Today we’d like to introduce you to Trayce Cochran.
Hi Trayce, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was a multi-disciplinary artist for many, many years. I attended art school at UNT and really fell in love with painting and drawing. It allowed me to sincerely grow as a human, and even taught me to read much better. Near the end of art school I decided to pursue tattooing as a means of supporting myself while still doing something that I found rewarding and creative. While I really loved what I was doing, this was around 2010 and I had a really difficult time with the fact that I was inflicting pain on others. At the time I was an extreme pacifist and the weight of seemingly doing harm to others was too much for me. I pursued a career in water toxicology and later water production for the city of Denton. I have 3 criteria for what I find to be an acceptable job, they are fairly basic. 1. I do not want to exploit other people. 2. I do not want to be exploited by other people, and 3. I do not want to do anything that will destroy the Earth. I felt like I was doing an actual public good but the stress of 130 thousand peoples health and safety resting sometimes entirely within my own hands, combined with a brutal rotating schedule of 12 hour long shifts that rotate every 28 days from day to night and back and forth, did a severe toll on my mental health and overall health in general. I went through several jobs over the course of covid and was relying on gig work as my main source of income. It was not a pleasant way to live. My ex, whom I had lived with when I was originally tattooing back in the day sent me a link to an instagram advertisement that a local tattoo shop was hiring artists. That little bit of encouragement was what it took for me to get the gumption to actually make an appointment with the owner of the shop and show my 13 year old portfolio. When I arrived, the environment was incredible and the owner was very kind and decided to give me a chance. In the intervening years my thoughts on full on pacifism have changed and I was much more comfortable with interacting with a bit of pain. I loved the environment specifically because it was queer friendly but mainly there were no fluorescent lights and I actually felt physically comfortable. I suffer from fairly severe sensory issues that can be relatively debilitating but I actually felt comfortable in that shop space. At the Artists Grove I grew so much and blossomed. Much about the tattoo industry had changed in the decade I was not participating and it was MUCH MUCH better. The new machines are quiet and can be used in such a way to minimize the pain being inflicted on clients. The ability to draw via ipad (which didn’t exist when I started) the new technology in the industry, as well as the lessening of the stigma around body modification contributed to me falling completely in love with tattooing again. Near the end of last year the landlords of the old building sold it to a developer that decided to double the rent. Needless to say, we were unable to stay in that space. I did a lot of work helping to build the new space but even so, it was full of fluorescent lighting that others insisted on using. I could not be comfortable there any longer. I did not want to quit tattooing but I needed a solution. I could have tried to work in other shops, but the environments in most of them are not conducive to my sensory issues. Therefore, I knew what needed to be done. If such a space doesn’t exist, if falls on me to create one. So, just after turning 40, I decided to really, fully go all in on my dreams and really put everything I have into creating my first business. I transformed the space I found in the historic Texas building on the square into a studio that is explicitly designed for those who have sensory issues like myself. Tattooing is inherently stressful and so the environment should be one that engenders calm. I have made the space where I can accommodate folks with disabilities and other sensory issues. I am relying on my talents for the first time. And since I am responsible for the whole business, I can run it with my ethics foremost and forward. I use compostable materials whenever possible and treat all of my clients with the utmost dignity and accept that we are creating a lifelong bond through the process of tattooing. I can rely on my art degree for the first time in my life and do so ethically while creating a comfortable space for the uncomfortable. I can, hopefully, have the best of all worlds. Though there is no ethical consumption under capitalism; this is my way of creating ethical production.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road is rarely smooth, especially with creating a new business for the very first time. I had many new skills that I was required to learn, legality, creating a website, trying to learn how to do online marketing. Then there are the startup costs, I had forgotten that when you rent you are required to put a security deposit down, and then the licensing. I could not start creating income without the license coming through but the license itself is quite expensive, but I could not start making the rent for the space without it. It was sort of a catch 22 but I was able to make that first months rent in the last 2 week after the license arrived. There was a ton to learn, and there remains a great deal for me to still learn, but I am enjoying the process regardless of how occasionally frustrating elements of it can be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in a style that I refer to as “graphic tattooing” which is a mixture of fine-line and “newschool”. It is a style that I do not see in others. Essentially I like to focus on what I can accomplish with just using line drawing. I stand apart from most other tattooers by using varying line weights to create pieces that have the maximum visual impact while doing the least amount of trauma to the clients body. I do other styles upon request but I always prefer the way that I draw. I am known mostly for my birds, as they are both my favorite subject matter to draw and tattoo, but wildlife in general is something that I have a sincere passion for drawing which comes out in my work.
How do you think about happiness?
I love to create something that a client loves, which can be a very transformative. Especially if there is a part of their body that they feel ashamed of. If you can create something beautiful there, you have created a metamorphosis from shame to pride. Knowing that I can have that sort of impact on a persons life using my artistic ability makes me very happy.
Pricing:
- I work for $100 per hour of active tattooing.
- There are flash specials or flash pricing.
- My half day rate is $300 for up to 5 hours.
- My full day rate is $500 for up to 10 hours.
- I price it that way to encourage clients to go with larger and more intricate pieces that provide them the most value.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.theartofbecoming.you/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/traycetattoos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Trayce-Tattoos/61571811613204/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsdc7szJyGgg1vE0d9TXDg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@traycetattoos
