Meet Zak Bethel

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zak Bethel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Zak, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

Creating an original custom piece of artwork that is worthy enough to be tattooed on someone’s body forever takes a steady flow of creativity and inspiration. Unfortunately sometimes that creative idea just doesn’t show itself to me. As frustrating as it is, the only way out is stepping away from the design and searching for new inspiration. I find it from artists who are much more established than me in the industry. Often times I can find my way out of a creative block if I simplify my concept, and focus on the overall flow of the tattoo. When I’m really in a rut I will listen to music that fits the theme of the tattoo idea, and in my head ideas start to flow again. that But one thing is for sure, I refuse to tattoo mediocre designs on people. I will stand behind every design I tattoo, as it is my best attempt at perfection.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Wildlife tattoos really spark my interest because I have a deep love for the outdoors and the hunting lifestyle. Capturing the lifestyle of hunters in my tattoos comes naturally to me because I am ingrained in that culture. I have a YouTube channel called Creek Kings Outdoors, where I film all of my hunts and create content for the whitetail hunting community.
I also enjoy tattooing Christian related designs, stories from the bible and tattoos with spiritual meaning. Being an avid follower of Jesus allows me to be more invested in the design process as I also have the same beliefs and knowledge of the content.
I am truly blessed to be able to utilize my creative ability to make a living, I get to etch stories onto people who wear them forever, how cool is that.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Drawing is the number one skill I have acquired on my journey as an artist. From a young age I had an on-again, off-again relationship with drawing. I was obsessed with watching it come to life before my eyes, but then disappointed in the result. It was never the beautiful masterpiece in my head. Until I realized drawing is much deeper than graphite on paper. It requires basic knowledge of the fundamentals, then suddenly my art became about composition, contrast, depth, value structures, gradations, perspective, texture, and form. Because I had this knowledge before I picked up a tattoo machine, all I had to do was learn this new medium of tattooing.
If you are a new tattoo artist looking to take your craft to the next level, I would suggest learning less “tattoo techniques” and diving into more “drawing techniques”.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Often times tattoo artists will accept whatever comes in the door. They feel obligated to accept any and every tattoo that they can and try to “do everything”. I used to do this even though I knew I wanted to pursue black and grey realism. I would find myself tattooing things I wasn’t interested in and I fell into a slump. If you continue doing this, you will never establish your voice. Find what makes you happy and invest all your time in becoming the best at it. People will notice, and one day you will realize you’re booked out with the exact clients you’re looking for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: zbtats
• Youtube: Creek Kings Outdoors

Image Credits

none needed