Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lu Hampton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lu, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

I was constantly exposed to adventure and unconditional support in practically everything I explored in life. Because of this I always felt held and loved so deciding to pursue a career in the arts (usually a rather terrifying and challenging thing to take on) I felt excitement more than anything. I was shown just how big and caring the world can be if you share yourself authentically and confidently.

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

I’m Lauren (definitely prefer Lu), local to Louisville Ky, graduated with my BFA at Kentucky college of Art and Design in 2017. My concentration was painting and drawing.
As of late I’ve been diving head first into the world of tattooing- I’m a handpoke tattooer by day. Im also newly experiencing motherhood and all of the magic and hurdles that it has to offer. Within this new chapter of my life, I’ve noticed that my spark has absolutely been re-ignited. I’m suddenly much more enthusiastic about how I spend my time in the studio (both of them).

When I’m painting, I’m incredibly drawn to fluidity in bold line work, combined with delicate color blending and visible brush strokes. I truly love the movement found in my paintings. I think this somewhat translates into my tattooing as well- I focus deeply on contrasting line weights with really soft details that are unexpected and surprising. I’m always striving to make something special and unique in an otherwise very saturated industry.

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

I think I’m always pivoting in a way. Being an artist is pretty unstable unless you’re profoundly known and idolized. It’s really hard making a living out of purely making and selling fine art, so I’ve almost always had jobs on the side that allowed me to provide for my family. Fortunately my husband is the most loving human on the planet and has always held my hand when I’ve decidedly placed all of my focus into art making. Without his support I wouldn’t be where I am today.

However, one of the best things to ever happen to me was when I lost my job back in 2022. I was forced to make a decision: find a new job or take the leap and devote my time to tattooing and fine arts. I obviously chose the latter. Being pushed and tested was huge for me, and yes I’ve been placed in these situations before, but it’s never panned out successfully. I’ve now been able to express myself in so many different mediums that feel incredibly true to who I am and how I want to present myself to the world.

I just feel really lucky. I want to raise a daughter who feels proud of how resilient and hard working her mom and dad are. So I will continue to pivot and adapt in whatever way necessary to keep my dream (and business) thriving and alive.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As someone who has dealt with pretty crippling anxiety my entire life, one thing that I constantly struggle with is feeling like an imposter. It’s something we touched on in undergrad, but the feeling never really goes away. In a way, it keeps me motivated to always learn and grow and push myself outside of my comfort zone, but it can absolutely hold me back at times. Because being a professional artist is such a competitive thing in and of itself, it’s easy to feel like you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. It’s not that I question the integrity of my work (both on skin and canvas), it’s that I constantly worry about failing so soon into pursuing fine arts full time.

I think because I’ve dipped my toes into many mediums, I’ve been lucky enough to have more conversations open and available to me. I’m able to sell paintings to people that I’m tattooing and vice versa. I’m introducing myself in quite a few different ways and that keeps me excited and inspired about what I bring to the table. Something that helps keep those fears and anxieties at bay, is knowing that I have so many amazing & loving repeat clients who are constantly showing their support, in many different ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://softlysticks.wixsite.com/softly-sticks?fbclid=PAZnRzaANJDFVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp8zE3QyCSBDsuOoG_HWXMJlIdfr9pbarT4j00_2aJQngK8UTVoeuvxbGpp_q_aem_cEN91tyqZGFbGJACM_TkyA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hey.imlulu?igsh=MTRhdHJ6cTIyMndkNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@softly.sticks?_t=ZT-90AOOpXflrz&_r=1