We were lucky to catch up with Sadie Tate recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sadie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ll answer this in each of my descriptive categories!

The most meaningful film project I have worked on (so far) is THRUST! (2022) directed by Victor Bonacore. Girl gangs rule the world in the dystopian future and men are scarce. My character, Brooklyn, is in the Hipster Sisters gang and has a secret boyfriend. The movie is wild, funny, disgusting, sad, sexy, and more! It’s meaningful to me because I’m in a film with two of my idols, Linnea Quigley and Erin Brown (AKA Misty Mundae)! 18 year old me’s mind would be absolutely blown! I knew I wanted to be an actress since I was three years old, but didn’t pursue it until I turned 30. THRUST! is extra special, too, because my real life husband (Brian Papandrea) plays my character’s boyfriend.

The most meaningful modeling project I participated in recently was a shoot inspired by Anna Biller’s The Love Witch. I’m always influenced by films I watch on repeat. My good friend Heather Bunkelman of Artbox Creations Inc. and I had been talking about doing a Love Witch shoot for years, but always pushed it aside for whatever else was inspiring us at the time. We actually did this one earlier this week! We were both in the exact head spaces we needed to be to create my favorite images we’ve done so far.

The most meaningful burlesque routine I have created and performed is my Once Upon A Time In Hollywood act. Sharon Tate is my number one icon and biggest inspiration. I had wanted to create a Sharon act for ages, but didn’t know how to properly represent her. When the film (OUATIH) came out it made her humanity more accessible to audiences. A vast majority of people only know her for the end of her life. I chose the song Hush by Deep Purple and modeled my costume after Margot Robbie’s in the film when she visits the Playboy mansion. I truly feel like I am celebrating Sharon’s lightness and freedom when I perform the act.

The most meaningful Stoned by Tate pieces I have made are those I’ve made as gifts for the people closest to me. I’ve stoned VHS tapes of several of my friends’ favorite childhood movies. It’s best when it’s a surprise!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For this question I’ll spotlight Stoned by Tate.

I glue rhinestones on VHS, laserdisc, and vinyl record covers! It’s literally my favorite thing to do. While tedious, it’s incredibly therapeutic to focus on such a small medium. I started by embellishing burlesque costumes, but I found myself frustrated with the outcome on fabric. I also had several copies of the Valley of the Dolls soundtrack on vinyl and wanted to play around with enhancing the covers. The moment I started, I was hooked. I really found my groove with it during the 2020 lockdown. A lot of people I know really honed their artistic skills over those few months!

Records and laserdiscs can be a large area to cover and soon I took to VHS tapes. A smaller canvas makes for a faster turn-around time, and that progression feels rewarding.

I don’t know what sets me apart! I’m just me doing something I totally love doing. I love choosing what I want to accentuate, be it choosing the specific film or what to address in the existing cover art.

I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve never not been working on a Stoned by Tate project since 2019. Whether I’m making sales or not, I will never stop. I currently have 20+ unsold pieces and the minute I complete one, I’m beginning another. The action and expression of the art is for me. I love doing it.

I’d like your readers to know I’m ALWAYS acceptation commissions! Message me on Facebook or Instagram if there’s something you’d like embellished!

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

I had to unlearn social media attention equating worth.

Algorithms hinder your audience, but it goes beyond that. Your accomplishments are not lessened by a lack of perceived attention. Your worth is not lessened by a lack of perceived attention. I’m surrounded by fellow creatives on social media and in my real life. It’s hard not to compare your stats to those around you. But think about how you felt when you finished the project or took the cute selfie. THAT’S what matters. Do it for YOU.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when the project is complete, thinking back to most frustrating part of the journey and realizing that I overcame it. I pushed through whatever I had to push through to make something beautiful. Sometimes it’s as little as peeling off a row of rhinestones and starting again, other times it’s psyching myself up to kiss a stranger on screen. I am and have aways been a shy person, but artistic expression drives me every day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadietate/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069571422385
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7596626/

Image Credits
Article image by ArtBox Creaions Inc., hair by Heather Bunkelman Photo 1 by Nomadic Madam Photo 2 Stoned by Tate Photo 3 Stoned by Tate Photo 4 behind the scenes of Victor Bonacore’s Our Amityville Apocalypse with Erin Brown (AKA Misty Mundae) Photo 5 by ArtBox Creations Inc., hair by Heather Bunkelman