We were lucky to catch up with Tricky Lake recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tricky, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My mother is the reason I can do what I do everyday. We were very poor and I had won an art show in elementary school. The prize was lessons at the Baum School of Art and that changed my life. I loved every second in those classrooms but I knew this wasn’t something we could afford. My mother not only found a way to keep me in classes for years but also increased that education for me. I was able to study the Barnstone Method with Myron Barnstone in high school. She didn’t just praise my base talent, she found places and people who could mold it into this incredible ability I utilize daily. Even if it meant she worked multiple jobs and sacrificed things for herself. It’s a kind of determination and resilience I see in myself and I’m so grateful to her for all of it.
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.
I’m 42 years old. I’m an Army Veteran and I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was 35. It was really hard for me to get into tattooing. Since I was around 20 years old I would wander into shops inquiring about apprenticeships and receiving all manner of rejection. Most informed me of the reasons why they don’t add women to the shop. “Women ruin the vibe” A few let me know in graphic detail the ways I might convince them to accept me. The closest I got was being asked to pay to learn from them. Anywhere from 8 to 10 grand. Every time I would feel defeated or disgusted and abandon the idea as a loss only to try again years later. I joined the military at 17, turned 18 in basic training. After leaving home I wouldn’t draw again for many years but again that need always returned. After leaving the Army I went to college studying visual arts but every drawing class I had was at the level I had been working at as a child. It was just practice at things I knew already so I changed my major to Biological Anthropology. But again I would leave in pursuit of artistic endeavors only to feel lost and without a place or purpose. I was 34 when I walked into South Vineland’s Firehouse Tattoo in order to interview for the apprenticeship they had posted on Facebook days before. For the first time it was a welcoming space. No one spoke down to me. We laughed and went over my portfolio and I knew these were my people. Now, so many years later, I’m so happy to call this shop home. We are heavily involved with the community. Next month we will attend another local high school career day, speaking on creative careers and we also have a fundraiser in support of St Baldrick’s coming up as well. This shop is a welcoming space. I can’t count how many times I’ve had clients share with me horror stories of tattoo experiences and I find that heartbreaking. This process we embark upon together leaves them very vulnerable. Altering your body permanently and trusting someone to carry you through that is a lot. Clients constantly apologize for having an opinion and I have to remind them that it’s ok to govern their own bodies. We alter our bodies in this incredible way to make it more us, more meaning or representation of ourselves but struggle with even expressing any ownership over it in the process. It’s so incredibly important that your client feel able and open to share their needs and hopes with you and that’s what I hope I provide daily.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of my career came as a surprise to me. I thought the art itself would be the reward but tattooing is so special in that the art is the people. The way you make people feel in their own skin when you create with them and change a part of them. I’ve literally cried with my clients before and I had no idea the power that tattooing could hold in itself. Altering your own body to suit your image or hopes of yourself is an incredible act. Being the catalyst for that change, making their thoughts real, its amazing that I get to do that daily. The relationships I’ve built with my clients are strong and last for years. I feel honored to be a part of their lives.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think most non-creatives think that we were born with this ability and that’s all it takes. Raw talent… but that is absolutely not enough. The amount of work that goes into being proficient, or standing out in a sea of your peers, is astounding. I draw for hours all day, almost every day. I’ve been doing that for many, many years. I spend hours on marketing every week. I make myself available to my clients through text or email at all hours of the day. Yes, I have the best and most enjoyable “job” … but it is A LOT of work. It’s constantly learning and growing. It’s the right balance of humility and confidence as you create and improve upon the visions of other people. It’s giving everything you have to each and every person at every appointment. This is a career that requires passion and commitment daily. It doesn’t have hours and almost never has boundaries. You have to LOVE this to live it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @trickylake
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trickymakes?mibextid=ZbWKwL