We were lucky to catch up with Misha Gundersen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Misha, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I learned to tattoo almost 3 years ago because my regular job was quite literally killing me. I just wasn’t made to be in an office. I was chronically ill my entire 20’s and I remember toward the end I was so sick my hair was falling out and I was about 50 pounds overweight. My job was good to me for 11 years. They were a great company to work for with a great leader. I just wasn’t made to do anything like that – so – I taught myself to tattoo and was able to quit that job and support myself fully on tattooing, painting and making pottery. It’s definitely a hustle and has its own handful of hardships but I can tell you that I wake up happy every single day. My body tension is about 75% less than it used to be. I wake up everyday grateful that I get to paint or make really important and magical connections with the people I tattoo. Quitting my day job was the scariest thing I could do and I did it fully believing in myself. It was my grand self love gesture to myself. I will never go back if I can help it.

Misha, 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?

I was born in Seattle WA but grew up in Las Vegas. I used to participate in the 4H and was a barrel racer when I was younger. I went to horse camp and everything! My family later moved to Montana and we are now cattle ranchers. I’m just a cowgirl really. Have been my whole life. I started being artistic around the third grade and kinda never stopped. I am an oil painter, a ceramicist and a tattoo artist.

I struggle with ADHD and have an incredible amount of energy. It’s sort of been like this, “I think I’ll wake up today and see if I can figure out how to ______.”
Fill in the blank. I feel very restless and agitated if I am not being creative. I become depressed. I have to do it to feel happy and sane.

I don’t have a lot of outside influence on me. I spent so much time alone and I dream so vividly I just allow whatever is natural to flow out. I think in my work it’s very obvious who my favorite painters are but as far as trying to be anything other than myself, I don’t know, I don’t have any interest in that. I’m weird, I have nightmares, I’m pleasant, I’m angsty. I’m proud of my paintings because they are unique and I appreciate that they offer curiousity, feeling and space for the viewer to kind of come up with the meaning of my pieces. I try to not give too much of that away.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my experience, I’ve noticed that my work gets looked over by larger galleries and in my opinion they aren’t stopping to look. I believe they need to see the pieces in person to understand, not digitally. It’s funny, I feel so cocky responding this was but it’s the truth. I’m confident my pieces will move people and isn’t that what we do this for? To feel something? To be curious about another’s point of view or experience. I feel that the path for us artist to get there is…….a glass one, a gate with a lock. I guess there’s beauty in that too somewhere but – I wish society would slow down and savor it. Really look at it then you can decide if you hate it or not. I have a friend who is part of Create Magazine and they are really special. She works hard to give tips on what we should or could be doing as artists, she’s positive and inspiring, she has a ton of open calls for artists, she offers us constant opportunity. I wish more who run the art world space did what she is doing for artists.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Aside from never, ever, ever wanting to work in an office again….. I guess I promised myself one day I was going to do this and never look back. My one goal is to live a happy life. It’s to be a role model for my niece and my nephews. My goal is to look back on my life annd my paintings and overfill with joy. My goal is to inspire others to risk. I just want to paint for the rest of my life. I’m madly in love. I won’t let it go.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.mishagundersen.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/misharene_

Image Credits
Misha Gundersen