Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Meeks.
Hi Jake, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been tattooing in Memphis since 1996. In 2013 I was new to the idea of podcasts and was searching the internet trying to find shows about tattooing and/or fine art. After realizing that there were no tattoo focused podcasts out there, I decided to start my own.
I reached out to a couple of friends who had a little video production experience and roped a coworker of mine into being my cohost and we launched the “Fireside Tats” video podcast. The idea was to focus on topics that tattooers and apprentices would find interesting.
Over the years the podcast grew into the “Fireside Tattoo Network”. with the focus of helping tattooers hone their skills and beocme better problem solvers.
We still do regular podcasting but now offer an online community, courses and live events for tattoo artists.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When we first started, tattooing had not made the transition to the information age. A lot of tattooers were offended by the information we were sharing on our show. While I tried to avoid “teaching tattooing” online and encouraged new artists to pursue traditional apprenticeships, I also realized that the world was changing and the days of tattooing being a closed network or secret keepers were coming to an end.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Personally I am focused on storytelling through tattooing. I work mainly on large scale, multisession projects. My style is illustrative and painterly but most importantly, I like to help clients find unique and creative ways to share their ideas through their tattoos.
How do you think about happiness?
Solving interesting problems. I love the community in tattooing and am always trying to understand what the future might look like. I enjoy keeping up with new technology and trying to find ways to apply it to the very tactile and traditional world of tattooing. For example new tech in robotics, AI generated art, bio tech, AR, VR and projection mapping all have great potential to change tattooing for the better. I feel like my job as a trusted voice in the tattoo community is to help usher new technologies to the craft and help artists view them as tools rather than threats.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://firesidetattoo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firesidetattoo/ and https://www.instagram.com/pluguglyart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiresideTattoo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FiresideTattooNetwork
