Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Knobel .
Hi Meg, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
While I was in college, an opportunity came to me that I couldn’t turn down- and so began my tattooing career. I joined the tattoo industry in a small town in rural Texas, working multiple jobs and halfway through my undergraduate degree, and it was definitely a leap of faith. I owe my good friend and artist Derek Kinchloe for the wise advice- “You should never turn down an opportunity to learn a new trade.” We were a shop of friends, and so many memories were created during those early years.
The tattoo industry can be rough, the hours long, and the future uncertain. Within a couple years of finishing my apprenticeship, the Recession hit. In Texas, cost of living was still cheap, but I was ready to leave. Growing up with an Army mother, I had moved every couple years during my childhood, and it was long overdue to get outta town. Never having lived in the west, and being an avid cyclist who rode year round, I had my eye on sunny southern California, so San Diego became the goal. In the middle of the economic collapse, I packed up and moved across the country, not knowing the next few years would be a proving ground full of learning, mistakes, picking myself back up, adapting, and painstakingly inching toward thriving as an artist.
I worked at several shops in the first few years in San Diego, making connections, friends, clients, and finally started to put down roots and find community. I joined the San Diego Velodrome, taking classes and casually racing, and that opened so many doors, and it also opened my eyes to the somehow elusive concept that I did not have to define myself as an artist alone. I had played decades of competitive soccer, playing for the Texas A&M Club team, and at the indoor facilities like the North Park Watertower. I had been struggling with balance, with these two seemingly unrelated worlds that I was so strongly connected to.
Briana Robinson and I had met in passing, and I was deep in the throes of sorting out what to do with my life. The after effects of the recession were in full force, and I was sincerely unsure if I could make it in California with the cost of living. I had decided to take a bike ride, a long one, to think things over and reset. I reached out to Briana, we didn’t know each other at all, but I had a gut feeling, so I asked if she’d like to join on this adventure. A few weeks later, we flew to Oregon and rode our bikes down the coast back to San Diego… It was the beginning of so many good things. Bike touring, which evolved into bikepacking and mountain biking for me, became a huge passion. And, I began working at Buju Tattoo, where I would stay for 10 years, developing as an artist, growing with those around me, and finally sharing and enjoying real joy and success as an artist in this industry.
Over the years, mountain biking and bikepacking have become an enormously important part of my life. Buju allowed the freedom to explore that as much as I wanted, and the stability to really get out there and do it. In 2019, my friend Brendan Collier asked me to take over organizing the Stagecoach 400 self-supported bikepacking race. It’s a 400mi loop in southern CA, beginning in Idyllwild, to San Diego, through the Cuyamaca mountains, across the desert to Ocotillo Wells, and returning back up the mountain to Idyllwild. It’s an incredible challenge, and had a longstanding reputation of being somewhat of a proving ground in the adventure racing world. I was honored! I accepted, and that community has been kind to me. It is a labor of love, and there is a definite bond between those deeply connected to the sport.
I found myself torn once again. I wanted to pour myself into this world, spend all of my time outside. My Buju family had been wonderful, and we formed deep friendships… but over time we change, and we have to adapt, or we can’t keep giving to our full potential.
And then came Outdoor Traditions. Angel Lopez and I had been mountain biking together weekly for about a year or so, and he had created a tattoo shop based around the idea that we could share time as artists, outdoorspeople, and celebrate bringing these two worlds together. Outdoor themed art, fundraisers for mountain bike associations and rock climbing organizations, and shop outings as rides and hikes. That clicked. I joined Outdoor Traditions Tattoo in South Park, and it has rejuvenated my passion for our industry, and made me proud to be part of it. Plus, we can talk about rocks and dirt all day at work 🙂
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the biggest challenges have been entering a career during an economic recession, the complications of being a woman in a male dominated industry, and the struggle to find balance working in a trade that demands a lot of focus and practice to be proficient at it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a tattoo artist at Outdoor Traditions Tattoo. I create custom art for people’s bodies, influenced by American Traditional tattoos, focusing on nature themed work, florals, animals, and blackwork tribal type designs. I love bold tattoos with thick black lines. I’m proud to have built so many relationships over the years in the industry, with clients who trust me and keep coming back, and to have worked alongside artists who are kind hearted and progressive thinking. I believe honesty, dedication, and humility set a good artist apart from the others, especially in a trade industry like ours where you work with human beings.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
San Diego… You can spend every day of the year outside, and there are endless hidden gems out there to explore once you get a lay of the land. At some point, the population and traffic will likely drive me to more rural living, but for now I’m enjoying the diversity and variety an urban city has to offer.
On Sunday, November 14th, a distracted driver crashed their vehicle into the front of Outdoor Traditions Tattoo. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Unfortunately, the building was severely damaged, as the driver took out load bearing beams, and destroyed two walls and our electrical. We are now facing the reality of starting over. So much love was put into the shop, and even more will be put into whatever comes next. The tattoo community and our clients have been so supportive, and we are very grateful for the outpouring of care. We will keep everyone updated on @outdoortraditionstattoo as we rebuild.
Contact Info:
- Email: tattoomeg@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.outdoortraditions.ink/
- Instagram: @megknobel
Image Credits:
Bernard Baltezar, Jesse Boudart, Briana Robinson
