeperzink
- Other: [email protected]