NOVEMBER BLOG- STEVE OKER

I hope ya’ll had a great Halloween! It's that time of year to get prepped and ready to go for the Holiday season approaching, love it or hate it, you gotta admit, the cooler weather and warm lattes turns any day into a great day to be alive :) 

Something else to celebrate is our November artist spotlight- Steve Oker. Steve has been tattooing since 2008, and spent most of his life fulfilling his artistic side through this form of expression. He grew up outside of Chicago but then made the decision to pack up and move to Florida! (talk about a fresh start- am I right?) Not only is he a father, but he strives to have a strong family focus- it shows through his studio Moth & Flame collective being co-owned by himself and his fiance Kayleigh. When Steve isn’t tattooing, he’s enjoying the outdoors and/or spending time with his family.

Keep reading below to learn more about Steve, you might be surprised at how much it will resonate with you. I’m sure a lot of us have a similar ‘before bed’ routine lol..I know I do. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?

I love that you guys are a small family owned operation. You don’t find that very often in tattooing anymore. The hand written cards you provide adds that extra love that is so often left out. Not only that, the quality and consistency of your products are top notch.

Be sure to check him out!

Website/Shop : https://www.mothandflameco.com 

Instagram: @steveokertattoos IG

Want to learn more about Steve? KEEP READING-

WITH HAVING TO PROMOTE YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MINDSET?

Truthfully I just want to make cool tattoos and stay busy. Social media is definitely bitter sweet. It’s best to not let it define who you are or take control of your life. It helps in connecting with people and providing inspiration, but it’s also very easy to hide behind.

WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE TATTOOER YOU HAVE EVER MET?

My buddy Ryan @eternaltattooing. We met at a shop in Orlando that we worked together at. Dude has so much heart and is the life of any place you go to. 

DO YOU HAVE A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE? DO YOU MIND SHARING?

There’s been a few. Biggest one was getting arrested when I was younger. I was at the lowest point in my life then. Positive to that was becoming a dad. Wouldn’t change it for the world. 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH STRESS?

Weed 100% Can I say that? 🫣

Being out on the water is definitely second in line. 

WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?

Snack, which I know I shouldn’t. #dadbod4life 

WHICH STATE ARE YOU LOCATED? WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHY?

Florida. It’s nice to not have to deal with snow, but damn does the humidity get spicy. 

WHAT BOOK OR MOVIE WOULD YOU SAY EVERYONE SHOULD READ OR WATCH? WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT SPECIFIC ONE?

Back to the Future. One of the greatest movies of all time. I’m also bias 😂

ANY PERSON THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRADE PLACES WITH FOR THE DAY?

Travis Pastrana, despite all the broken bones I would prefer to not have that dude is living his life to the fullest. 

WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?

All things outdoors.

SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?

Money Origami 

IF YOU WERE TO WIN BEST TATTOOER IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD YOU THANK AND WHY?

I don’t know if I would ever get to this point, but if I did I would definitely have to thank my fiancé and my friends and family for always being there for me. Supporting me and driving me to be a better artist. 

Without them who knows where I would be in life. Probably an auto mechanic or something haha.

IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE A BAND TO BEST DESCRIBE YOUR ARTWORK, WHICH BAND WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

Honestly, this is another hard one.

I would have to say Dirty Heads is one of my go to bands. They always put me in the right mood and mindset when I’m creating art. 

WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?

Conventions, ALWAYS. There is never a full moment that’s for sure. Probably the most memorable one I have though was the Atlanta when we all went to the Clermont. If you know, you know 😂

TOP 3 ARTISTS YOU ADMIRE. CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION?

This is such a tough one. The list of artists I admire is never ending. There are so many good artists. Just to name a few though: 

Chris Primm

Karlos Lloyd

Daniels Bauti 

Bobby Johnson 

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST TATTOO EXPERIENCE ? HOW OLD WERE YOU? WHAT WAS IT OF AND WHO WAS THE ARTIST ?

Awful! I was in my apprenticeship at the time and my mentor made me and another apprentice trade tattoos. It was a cherry creek koi fish and I hated it the second he was done with it. I got it covered a couple weeks later. 

THE PENGUIN IS THE MAVERICK FOUNDER'S SPIRIT ANIMAL. WHAT'S YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL?

As cliche as it is, I've always had an affinity for tigers. A lot of times though I feel like I match up with a Panda 😂

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GROUPINGS TO USE FOR YOUR TATTOOS?

Loose 9 liner paired up with a tight 3 or 5 liner and a curved 17 mag. 

MAVERICK'S GOAL IS TO HELP OTHERS WHERE WE CAN. AS PART OF OUR 'GIVE BACK' PROGRAM, $1 FOR EVERY CARTRIDGE BOX SOLD GOES TOWARDS THIS PROGRAM WITH A CAP OF 1K MONTHLY. WE TRY TO TARGET FOOD, ART, AND MUSIC (FAM) BASED NONPROFITS OR THINGS RELATED TO THE TATTOO COMMUNITY AND ARTISTS (LIKE SPECIFIC GOFUNDME PAGES FOR ARTISTS). IS THERE A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN? FOR YOUR SPOTLIGHT MONTH WE ARE GOING TO DONATE MONEY FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE. PLEASE PROVIDE THE WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE CORRECT ORGANIZATION. WHAT MAKES YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION?

NRDC 

Act.nrdc.org

It’s so important for us to protect the planet we live on. We can either save it or destroy it. All living things depend on how we care for Earth.  Please see below to view the donation made on behalf of Steve Oker.