Let’s start at the beginning. I assume you started as an illustrative artist before moving on to tactile crafting. Did you dabble in any other crafts—as a hobby, or as you grew your business—before you started laser cutting? When or how did you decide to make acrylic laser cutting your creative focus?
Clinkorz: At this point, I’ve dabbled in so much. I sculpted an original Okami (Amaterasu) sculpture that went viral after a Sony feature and started leaning towards sculpting with the intent to cast, however pressure pots were multi thousand dollar units back in those days so I gave it up. I was heavily into cosplay until my mid twenties, and enjoyed learning to wire LEDs and sculpt cosplay weapons before that was common. I went to school for fashion design (BFA) and ended up discovering flat templating via vector based programs there which set me on the course for lasers. Initially I started by cutting vinyl into layered decals, which was fun but taxing. I had heard about lasers but never experienced them until literally diving headlong into buying a hobby unit. From there it’s just grown exponentially!
In an alternate universe, I might have been interviewing for your cosplay rather than your art! What kinds of characters did you cosplay back then, and do you miss your cosplay days at all? How has cosplaying played a role in the art you create now?
Clinkorz: Oh dear it’s been a long time. I did a lot of -tan cosplays, which were anthropomorphized console units. My most famous one was an Xbox 360 and I got published in a few publications at the time (Xbox and Kotaku did write ups). I also cosplayed Stocking from Panty and Stocking and a cute version of Snake from MGS called Sweet Snake. I miss cosplay a little bit, though I definitely don’t have the time or energy for it now. I try to create a casual cosplay or cosplay friendly pieces because of my old costuming days. And while I don’t participate in the community much anymore, I still really respect and admire the craft.
Given that you have a BFA in fashion design and cosplayed through your twenties, what skills from your education and experience in fashion have been useful in your art today? Or do you find that your current work is fairly removed from your original studies?
Clinkorz: I learned my primary focus via my BFA, which is creating laser guides. I actually learned this from the same course that caused permanent nerve damage in my right wrist. It was a flat-making course, which is how you get garments made on an industrial level. If I hadn’t had that course, I’m not sure I would have gotten into lasering at all. I also learned the breadth of my coloring skills in an intro to digital art course which is still how I color all of my Pokémon fanart to this day!
What are the pros and cons of creating a more niche art like laser cutting versus more popular merchandise like acrylic charms?
Clinkorz: There’s a lot of joy in being able to create something immediately out of your mind, and the laser gives me that power. In any other mass produced merch cycle, you’re sending out things and waiting a certain timeframe to get them back, while my laser for me is on demand. I can also make something and ‘test’ to see if it will sell well before moving it into a more financially costing project. It’s very difficult though, because many people view my handmade acrylic works the same as the printed acrylic charms. It’s hard to make people understand the handmade nature of the craft because as soon as they see ‘acrylic’ they picture mass produced works done by a machine, even when you tag it as handmade! It’s an uphill battle to get people to understand that the cost reflects the handmade nature also.
Tell us about how you started creating art within the FFXIV community—what were your first FFXIV pieces, and has the XIV community response differed at all from other fandoms you create for?
Clinkorz: Oh goodness…I started playing FFXIV way before I made anything from it. Honestly I thought FFXIV was too niche to make anything from! My first piece was Aymeric’s Naegling sword, as Aymeric was my first NPC love (Merlwyb soon after though) during Heavensward. The reason I create FFXIV pieces is truly because I love the community. When I create 14 things, I feel like I’m sharing it with friends. There’s just a kinship within the community that I really enjoy. While creating a lot of Xenoblade things can feel like ‘for the thirst’, FFXIV feels like ‘for the family.’
When designing a new product with a particularly complicated design, how do you determine what details to keep in your rendition?
Clinkorz: That’s something I struggle with everytime I make something lol. I’m hyper meticulous. You can see it in a lot of my work, even when I have defect sales people think I’m being overly scrutinizing for defecting things out. Often times, I actually render insane amounts of detail and do a test cut…only to realize I have to eliminate half the detail. And while that may be a ‘gosh darn’ kind of moment, I still enjoy letting my meticulousness come through if only having to edit at the end. Generally though, when I get to the editing point, seeing the first rendition in 3D helps solidify what is really needed to make the piece seem real and what is superfluous. I always have a prototype phase when working and I stand by it – it’s necessary for me to have the initial visualization.
Since you’ve been laser cutting for some time now, what are new materials or products that have changed your workflow or process since you first started?
Clinkorz: Gosh… so many things. Recently I realized that polishing nibs for dremels that are usually for gemstones work amazing on cleaning up acrylic edges of extra glues and solvents. There’s always new suppliers coming out with new materials also, like wide ranges of pearlescent acrylics (my in-game name isn’t Pearlescent Light for nothing lol) and hand rippled patterns. Due to my contract with Lucasfilm, I also got to start experimenting with new permanent adhesion acrylics which I’m going to be trying out over the summer to see if they’ll work in cutting down my make times!
Your particularity with the materials and finishes for your pieces are often what give them that extra pop, such as the pearly white enamel on your soul transfer vessel charm. Have you ever been inspired by a new material or method to create a new piece entirely to pair with it, or do you typically design a piece first and then see what materials are available to bring it to life?
Clinkorz: I usually design a piece with material in mind, however lately (and my metal manufacturer detests this) I’ve been pushing for newer crafts that aren’t commercially available at least in metal because I want exactly what I want (which leads to many problems). I’m so picky when it comes to acrylic that I usually get it right in the first go only because I’ve agonized about it days before even starting the prototype lol. That being said, I recently redesigned a piece with a new white and orange hand swirled acrylic because of how it spoke to me (my Azem crystal). My brain is like a rolodex for material though, so when designing a piece I can ‘see’ it cut from certain material. It’s slowly becoming that way with metal works as well.
Your metal charms, like other creators’, are designed by yourself and then outsourced to a manufacturer. Having both personally crafted acrylic pieces and navigated outsourcing charms, what are the pros and cons of outsourcing vs. personally hand crafting?
Clinkorz: Hm… there’s definitely a creator barrier. When talking to my metal representative for instance, sometimes it’s hard to translate what I want into a metal piece. It’s doable oftentimes, but there aren’t exact terms for things (and lots of things are lost in translation) and many different things can be done with metal and enamel that just aren’t normally done that I want to do. It causes a lot of frustration because the manufacturer wants to push that they know best, but I’m very headstrong in what I want because I can see it in my head. When hand crafting, I know my own mind and also know the limitations of the craft precisely. The metal is far more durable and can hold a lot of detail, but the acrylic has always felt more ‘me’.
Many of your pieces are near replicas of existing game items, such as your replications of the Ascian masks, but at times you have to employ your own illustrative skills to design a new work of art, such as your light display pieces of Amaurot, the Crystarium, and Hydaelyn. How does designing a piece that showcases your drawing compare to something like an acrylic charm?
Clinkorz: I have far less confidence in my drawing than in replicas. I can nitpick something into oblivion for it to be the perfect rendition, but in larger showcase pieces it’s more up for interpretation. It also is far more taxing. I generally spend 10-14hrs on light displays, comparing that to smaller accessories that take about 1-2hrs depending on complexity. In the end I’m always more fulfilled and proud of my drawings like the light displays and Garuda pin (FFXVI) but afterwards I’ll lay on the floor a bit and contemplate life haha.
Yet despite that, you were approached by REEDPOP, who produces comic conventions around the US (New York Comic Con, PAX, C2E2, ECCCo, etc.) to design their cosplay contest trophies for the 2022 Star Wars Celebration! You vectored, by hand, stunning designs of the Death Star and Millennium Falcon in your light display style. How does your process and approach differ when designing and creating for IPs rather than your personal work? How do you handle the unique challenge that comes from that kind of high-profile, one-of-a-kind commission work?
Clinkorz: My approach is generally the same although the source matter has been pre-chosen. I give the same amount of effort to my passion projects as I do commercial work. I get excited about almost every project I take on and rarely take on projects that don’t provide emotional fulfillment. That being said, of course commercial work is more intensive. There’s product pitches, a continual back and forth in the design process, and strict deadlines. So in the end I enjoy my personal work more because it’s more free, but I’ve always wanted to create specifically for licensed IPs and hope to be afforded that opportunity more in the future! I will say though, it’s a reprieve to work within the confines of a contract from time to time. I’m not solely resting on my own opinions and design choices, I have someone else telling me they want x y and z which usually makes it less stressful if I’m honest.
How do you show your personal style and artistic voice in a medium that is more design-focused than illustrative?
Clinkorz: I would say most of my personal style comes out in the material choice. It’s true that my pieces are heavily designed since they’re based on already existing items. And while I do tweak proportionality to create impact and make the piece look true in spite of the small size, the attention to detail and material choice are what make them special to me. In referencing a piece again, my Azem crystal was original backed with an acrylic called molten. I chose it because of the grapes on the island story. I’ve recently changed it to something that looks like creamsicle, which reminds me of my WoL personally, and I always hope people identify with those little details too!
I have personally seen you struck with inspiration for a design that goes from an idea to a tangible product in less than a day. What is the drive that inspires you so fiercely when an idea for a new design strikes you?
Clinkorz: Lol.
ADHD.
I’d love to call it the passion to create, but honestly it’s my ADHD. My hyperfixation happens to be working and creating, and it pumps me full of dopamine. Work is my safe space. Seeing a piece come up that I thoroughly enjoy activates all those little happy processors in my head and I get so fired up. I used to be a workaholic, sometimes working upwards of 14hrs daily. Through therapy I’ve got a better work life balance, but still occasionally get that ADHD impulsivity and churn something out. It’s healthier now though, I only do it if I have the time and it won’t cause me negative side effects like loss of sleep or quality time with my pets and partner.
In your 2021 retrospective, you reflected, “I got to remake a lot of pieces that have been near and dear to me…. [I] hope to continue the track of making products beautiful from the front and back views in their own different ways and employing new mixed materials to achieve great looks.” Do you think you could have remade older pieces to the quality you’re capable of designing and creating now, had you not first tackled them earlier in your career?
Clinkorz: Oh 10,000%. I still see old pieces that I regularly create and think to myself how this could be so much better. And I’m a mixed bag, I like to leave things as they are to progress to new pieces, but also remake other old things instead of making new pieces. I was looking through some of my older pieces while at a convention this past weekend, and while they fill me with nostalgia I do see how far I’ve come. That being said, some things I’ve also grown out of. There are old pieces I made from Naruto and Air Gear that I’m happy are part of my history and not part of my present. Sometimes it’s ok to let things go!
You also often design fun or even silly pieces, such as your infamous FFXIV server crash keychains (2002s everywhere…) and your food stencils (remember us… as a beautiful cinnamon design on your morning latte). Do you think it’s important to make art just for laughs sometimes so you don’t always take your work too seriously?
Clinkorz: Absolutely. Meme/joke creations are literally my most favorite things to make. They are the pieces that put a huge smile on my face. I’m always proud of my extreme works like the Crystal Tower, but I still laugh every time I flip over an Elden Ring charm (Try fingers but hole). I’m a big jokester so it speaks to me on a fundamental level to be able to laugh along with my work.
What is an unexpectedly difficult part of the process that most people probably wouldn’t assume by looking at your finished products?
Clinkorz: You can literally make an entire piece from start to finish only to find out after removing the masking that there’s a large laser flare underneath the surface. Especially when I was making Pyra and Mythra blades by hand, I think Mythra had 30 pieces? And having to put something like that in the defect bin was heart shattering. I think a lot of people see my finished pieces and think “wow they come out great every time!” but honestly it’s because you don’t see my ever growing chuck bin.
What are some franchises that you haven’t yet made any pieces for that you would love to in the future?
Clinkorz: Goodness… there are so so many. Laid Back Camping (Yuru Camp) is my all time favorite anime and I’d love to delve into a whole collection for it. I’m also a big fan of Astroneer and Stardew Valley. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have anything important to add to the community so I don’t make anything to show. But those three I’d love to even make a little something just for me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us so much about your craft! Last but not least, tell us about your Warrior (or Warriors) of Light! What is your favorite way to spend time in Eorzea?
Clinkorz: Thank YOU for the interview!
I only have one WoL! My little dough ball, Pearlescent Light. I enjoy running treasure maps most. Doing something silly with a collective group of friends while we fear an Atomos chuck is the highlight of my day whenever we can do it.
But you can almost always find me camping at a Leap of Faith event!
You can find Kat Clinkscales, aka Clinkorz, on Twitter, and check out her online shop for all her beautiful shinies wares!
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