Meet D Trickta

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful D Trickta. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with D below.

D, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Part of keeping my creativity alive is gathering inspiration from other artists and trading my artwork all over the world. Living in Chicago in 2013, I was interning at an art gallery that had a focus on street art. Part of my job was to photograph street art and identify the artists, so I became quite knowledgeable about the local street art scene. What I stumbled upon through this role was sticker graffiti. Stickers as an art form and means of free advertisement just clicked for me. It wasn’t until 2017, while living in Oregon and traveling to Portland, that I discovered a large community of sticker artists beautifying the city with their tags. That year I printed my first stack of custom designed stickers. Today, living in Colorado, I’ve found more artists that motivate me to continue down this random niche of an artform. A large part of the sticker artform thrives through snail mail and sticker trades between artists. It is such a great surprise to see something I have created make it to a country or state I’ve never been to. Sticker graffiti is also unpredictable because your art can last for years or be removed in a day, it keeps things interesting and keeps artists creating.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My company, D Trickta Design, was created while attending Columbia College Chicago. It encompasses my freelance graphic design work, web design, photography, handmade artwork and online shop at Redbubble. I’ve been designing for over 10 years, mostly graphic design using the computer, but I have evolved over time to create a balance between digital art and handmade items to avoid burning out behind a screen. My experience designing for the cannabis industry in Oregon and Colorado has influenced a lot of my art with a 420 theme. Interning at a silkscreen and graffiti gallery in Chicago, plus frequent trips to Portland while living in Oregon, developed my passion for street-forward art and the lesser-known but thriving artform slap sticker graffiti. My most recent design projects are both personal and professional. My husband and I started Lifted Fizzy Drinks, our business promotes healthy additives in delicious carbonated beverages. I’ve just wrapped up designs for our event booth so we will be vending in the Colorado Springs/Denver area this year. Check out our website that I designed at liftedfizzydrinks.com.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My advice is to move somewhere new at least once. Being out of my comfort zone and getting to experience a new environment was very impactful on my journey. I would also say consider your passions and find a career that you enjoy. Creating for myself and others is something I’ve always loved to do. My last tip would be to try new things and always be willing to learn.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I love collaborations! It always pushes me as an artist to learn and get better at my craft. I am always up for sticker design mashups; I think that is always an interesting challenge to fuse my design style with another artist’s. Another collaboration project that I am passionate about are the “Free Art Drops” which are repurposed newspaper boxes that I have in various Colorado locations. There are currently two located in Denver that were collaborations between me and other local artists. These drops are free artwork and art supply exchanges, where people can “take some, leave some” in the community. These are so important to me because it connects artists with artists, inspires other people to create and makes art accessible to everyone. Find the first free art drop at Denver Art Society and the second at River Bar. Art drop 3 is currently in the works and is set to be established in Colorado Springs. My last three art drops are converted Chicago Tribune boxes that my family road tripped out to Colorado from Illinois. I’m always looking for anyone with access to old newspaper boxes, so I can continue to place these art drops elsewhere. I am also looking for businesses that would like to have an art drop of their own. And of course, I’m always trying to connect with other artists to design and add to new art to these drop boxes. Reach out through my Instagram @dtricktadesign

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dtricktadesign.com
• Instagram: @dtricktadesign
• Other: https://liftedfizzydrinks.com