We were lucky to catch up with Mason Atlas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mason , thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

As a young man, or better yet, as early as I can remember, I heard the phrase, “you will never make money as an artist.” There were family, friends and even the art teachers at the school that suggested having a back up plan if I wanted to pursue art. Seemed like everyone around me didn’t believe it was possible. Was that because of their own failings? Did they really have their ear to ground to understand the inner workings of being an artist? Or was this some cute saying people passed along to render creative people to feel unfulfilled and frustrated in hopes that they would become part of the workforce? I’m sure you have your own opinions if any of the above resonates with you.

I was lucky, I was hard headed and dumb. Maybe not dumb, but smart enough to not listen or even care for that matter.Hard headed enough to keep trying even after I would make mistakes. I grew up as a punk rocker. It was a requirement to go against the status quo and learn how to do it all yourself, we would DIY everything. We would work late night to publish zines back when 24 hour Kinkos was a thing. We wrote songs, formed bands and made our own posters for our backyard play anywhere type shows. We were a self motivated moving force. That is where the luck came in. At the time I had no idea that having support like that would be so critical later on in life when trying to pursue the arts as a career. We always find out later how pivotal those moments are when we look back . When I look back I see that having a crew gave me that safety net. I didn’t need to have a back up plan as the nay saying adults thought. I needed my crew to be there encouraging each other to go bigger and do more.

I have spent the last twenty years pursuing a creative field as a tattoo artist. I have traveled the world by myself, working in every location I could find that was more different than the last. I worked in amazing shops but none that resemble those formative years of being a punk rocker, that raw feeling of risk taking artistically. I was a rebel among rebels. I needed a clearer path to find my artistic heart and a crew that supported that. So eventually I settled down with the singular mission to DIY my own environment that supports individual creativity. My shop is called The Hive SLC located in Salt Lake City Utah. Strange place to have a tattoo shop you say? Trust me I know, after all the amazing landscapes and cultures I have lived in, there is just something about this place. The shop is located just outside the city away from other tattoo shops. Instead of being surrounded by buildings the mountains are our high-rises. Our front door looks out into some gorgeous landscape, which at sunset is painted in illuminating colors that just inspire the mind. The real gem isn’t the location, it’s the people inside. Over the last years I was able to curate a staff that encourages, supports and understands that it’s lonely trying to be an artist. Each person there is truly uniquely themselves. Not in a flashy hey look at me facade but true authentic expression. They are supported and encouraged to understand that commodity people are attracted to is themselves. We don’t chase trends or simply do what the customer asks. We encourage even our customers to think out of the box, look at the ideas they present in a different light. We create for the uniqueness of the individual. This group of artists at The Hive have helped build a place that feels like home. I am surrounded by those that remind me to be punk rock and push on closed doors, dream big and never stop learning how to DIY the shit out of this life.

As I am writing this we are expanding the shop to be able to have a dedicated classroom for weekly art lessons, provided by a college professor. This is a kind of auxiliary learning for our artist as well as those in the community looking to broaden their abilities. We will also have several more artists added to the roster to grow our own modern punk rock community. The shop has been nominated each year it has been open as one of the top shops in the state of Utah. We have yet to take the top spot but we are still young and ambitious. We plan on continuing to support our arts and help grow the creative scene to give more people an opportunity to find their creative niche. Each year I put on an eight week course for free, to help develop young artists with the skills to understand the marketplace for creatives. Each year this program is able to find placement for those looking to become tattoo artists as well as working artists. It has become my mission to dispel the myth of, “you can’t make money or have a career as an artist” So if you or anyone you know is going down this road alone, tell them to reach out, we got their back

Mason , 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?

To further introduce myself, my name is Mason. I have worked at becoming a better tattoo artist for over twenty years. I have studied abroad and no there is no school for tattooing. I used my creativity as a catalyst to learn about different cultures while tattooing. This travel has taught me how to apply style to fit the person. I offer many different versions of the same idea, using this to have a design catered to the individual, not the current trends.  The thing that I am most proud of is I never get tired of balancing family life with work life. I love being a father, husband and I never get tired of creating and mentoring the younger artists at the shop. I have paid attention to those that have fallen short of this incredible task and took their failures and successes to heart. I created a great network of father husbands and business owners that I speak with frequently. This success has allowed me to be even more creative and take larger risks, because their support is what lets me make this life an adventure.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my view I believe that artists can be best supported by society by getting out there and looking around and asking yourself what can be more beautiful, attractive, thought provoking and make a clearer message. If you see a sandwich sign that could benefit from a small creative facelift, then go ask the business if you can provide your services. If you frequent a particular business often, ask if you can design them stickers for a fee. You see a plan wall near where you live, ask the owner if you can do a mural. You never know if you don’t ask. Often by asking the business might even have more work than you initially thought. Local businesses need marketing, retail and other swag to build a brand. Start local and build relationships. Continue your education. Charge for the work you do and don’t ever do something for free if you want to make a living at it. The time you spent learning your craft is worth something.

To all the businesses out there, start asking around, find out who are the up and coming artists in your area. You will get the distinguished accolade of finding the artist before they made it big. You also get the amazing feeling of supporting someone’s dream.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are a few staple books, “Design is a Job” by Mike Monteiro. “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. “The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know” by Bob Beaudine. These are easy reads and help gain mind set to take on new adventures or ideas.

Contact Info:

• Website: Thehiveslc.com
• Instagram: @thehive_slc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLkWAyzRHulQ9WPwSh8th6g

Image Credits
Mason Atlas