Conversations with the Inspiring Cyndi Lou

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyndi Lou.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Cyndi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to New England from the Deep South of Alabama in 1999.
My lifelong goal has always been to find my way as a successful working artist. I went to Maine College of Art and studied photography. Shortly after school, I realized I did not want to be a professional photographer. Luckily, BFA allows you to be malleable and my education, if anything, taught me how to reconsider new ways to view the big picture.

I took a job house painting around coastal Maine for four years to sustain my income, have slow work in winter and continue to push forward working towards my goal. I was also lucky enough to work under a local renovation contractor who became one of my best mentors. It wasn’t just a job, I was also learning how to operate in the world as a creative person and make a living. It was definitely hard, some days grueling work but totally worth it to stay actively creative in some form or another.

Flash forward to 2007 when my fumbling and striving paid off and I was able to start on my path tattooing here in Portland, Maine. Like most tattooers, I learned through an apprenticeship loaded with self-loathing, hard focus and strict duty. It’s a rite of passage that most of us go through to learn respect for the trade and to appreciate what we have for the duration of our careers.

My career started out well because I was incredibly fortunate to have multiple good teachers. My apprenticeship was with a talented, well-known “old school” traditional master by the name of Marcus Kuhn and took place at a time when there was a small community of well-rounded tattooers here in Maine. I’d say, Hanna Sandstrom, Chris Dingwell and Phuc Tran were some of my biggest influences and obviously having Marcus as a mentor set an intimidatingly high bar from the start. “It’s a charmed life” -he said to me the day I got the apprenticeship. That is completely true.

I don’t remember if I already heard this somewhere but I jokingly compare making a Tattooer to making a vampire. It’s a life that changes you forever, it is something you have to feed in order to be happy. You have to be charming but you have to be real and find what satisfies your thirst for creativity. If it’s a life you’re meant to have, once the gates are opened there is no turning away from the passion it ignites. It’s an ever-going evolutionary process of self-reflection, critique, and hustle that affects your entire life. And like with a head vampire, your original mentor continues to influence you forever.

I also have to mention that I have had an incredibly loving local community of friends that have supported my growth and change thru the years. Portland is special in that way. For all of this, I am forever grateful.
Since then, I have worked in four different Tattoo shops in Portland, including one that I opened myself on the East End called Squid and Whale.

But, when an opportunity opened up to work with Phuc Tran, probably the most influential artist I have ever met AND sharp business-minded Sue Tran, I had to close up shop and leap.

I am currently working at their shop, Tsunami Tattoo and have been happily nested for 6yrs.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My advice, specifically to other women working in any industry; (especially a male-dominated one) is to keep your feet firmly on the ground and your roar as clear and to the point, as you can.

Early on in my career, I definitely let being a woman inhibit my view of myself.

It’s always harder to be seen, heard and taken seriously. If you let that fuel insecurity it will hold you back from becoming the best professional version of yourself that you can be.

If you’re a queer woman like me, that feeling of invisibility can be extra. Recognize that who you are is what sets you apart and empowers you… do not let your value be diminished or extinguished.

In any walk, if you are working with people who can’t grasp this… find your people. Don’t settle.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Tsunami Tattoo story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a Tattooer. Every time I am asked what is my brand… I come back to this: Its people. I am a super social artist who has always worked best in both direction and freedom. Being able to hear a multitude of moving stories behind projects and create something memorable for someone has been one of the sweetest points of my career… and life. It isn’t always sentimental, sometimes it’s just for fun or empowerment and I love that too. I do a lot of nature and animal-themed tattoos -which I love- but my style varies from black and grey stipple to highly saturated color, softly rendered or bold traditional. I have always set out to have a complete tool belt in this profession so I can provide my clients with exactly what they are looking for. Every day is different, which suits me.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Advice I’d give a young woman or any woman first and foremost would be to look out for one another.
If you are a seeker of villains to grow, do that but make sure your villain isn’t just like you.

Despite where you are, how you identify, who you know and where you have found yourself – it’s important to recognize your surroundings.

There will be things in and out of your control. How you focus your power and energy into what is solely yours makes all the difference. Ultimately, it’s your life you are here to cultivate.

I personally have never been a backstabber but I have been stabbed a few times. I still believe it’s better to help each other.

Contact Info:

• Address: 583 Forest Ave. Portland, ME 04103
• Website: http://www.tsunamitattoo.com/
• Phone: 207-756-6766
• Email: cyndilou@maine.rr.com
• Instagram: @cosmodemonic

Image Credit:
Cyndi Lou

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