SLUG Style: Cake Wish

Though their artist name is “Just A Living Human,” Cake Wish’s artistic ability and inspiration is superhuman. As a multimedia creative, they express themself through hair and tattoo artistry, illustration, hand-painted clothing and ceramics. Make sure to check out their booth at this year’s DIY Festival and keep up with their eclectic endeavors on Instagram at @just.a.living.human. 

Every month, SLUG Style features a distinct member of the community and asks them why they do what they do. Exploring more than just clothing, SLUG Style is an attempt to feature the people who give Salt Lake City flavor through personality and panache.

What are your stylistic influences? These could be bands, decades, fictional characters—anything.

My style is a pretty good mosh pit of drawing inspirations from the ‘70s, growing up as a kid in the ‘90s, being an emo/punk kid in my middle school and high school years and then always being interested in current pop culture—along with making up some of my own ideas of what I want to wear or what parts of myself I’m trying to express or give light to. There is so much inspiration to draw from in this world and I go through phases of being fascinated by different things and parts of myself I am learning and exploring more about! I don’t know if I have specific style influences; I just love taking in all the information, seeing what people wear, learning how people express themselves and then feeling what resonates with me and what inspires me personally. Getting dressed every day is a new journey—it’s different depending on what I’m doing, where I’m going or how I’m feeling… but most importantly, it’s gotta be comfy and something I can move around freely in. 

Are you always “on” or would someone see you at the grocery store, for example, with less elements of your style? What does that look like compared to who we see on social media?

I dress for mood, comfort and intention… so it depends on what that day is like. I’m always on for what I need! You could catch me at the grocery store in big, baggy T-shirt and running shorts and then later that day see me with painted dots and glitter on my face paired with a hand-painted dress. I think there are elements to my style that run through all of my looks—whether it’s casual or drag, I’m probably wearing clothing that’s comfortable to work and make art in or I’m wearing the clothes with the art on them. I think all of these versions of myself and my style are seen through social media. I share videos while I’m working, usually dressed simple and casual, but also pictures of when I feel fire and all dolled up. Both are important realities for me—duality at its finest. 

What do you prioritize most in the clothes you wear and create? Is it texture, silhouette, graphics, color, or something else?

My biggest priority in clothing is a balance between fit, comfort and look. If it doesn’t fit well, doesn’t feel comfy and doesn’t look good, then it’s a no for me. It’s a privilege that I can even say that, to be honest, but we live in a world of fast fashion and consumerism up to our eyeballs. I thrift most of my clothing, and still there is an overabundance of choices when it comes to options of what to wear, so I’m learning how to pick pieces I love and will wear more often.

On top of that, I’ve learned that I have sensory preferences when it comes to what I wear and even if something looks cute on me, the way it feels might drive me crazy, so now I pick clothing that feels good on my body, on my skin and in my mind. Another reason for comfort is because I’m a pretty active person—some might call it ADD—so whether it’s making art, working, running, stretching or dancing with my friends, I gotta be able to move in it comfortably without being distracted by any discomfort. With all that said, the cherry on top is still wanting to look and feel cute, of course, which is why I customize a lot of my clothing so that it can still be fun and expressive!

How has your personal style evolved over time? Do you feel that your style changes with your involvement in different artistic mediums?

My style is ever-evolving and always will be. I’m constantly changing as a person, so that definitely is reflected by what I wear—depending on what job I have, what I’m learning about, who I’m spending the most time around, where I am living… that’s why style and clothing are so cool! You can learn certain things about someone and their lifestyle by their clothing. It’s a way of communicating with one another. 

Do you feel like your exploration of artistic mediums, including hair and tattoos, has changed your perception of “style”? If so, how?

That’s an interesting question. I’d for sure say yes—experiences and ideas are always leading us to evolve, although I think I’ve had different experiences in relation to both of those mediums. I was professionally trained to be a cosmetologist at a very young age (right after high school) so early in my career I was doing hair the way I was taught to—kind of more in a cookie cutter way—and the longer I did hair and grew as a person, my career and the way I did/do hair changed. I wanted to create hair that I was never taught how to [do], so I had to teach myself by creating new styles and textures of hair that weren’t typical for that time. As for tattooing, I am self-taught, so it has purely been a personal journey of exploration and expression. It’s interesting experiencing the two contrasting backgrounds of how I learned an art form, especially ones that I offer as services to other people. It has helped me to learn to appreciate everyone’s individual style so much more because I am basically creating collabs with all of my guests: I am offering a skill and a style specific to me, while they are seeing, appreciating and relating to something I have created enough to want to get it on their body and share that with other people. It’s pretty freaking cool! So maybe changing my perspective of style isn’t quite the right words, but it’s broadened my perspective and relationships with others through style.

As far as the clothes you make, do you prioritize making things you want to wear or what you think your audience would like to wear? Or both?

Both, kinda. I prioritize making something I want to create first—it’s not always something I want to wear, but it could start as something I want to draw, or just [from] having time by myself to draw and get out some feelings, and then I draw something that sparks an idea for making something else or a linocut to print on clothing. I prioritize authenticity in my creative process—when that suffers, my creativity dies along with it. With that said, I am inspired by other people and the world constantly, so sometimes that inspires me to make clothing for others and not myself. Even though parts of my style are kinda niche, I don’t think I’m that different from a lot of other people. There are so many different niches and kinks. Humans are vast and fascinating, so if I like the clothes I make and I am wearing them, the odds are pretty good that someone else out there would be into it, too. It’s a neat way to find your people.

If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

I would tell my younger self to keep trusting yourself and to follow your gut and your feelings. People don’t make sense, the world doesn’t make sense, but your relationship and connections to yourself are so beautiful. The way you express yourself is so beautiful, even when other humans don’t get it or say hurtful things about it. Just because someone else thinks they are right, it doesn’t mean you are wrong—you are just as smart as the next person. Your thoughts and feelings and opinions matter. You matter. I love how big your heart is. Believe in magic. Follow inspiration. 

What will you be showcasing and selling at the DIY Festival in August?

Mostly clothing: handpicked, thrifted, upcycled, unique pieces that are hand-painted or printed from hand-carved linocuts!

Read more SLUG Style features:
SLUG Style: Lou Sant
SLUG Style: Kennady Jensen