We were lucky to catch up with Lillian Hart recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lillian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

My wonderful mom is also a freelance artist, a hair & MUA with 30 years of experience including other ventures such as a face painting business that earned me what I consider to be my first real dollar as a creative. I always enjoyed being given small jobs to assist her! One day when I was about eight, she was creating some new designs for the face painting board & asked me if I’d like to draw one up… I drew a small fairy with green hair & pink wings sitting on a toadstool. When I presented it to her she immediately added it to the design board which made my little heart explode- moreover my little head exploded when I found out I’d be getting a whopping $15 for my fairy. I consider this to be my first ever flash design & dollar earned as an artist. The design is still on the board nearly fifteen years later so when someone requests it I feel such pride painting something a much smaller, different version of myself created.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a handpoke artist currently located in Seattle, WA going on six years of full time tattooing! I specialize in illustrative/illustrative semi-realism, bold line work, as well as anything nature related. Discovering stick n poke tattooing via tumblr in middle school, I began practicing regularly on myself & friends throughout high school. After receiving my GED & graduating a year early I applied for my artist license promptly on my eighteenth birthday, I’ve been running my own business ever since! Hart Pokes (studio) was created with the intent of fostering a different type of tattoo experience specifically for femmes & queer folks with a focus on trauma/consent informed processes. I’m unbelievably proud of the many iterations of Hart Pokes (studio)- between two states, housed in a multitude of spaces over the years, I’ve met so many incredible humans who share a love of art & connection that is why I chose this career/life path in the first place & will continue to choose it for the rest of my life!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My general mission not just within my chosen craft but in life (which are really one in the same) is to output as much art, kindness, & unconditional love into my communities as I can by creating space for others to unburden themselves from the weight of the world if even just for a moment. What really drives me in the pursuit of this goal is also what often drives me into depressive episodes/isolation; the sometimes staggering lack of genuine connection between each other on a daily basis, the way people in this world so freely take away each others autonomy or right to consent without even being aware, the lack of ability to change so many deeply unjust things in our world… the general, uncomfortable condition of being human is what makes me motivated to create & share creation freely with others!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This is the advice I would’ve given myself the first year I began tattooing but it’s also just great life advice in general:
GO OUT. Go to shows, parties, events, conventions, other shops, galleries, cool stores, walk around your neighborhood… talk to cashiers & servers, say hi to your neighbors, volunteer somewhere or everywhere, get a standard job because it seemed like a fun gig to try, tell other artists you like their work- hell tell people when you don’t like their work! Because to be blunt- most of my time within this profession I was a hermit. Sometimes by choice sometimes by circumstance/necessity & you will NOT gain a following or create strong, rewarding social media presence by sitting alone in your home not living life or connecting no matter how much of or how amazing the art you are creating is. Meet people irl & make sure to swap info in those moments, treat social media like a power up pack not a standalone; make the real world connections first & solidify them by connecting through instagram since that is truly the industry standard at this point whether we like it or not.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @hartpokes