Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Sleeper
Travis, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Travis Sleeper, and I have been tattooing for 13 years. It’s crazy to think about all the places art has taken me since the bloody beginnings when I picked up my first machine. When I look at myself today, I hardly recognize the person I was at the start.
I started drawing heavily by the time I was in the third grade, which was also when I began getting into trouble in school. I distinctly remember spending most of my time in detention, drawing instead of playing outside during recess. My elementary school even had to create an in-school suspension specifically for me because it became increasingly difficult to stay focused in the standard classroom setting. That trend snowballed throughout my middle school years. By the time I reached high school, I could barely keep things together. I was introduced to the party scene, and school was far down my list of priorities. I got held back a year for not showing up, or I simply didn’t care when I did decide to go. I started having more encounters with the police, and I was in and out of my family’s house, living in cars or crashing at random friends’ houses.
Throughout everything, I kept drawing and creating art. It was literally one of the few things that made sense in my chaotic life. I became close with my art teacher in high school. I always looked up to her because she was doing something with art. In a momentary lapse of judgment, I opened up to her about the lifestyle I was living. I will forever be grateful to her because she knew enough about me that could have easily gotten me expelled from school and potentially into worse trouble. Instead, she convinced me not to drop out and focused on helping me channel as much as I could into my art. She always pushed me to make a career out of my art. She was my first creative mentor.
After graduating, the little structure I had was gone, and I lost myself to the party scene. It didn’t take long for me to land in serious trouble, and I ended up getting sentenced to several years in prison. This was a turning point for me because, while I was there, I spent years drawing and started to tattoo. I quickly became one of the best on the prison unit I was housed in and managed to save up enough money to buy some tattoo equipment when I was released. This experience was pivotal for me because I realized I had something more to offer the world that would give me opportunities to create rather than just consume.
After serving my time, I dove headfirst into tattooing. I soaked up every bit of information accessible to me through any online source available for tattooing. It only took a couple of months before I landed a spot in my first shop. This was another pivotal moment because I could finally surround myself with other artists from whom I could learn. I spent every day in the shop, learning all there was to know about tattooing. When I wasn’t tattooing, I would watch others’ techniques to see if I could pick up anything that would help me grow artistically.
My route into the tattoo industry was not conventional. I would always recommend an apprenticeship to any artist who wants to start out because that title allows for a clearer path to acquiring knowledge. Even though I didn’t do a formal apprenticeship, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t let other artists fill the role of mentor along my journey, even if they didn’t know it at the time. In fact, I continued the trend of finding more artists to learn from throughout multiple shops I worked at. Even today, I am constantly searching for knowledge I have yet to obtain.
I feel extremely blessed to be where I am today. I currently work by appointment only in downtown Austin at Golden Heart Tattoo Temple. I’m surrounded by phenomenal artists who also focus on continuing to grow artistically. I have had the privilege of tattooing many amazing people. Monthly, I have clients traveling from all over to see me. I’ve had people come to collect my art from more states than I can count, and I’ve even had some travel internationally. I don’t have the words to sum up how much that means to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to be featured in multiple articles. I continue to be surprised by the places tattooing takes me; roughly two years ago, I started being asked by some clients to tattoo at their weddings to help make them unforgettable. This led to me being invited to set up at a bridal extravaganza convention to help normalize having tattoo artists at weddings.
One of the most important and fulfilling things I’ve been able to get involved with is giving back and helping the recovery community, whether through charitable events, donations, or just being a safe space for people recovering from addiction to come and collect some art. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to make an impact for so many in all sorts of walks of life!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building a career as a tattoo artist has been far from a smooth ride for me. Honestly, I’m at a point in my career where I recognize that setbacks are necessary for my growth. This perspective has developed from spending a good amount of time in this industry. I am grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received along the way, which has helped me continue moving forward, even though I’ve seen many others quit. I fully understand why someone would walk away from a tattoo machine after years of tattooing. This craft requires immense motivation. Times change consistently, more artists enter the scene, and what used to work becomes insufficient to keep business afloat.
What I’ve learned first and foremost is to always focus on the person in your chair today. Pour every ounce of energy you have that day into creating the best tattoo you can for them. Build a mindset while tattooing that the person in your chair is the most important person in the world at that moment. This approach has carried me through changes in the economy, pandemics, and, most importantly, the transition from being an average street shop artist to catering to the “tattoo collector” community.
I will forever be grateful for my formative years in the tattoo industry. I spent that time day in and day out honing my skills with small, Google search-outlined flash. However, there is no greater obstacle than taking control of your creativity and showing your clients that they can 100% trust you to design pieces for them in your style that they will vibe with. When an artist first picks up a tattoo machine, they often think they will create all these original masterpieces in their own style. The reality, however, is far different. It takes many years to develop the trust within the community that allows for that kind of freedom.
Before trust can grow, an artist must plant the seeds through confidence and consistency in their work. Confidence and consistency come from an unending hunger to absorb every ounce of knowledge available, enabling the artist to refine their technique. This is the perpetual cycle for an established tattoo artist: consistently seeking new sources of learning builds confidence. Confidence is necessary for consistency. Consistency builds trust with clients. Through that trust, an artist is granted the freedom to push their own boundaries artistically and take on more challenging projects.
This cycle is what puts a tattoo artist on the path toward the dreams they had when they first picked up a tattoo machine. At that point, tattooing becomes a symbiotic relationship between the artist and the person receiving the art. The artist grows from the client, and the client receives something they can happily connect with as time goes on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love being asked what I specialize in because it’s always such a difficult question for me to answer. My formative years of tattooing allowed me to develop into an extremely well-rounded and versatile artist. Personally, I find that the most enjoyable projects I take on tend to lean toward black and grey realism, dark realism, and neo-traditional styles. I create a lot of contrast in my work, whether through the tones I use or the imagery I design.
However, what truly sets me apart is my ability to connect with the people I’m tattooing and really narrow down their personal styles. Currently, about 95% of what I tattoo is completely custom. My clients give me a massive amount of freedom with the designs. During consultations, I take the time to ask as many questions as possible to understand their vibes. I make extensive notes on each person I tattoo, and I refer back to these notes when designing. I strive to incorporate as much of their personality into the designs as possible.
I always aim to push myself with every significant project I take on. What I’m most proud of is the level of trust I’ve been able to build with my clients. Some months, my schedule is completely filled with clients who want me to freestyle any design I think would fit their bodies best. I can’t fully express the gratitude I feel that so many people trust and appreciate the art I create.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I’ve got to say, the COVID-19 pandemic was one hell of an experience. My son had just been born, and I was navigating a valuable lesson on balance. At that time, I was working at a shop on 6th Street in downtown Austin. The restrictions had just lifted, allowing us to tattoo again, but many artists were still experiencing significant anxiety about tattooing during that period. I was extremely motivated to work, so I spent countless hours tattooing. Everyone seemed excited to get tattoos again, and I was slammed. Sometimes I would be tattooing for over 15 hours a day.
Artistically, I grew a lot during that time. I learned about the value of social media and started to grow a bigger following on various platforms, which opened up opportunities to tattoo people from all around the world. I’d say the importance of social media is a crucial lesson for anyone in the tattoo industry. However, my most valuable lesson during that time was understanding the importance of balancing home and work life.
Pain is the greatest motivator for change, and it slowly wore me down to be constantly at the shop after my son was born. In the first year and a half, I missed out on many moments with him, and it didn’t feel great. It’s hard because I care deeply about the people and projects I take on, which requires a mental switch to silence any internal noise and focus all my energy on one goal. I had been working like this for years before he was born and didn’t have much experience adjusting to life as a father. However, that switch wasn’t flipping after spending so much time away from my son. The pain of feeling like I was failing as a father greatly outweighed my drive to tattoo in the way I had been functioning.
Through that experience, I began implementing changes in how I approached tattooing, allowing me to find a better balance between my clients and my family. Even though those were chaotic times, I am grateful for that life lesson because it brought me to a point where I’ve found balance. I feel that my life has become far more enriched due to this newfound equilibrium!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sleeperzink
- Other: Sleeperzink@gmail.com
