We had the good fortune of connecting with Cole Lacy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cole, why did you pursue a creative career?
I never believed life’s purpose was to sit in classes only to graduate to sitting in a cubicle the rest of your life. Picasso once said, “every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. People allow life to dictate who they become instead of allowing themselves to grow into who they’re meant to be. I was always an artist, but I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist when the first episode of Ink Master aired. Seeing that medium being used and hearing the peoples stories inspired me to help people express themselves in new creative ways.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The life journey of any artist is never a straight shot. There’s twist and turns, and normally the only person on your team is you. Like all forms of art, tattooing is extremely unforgiving. It’s easy to allow your failures tear you down after putting hours into one piece. Luckily, practice makes progress and I’ve learned aiming for progress over perfection yields results. Overtime my progress will continue to open new doors for me. Hopefully leading to me opening my first shop helping me get one step closer to redefining the tattoo industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta is a hub for creatives so there more than enough options to choose from. If we’re talking no budget

Waffle House (necessary!)
Little 5
Art museum
Ponce market
Underground speakeasy
Jazz lounge
Nightclub
Aquarium
Parks
Abandoned rooftop
Etc

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without a doubt my family and friends. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by open minded people that allowed me to walk my path. My mother and father in particular, I couldn’t ask for better role models. Their mindsets, morals, and ideologies on different aspects of life’s guided me to where I am today.

Instagram: Atl.scratcher

Other: TikTok: atl.scratcher

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