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

Hi Matthew, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path in my mid 20’s. I had graduated university, and honestly left more confused than I went in. I studied Entertainment and Arts Management, as I had been convinced that it was way more reasonable and lucrative to study the business side of “entertainment”. Even though I had always been a creative, society’s judgments about thriving as an artist had turned me away. About one year after I graduated, I started working at iHeart Media, and for about 9 months, my life was literally drained from my body.  As I had simultaneously been getting back into art with the little free time I had, it clicked. I was tired of suffering through the passionless monotony of this “career path”, and decided I wanted to live a life of passion and creation. I had been receiving so many affirmations from the Universe, as eventually it became a no-brainer.. I had to be creating and sharing this gifts I had been given!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am super grateful, as the field of tattooing (art in general) can be challenging to pick up enough momentum to thrive. There’s a lot of people out there who want the same thing, also many have a scarcity/competitive mindset. Plus, society vastly undervalues creatives! I remember I asked a tattoo artist friend years ago what I’d have to start, and the response was along the lines of kiss butt for a couple years. I trusted the process, as my brother Rob was incredibly gracious to bring me under his wing after expressing interest, as he believed in me. This is after I had been sharing art and creating because it was something I deeply loved, not because I wanted to make money!

I believe the creative path is  directly linked to the internal journey. To me, this means if we believe in ourselves, we can magnetize a reality that aligns with those beliefs.. of course this can go either way as I find great importance of staying centered, grounded and fluid with what is present in our lives.

I am very proud of the container I hold for clients and the designs that I create on a regular basis. I feel it is so important to create a safe and sacred environment for others. I carry what I do with great honor, reverence and intention. I believe art is magic, as with tattooing, I am creating codes on people’s bodies. Especially with sacred geometry, plant and animal medicine! When we call something onto our body, we enter a beautiful process of healing, transformation and/or embodiment. This can look any way it wants to, as I create art for all people. I believe it is paramount to call in the frequencies of joy into the work I create, as I love what I do and love connecting with new people.  The deeper into self work and healing I go, the clearer my channel and creative expression becomes. Trust is a big part of my practice, with everything in life, not just my clientele and creative process. Radially trusting every inquiry, cancellation, opportunity, as it is all catalyzing our fullest and most optimal expression.

I currently tattoo at Conscious Ink, and am also know as The Sacred Creative. I love creating dot work, clean line work, anything sacred geometry, plants, animals, patterns and anything inspired by the vision.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being a creative is super rewarding! I wake up every day grateful to be able to create art for people. I also love creating music with people, empowering others to open up our voices and expression. To me, it’s not just a thing that I do or a “job”, but a way of life. I believe that’s important with anything we do. If we love it, it’s easier to embody it, creating a life that reflects that passion. I love the process of co-creating something special for someone. To support someone through this process, and as I create beautiful art with people, I get to hold space for an epic transformation. To witness all levels of intentionality behind art, to connect with so many awesome people and to do art all the time.. it truly is a blessing. And sure, on my off days I’m often doing art, as I do work a lot! This is a lifestyle that I’ve chosen and love, and of course take time to myself more and more, but wouldn’t want to do anything else! This does require great balance, but am grateful to have the space when I choose to travel or go into nature. Most of all, I love inspiring people. This is one of the biggest reasons I do what I do, as we are here to lift each other up and encourage each other! As I call it the New Earth, we are co-creating the lives we wish to live. Through these endeavors, we create connection, raise awareness for our planet and injustice, express ourselves, heal, be grateful and so much more. This path unfolds for me as an artist and musician.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As far as a mission and goal, I really love tuning into these questions as I find myself with more direction and clarity than ever before. As I mentioned briefly, the power and creating art on someone’s body, and for one,  it is my mission to help others remember who they are by creating art. Whether it’s tattooing, murals or original art, I feel called to call in these codes for people to heal, activate and transform. I would love to have a temple space some day, deep in nature, a place to tune in and create an experience. I don’t think I’ll always tattoo, but I would like to continue as a creative for the rest of my life, enjoying new endeavors, challenges, ideally living sustainably! I feel we can bring about change in the world as we change ourselves, and to me, that is unlocked by sharing art and music. As we are all essential pieces of the puzzle, if we can impact or change just one life, the fires within our hearts will light one at a time. I am here for this great journey and to be with humanity during this epic time. Of course, the journey isn’t always easy.. there’s a lot of chaos out there and really challenging experiences to navigate. I remind myself, we are always exactly where we need to be. I’m grateful for my community and friends that hold me accountable and motivate me to be the very best version of myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesacredcreative.com
• Instagram: @thesacredcreative

Image Credits
Paulina Grochala