Tattoo Creepers *Illustrators edition \\ Elena Gatti

Our Tattoo Creeper project is a way to collaborate with talented artists to add their spin on our creepers. We love working with creatives in any capacity & we want to see the world from their lens. To check out more of Elena's work head to their Instagram 

Tell us about yourself & the shoes that you customized:

I am an independent artist from Chicago! I recently left my 9-5 to pursue my dream of being an artist. The shoes I customized are a little portal into my world. The whole goal of my art is to invite people to be part of my world. I hope you get a little glimpse of this happy and welcoming space through these shoes!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

I would say my biggest inspiration is my subconscious, or even my dreams. I have learned that when I shut off my brain and just stop thinking so hard, my greatest ideas come to me. I usually write these down in the notes app to come back to when I am struggling to feel inspired.

How would you describe your art style?

I think my art style is welcoming, nostalgic, eclectic, and dreamy. I always try to tap into a feeling or memory when I create, so other viewers can really feel welcomed and part of the art as well. Memories and feelings are shared experiences. 

What piece of yours is your all-time favorite and why?

I think my favorite piece of mine is ‘Blue Cowboy’. I made this piece from a state of gratitude, but also longing for more and missing what was. This was such a tricky feeling I was experiencing for the first time… it only felt right to try to illustrate it rather than explain it. ‘Blue Cowboy’ shows a wild mustang, free to roam in his beautiful land. Everything he could possibly want is there, he even brought the stars down from the sky to join him. But he somehow always wonders what else is out there. I think this is a very human feeling and I hope others can see too that it is possible to be grateful for the life you have now, but mourn over past experiences or even ones that have not even happened yet.

What's your biggest accomplishment within your career?

I think the greatest accomplishment in my career is hearing that my work inspires so many to create. I get so many DMs each day of people thanking me for my work or helping motivate them to create. That is definitely the greatest gift. Creativity is for everyone, and I really hope my work helps fuel that notion.

What’s your typical process of coming up with a new design?

When I come up with new designs, I really try to not overthink it too much, I learned this leads to over complex work. I just need to throw the ideas out onto paper and see what sticks. It is a lot of creating and scrapping, but that is just part of my process. Each failed attempt leads me closer to the vision I was trying to achieve.