We recently connected with Joe Triscari and have shared our conversation below.

Joe , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I consider the majority of my projects meaningful, but sometimes I am absolutely floored by some of the musicians that I get to work with, some of my favorite musicians in the world, some who’s music I have listened to since adolescence and inherently shaped me! Those projects are the ones that I struggle most with because of the pressure I put on myself to draw and create the perfect imagery. I usually stress out about ideas for about a week or two and then remind myself that my best work comes out when I’m relaxed and having fun with it.

Joe , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I took a screen printing class in high school and started printing shirts and record covers for bands that I played in for a several years. Back in the early 2000’s the DIY ethic in the punk/hardcore music scene was thriving and I was enthusiastically adhered. Initially I printed and designed only for bands that I was in for about 5 or 6 years, I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a perfect vessel for honing both my drawing, design and printing skills. Towards the end of that time I got hired at a T shirt printing shop so I could see what things looked like on a commercial scale. I got the gist of it pretty quickly and ended up working there for a little over a year or so. Friends started asking me to design and print for their bands, then friend’s bands of friend’s bands. Eventually I realized I had a pretty cool looking portfolio and I started emailing larger national and international acts just to put my name out there on their radar and it snowballed from there. I struggled with figuring out how to price my services and what to charge clients according to their desired scope of work, I still do, especially now that general existence is so expensive, but I continue to navigate that as a lot of my projects vary from one to another. Something that’s been essential to my successes is always being good for my word, if I agree to a project, I’m going to deliver on it, on time. That and the mentality that I am only as good as the outcome of my last project.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Purchasing from artists is the best thing that anyone can do, even better if they have a local creative community to support. I’ll put together a gallery show every couple of years ( I’m definitely overdue since my last show was February 2020), where I get to interact, engage and have an exchange with folks and that is like putting jet fuel in the Volkswagen, all I want to do is get back to work and create. So my suggestion is support your independent and local artists, I guarantee your connection with that piece of work will be stronger than anything you can buy from Target.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve always been lucky in the aspect of work abundance, which I am eternally grateful for. I chose the medium of silkscreen because there was the option available if people didn’t like my imagery I could always print for other people or companies. When i was working in a screen print shop and moonlighting as a designer, I came to a crossroads of which i would like to pursue, obviously I chose to work for myself, it was a scary leap to suddenly not collect a steady paycheck, but I opening up that time in my schedule allowed me to fish for clients and immerse myself that much deeper into the craft. Later on, after I had established myself, I found that I was too busy printing other people’s art and hadn’t enough time to produce my own. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to primarily focus on my own work and still print for others when time allowed.

Contact Info:

• Website: Moonlightspeed.storenvy.com
• Instagram: Moonlightspeed

Image Credits
Joe Triscari