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

Hi Lorri, why did you pursue a creative career?
I decided to pursue a creative career because it’s what has always has come naturally. I’ve attended college and trade school, studying corporate careers but the fulfillment I get from tattooing is one of a kind. I believe that God has a purpose for all of us and my purpose is to help people heal and express themselves through my art.

What should our readers know about your business?
Six years ago, I founded the Ladies of Ink tour. Ladies of Ink is a black women’s tattoo artist collective that travels around the United States creating together. My goal was to create a strong support system for black women within a white male-dominated industry. It’s something that I’ve never seen before in my 16-year career and needed because we are underrepresented in the industry.

When I first had a vision for this tour, I knew it may be a little difficult finding black women tattoo artists (esp. those who wouldn’t mind traveling with people that they may never meet before). Once the group had come together, we had to find tattoo shops that had space to accommodate us. Once we found the shops, we were traveling to 3 states each month for 12 days straight! There was never a blueprint for what I created so there were a lot of things we were learning as we went.

The tour in six years has grown from 7 tattoo artists to 27. Today, we travel around the United States creating at tattoo conventions. Our tour has gotten recognition from so many platforms such as Vice, Mic.com, and Little Women Atlanta.

I want people to know that Ladies of Ink is not a social club but a united group of women creating change in the tattoo industry. We are changing people’s perspectives of how tattoo artists are represented. We are committed to improving our craft, learning from each other, growing and influencing other people around the world.

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?
I really enjoyed going to the Spa Castle, very relaxing! I also like hanging around Deep Ellum. The area has awesome bars, beautiful street artwork and good energy.

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?
I want to give a shout-out to Jacci Gresham and Imani Brown, recognized as the first and second black women tattoo artists in the U.S. these two women are incredible and have had a huge influential impact on my career.

Website: www.ladyltattoos.com www.ladiesofink.com

Instagram: @ladyltatts @ladiesofinktour

Linkedin: Lorri “Lady L” Thomas

Twitter: @ladyltattoos

Facebook: Lorri LadyL Thomas

Image Credits
Ashley Shoate

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