We recently connected with Mallory Murphy and have shared our conversation below.
Mallory, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
While I’ve considered myself a creative my entire life, I didn’t get into the tattoo industry until my late 20’s/early 30’s. It’s easy to compare yourself to other artists who started much earlier and think, “where would I be if I started this 10 years ago?” but I think I’m exactly where I need to be and the timing is always right. I think because I’ve had a full decade-long career prior to this, when I made the jump to an unpaid apprenticeship, I really had to make sure this was something I was fully dedicated to and was ready to give it my all. I think my drive alone stems from where I was at in my life. Had I started tattooing in my early 20’s, I fear I wouldn’t have been fully committed, I don’t know if I would have taken it as seriously, and I don’t know that I would have been so sure of myself and my art. I have always had an artistic vision, but it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I felt like I had a clear point of view and a definitive style. I feel lucky to have experienced a full career beforehand and I think it plays a big role in how I carry myself now.
Mallory, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My background is in 3-dimensional art. I’ve got my BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Metalsmithing and Jewelry. While I absolutely loved this field while I was in school, it didn’t feel like a super right fit once I had graduated. I think as creatives we tend to float around different mediums and I was ready for a break from jewelry. I do, however, think metalsmithing was an excellent stepping stone to tattooing. You’re working with hand-held machinery, your attention to detail makes or breaks a piece, and you’re working with adorning a body and the flow of someone’s body. My job every day is to work with my client to not only design a piece we both love, but to place it on the body in a way that makes sense, flows well, and positively changes the way they see that part of them. As a tattoo artist, you hear every day how much someone may dislike a part of themselves or want to alter a part of themselves. It’s my job to not only assure them that tattoos are for them, no matter what their body might look like, but to also let them leave the shop perhaps loving a part of them they once disliked. To me, that is one of the best parts of this job. Seeing my client beam as they look in the mirror after our session makes it worth it every time. I want potential clients to know, that you will never have to look a certain way to get a tattoo you’ve been lusting over. Tattoos are for anyone who wants one.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Prior to tattooing, I bartended for nearly a decade. Once I graduated art school, I left feeling pretty burnt out and a little lost. Bartending kind of fell into my lap but it was something that I thoroughly enjoyed and thought I would do for a long time. I continued to do this until COVID, where every industry felt the ripple effects of lockdowns. I think this was a pretty pivotal time in most people’s lives. It wasn’t until we all slowed down that I thought, maybe this isn’t something I can do forever. It started to feel like bartending had an expiration date. It was during this long era of solitude that I started drawing more and more. I drew with myself in mind–is this something I would wear as a tattoo? This has always been my approach. I still draw flash “for myself” on a very regular basis. I figure if I love it, and would get it tattooed, surely it will resonate with someone else. I think that’s how I’ve maintained such a clear style, I’ve stayed true to what I love. While the era of COVID was one I don’t wish to relive, I am thankful that I allowed myself to slow down, shift gears, and focus on what I really love doing. I had been craving a more creative lifestyle and I think the realization of just how short life can be made me take the leap.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
One book that has continued to resonate with me, and I’ll recommend to anyone is Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop. It’s a fairly quick read, one that I gobbled up in a single afternoon, and it will always be something I reference. I’ve always struggled with control and had often found myself worrying about a future in which I don’t know the outcome. It was a great source of anxiety for me, one that I wasn’t even fully aware of. I thought I was being prepared when I was actually full of worry. One of Bishop’s key points is “I embrace the uncertainty” and it has been my mantra ever since. I can’t control an outcome and I have to be okay with that, I have to make the leap anyways. I repeated these words to myself as I walked in for my first apprenticeship interview. I then repeated these words to myself as I walked into my second apprenticeship interview after not being selected the first time. Me five years ago might have given up after the first attempt, but I embraced uncertainty and put myself out there again. I think being vulnerable and doing what feels hard will always benefit you, no matter the outcome. I’ve learned to stop worrying so much about what that outcome will be and instead focusing on the present, what I can do for myself right now, and enjoying the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: mallorymurphytattoo.com
- Instagram: mallorymurphytattoo