We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dennis Mackie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dennis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Well it started upon hard times. I found myself doing 90 days in county jail. While there I began drawing for commissary goods like stamps, envelopes, and food. As I grew popular in my cell I kept being asked if I tattoo. It had truly never popped into my head to pursue that path until then.

Once I got out, a long time friend reached out to suggest I contact a shop local to him for an apprenticeship. I spoke with the owner and he says “let me have a tattoo party at your house and if I make good money you can have an apprenticeship”. Little did I know how bad of an idea that was so sure enough the party was on. I was the gopher for drawing and making stencils which in the end needless to say I got into the shop.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

So my first tattoo job was at a gas station off of 7mile and Grandriver aka the hood. I worked there for a few months to create some sort of portfolio to try and get into a better shop. One day a few guys pull up on their motorcycles to get gas. I was outside washing the windows of the shop portion of said gas station when I overheard them laughing at the idea that a gas station did tattoos. Well a few weeks later I was recommended a shop in the downriver area of Michigan to apply at. When I came in to meet the owner for the final yes it turned out to be one of the guys that was at the gas station that day. He felt bad for poking fun and gave me a chance and I haven’t looked back 18 years later.

I offer a safe space for people to get tattooed comfortably. I consult with them, get to know them to help build their design and make sure it’s a one of a kind design. I explain the process for those whom aren’t familiar and try to break tension for first timers. Tattoos hurt so I definitely try to create a relaxed environment to feel at ease while getting worked on. I feel my personality allows people to get comfortable. I have many clients that have turned to life long friends. I even got married by one of my clients on Halloween this past year in Salem Mass.

My style is what I personally believe sets me apart from other artists. Though I am still learning till this day, I use punchy colors and contrast to set a tone of vibrancy. I keep my design nice and clean for tattoos which is a bit different from my other mediums. I also enjoy black and grey tattoos. Strong contrast and subtle white highlights are my favorite.

I am most proud to grow so much in this specific industry. Having a client be so happy with my work that they get emotional is always a very great feeling. Even the small and simple tattoos make such a strong impact on people and to be a part of that is the best reward for sure.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had been working at that downriver shop I mentioned before for four years at this point and was growing stagnant. Ego aside I had become the better artist in the shop. I had sought out a guest spot in a shop in San Diego the previous year and learned a ton on my 4 day stay. I wanted that again. I sought out a shop in Connecticut looking to hire a fresh budding artist. I reached out through myspace, the manager checked out my work and offered a guest spot which turned quickly to a silent interview. Everyone there (7 artists and the owner) welcomed me like they had known me for awhile. They were all so inviting to let me watch them and ask questions so I did exactly that. Everyone was so good at their own style it felt unreal to me. I embraced any knowledge I could cram in my thinker. On my last day there the owner offered me a job. A month later I was on a plane moving to Connecticut with two suitcases and a tad over $200 in my pocket. I absolutely thrived there for six years before moving back home to be closer to my family. I will always be grateful for that opportunity. Made a ton of friends and grew as an artist exponentially.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Everything has literally changed since I apprenticed 20 years ago. Inks, machines, techniques, needles etc. Especially the general ego of an artist. We used to snub each other to an extreme level back during my apprentice days unless you were friends but mostly shop acted as cool kid cliques. Now a days artists are like open books. We all share our knowledge with each other, our techniques and even experiences to learn from. It’s something I wish I had when I started off most definitely. That phrase “If I only knew then what I know now” constantly pops into my head from time to time. It’s a great industry out there these days and watching some of these younger artists excel is pretty damn incredible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Gnarcisist
• Facebook: Dennis Mackie