Meet Marissa Spokes | Hairstylist/Crocheter

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

Hi Marissa, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It was never really an option for me to not. Since I can remember I was always creating my own world of beauty, and if I’m not creating something I can easily fall into a bad head space. Trust me, I wish I were able to find a more stable job that has benefits and time off, but whenever I’ve tried to learn the skills required for a job like that, my brain just rebels at it and I hate every second of it. A desk job would be my idea of hell. I express myself with art, whether it’s crazy hair and makeup, becoming a different character, or physically making something with my hands. If I’m not creating something in some capacity my life feels dulled and stagnant.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So currently I’m in more of a self care place with my art. Before the pandemic I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and that did have an effect on my job as a hairstylist. I also had to take the pandemic much more seriously as I’m on immunosuppressants, and I was lucky to be in a position where I could do that. Doing hair is a fun job that I adore, but it can also be really stressful trying to build and retain a clientele, especially when you’re sick. When I felt OK to go back to work, it was hard because I had lost that clientele, putting me back at the start essentially. When I was just starting out, I did a lot of TFP with photographers and models, and I loved styling, which is something you don’t do a whole lot of in a full service salon, so I went more that route. I’m currently working at a well known blow dry establishment in West Hollywood, where I can just style and not worry about trying to build my personal clientele. There are things I miss about a full salon, I definitely miss doing more color, but I love what I do and it keeps it low stress, which is better for my health. I do cuts and colors for my friends at home, and I do house calls, just without the stress. Some of what I do can be seen on my hair Instagram, @dreadeddragon.

I started crocheting during the pandemic to have something to do, and it was so good for my mental health I made a rule that I would never try to turn it into a business. I crochet nearly every day, and sometimes after doing a particularly difficult pattern I still get a sense of wonder about it. I look at my shelf and think “Holy shit, I made that detailed dragon out of string”. I do more stuffed items than clothes or flat items because I get that feeling more from them. My house is full of animals and dolls I’ve made but it’s the making of it that I love, not the finished item. They’re taking over my house, so I have an Instagram for crochet (@dreadeddragoncrochets) where I post what I’ve made with a price. If someone loves it and wants to buy it it’s a win win situation, and I don’t have to really try to sell my things.

For me, my art is about expression and mental health. The absolute best thing about doing hair is watching someone fall in love with themselves again. It’s the best feeling in the world, giving that feeling back to someone who lost it along the way. I also get to express myself through my own hair and through the art itself. Crocheting brings me wonder and it’s been proven to be a great mental health project. In both, I’m making art in areas most people might not think of as art. And I love it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well for me it’s a little different now as there’s some places I’m still uncomfortable going because of the immunosuppressants. But a little over a year ago my friend visited me from Germany, and I took her to a lot of iconic places in and around LA. I think one of my favorite days was hiking, the Hollywood sign and Hollywood itself, then we went to her first drag show at Hamburger Mary’s and went dancing at Mickey’s in WeHo. We’re in such a unique physical position here, there’s so much nature nearby this big city. She was definitely surprised when we did Joshua Tree and Big Bear on an overnight trip to go from desert to mountains so quickly. There’s so much natural beauty in California, and I think a lot of us forget about it amid the crush of trying to get by in the city. I know in general we’re not necessarily considered a major culinary city, but i disagree. We might have fewer Michelin restaurants, but I’ve never gotten bored with food here, and I feel we have some amazing food that’s just about as close to authentic cuisine as it can be. Feel like some good sushi? Little Tokyo has good food at all price points. Feeling up for something new? Head over to Little Ethiopia and try something there. Peruvian? Turkish? Russian? Korean? We’ve got it, and it’s probably in a community of that culture and language. LA has a little bit of everything, you just have to look for it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well obviously I have to shout out my close friend Rust of Rust Vision, who passed this opportunity on to me. For hair, there used to be a Hair Board back in the early 2000s that got me into making fake hair pieces which became a business of mine for several years. I made some amazing friends there who are still good friends to this day, and created for me a core group of creative friends in the goth scene. I learned to crochet on my own during the pandemic, but got a lot of pointers from friends who had crocheted for years, like my friend Jennifer Cheek. I’d also love to give a huge shout out to my friend Jack Knoxville, who runs the Trans Empowerment Project and was involved in local government as a trans man in Tennessee when he was there. Jack is inspiring to me for how much he’s accomplished.

Instagram: Www.instagram.com/dreadeddragon Www.instagram.com/dreadeddragoncrochets