We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morgan Deeble. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morgan below.

Alright, Morgan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Yes, but that wasn’t always the case. It really all started when I was 19 years old. With a part time job by day and a tattoo apprenticeship that usually ran from 3pm into the early hours of the next morning, it’s needless to say that I had my hands full from the beginning. Let’s just face the facts that choosing to be an artist full-time isn’t the easiest, or most consistent line of work. But fast forward 16 years and I’m still here loving what I do, and doing it successfully. I believe if you truly discipline yourself to work hard for the things you want in life, it will naturally start to rule out anything that doesn’t further that process.

Morgan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I suppose the best place to start would be at the beginning of my artistic journey. I was 19 and had gone into a tattoo shop with a friend who was getting some work done that day. Having no tattoos of my own, this was a world that was completely new to me and it was love at first sight. I began getting tattooed by all of the artists at the shop, and eventually earned myself an apprenticeship. Moving through my artistic journey I progressed in tattooing and started making a decent living off the trade. Tattooing naturally flowed into pencil art, and that’s where the real love affair began. Creating art for a client is one of the most gratifying opportunities I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, and I get to do it every day. As a tattooer, someone is giving me a part of themselves to be decorated in my artwork forever. And as a pencil artist, I find myself fortunate to have my work hung inside of people’s homes/work space to serve as inspiration or something that simply just makes them feel good when they see it.
It’s no secret that the key to a successful art career is having clientele and selling your work. I believe something that has helped me to maintain that level of consistency is just being genuine and authentic. People love approachability and someone who is relatable. It may seem like something that simple couldn’t possibly make a significant impact, but you’d be surprised just how many people appreciate the experience of getting to know the artist behind the Social page and/or magazine interview.
Having had numerous opportunities to showcase my work at galleries,events and museum exhibitions, I feel most proud of how much I’ve grown both personally and artistically since it all first began 16 years ago. Existing at the external limit of my own comfort zone (within healthy moderation, of course) has given me the confidence to go after opportunities I would have otherwise convinced myself out of. Leaning into the things that I might not feel ready for and just going for it. I’m not saying that my life has been nothing but a string of successes without any failure; in fact I believe that it’s fundamental to personal growth to accept that life is a two sided coin. But wisdom and experience doesn’t come easy, and i’m grateful to have acquired a bit of both already.
There are so many amazing and talented artists out there, I’m just truly blessed to still have my place amongst this community of creatives. I think something I would love for my current & future clients to know is that I’m eternally grateful for being able to create for you all. Not everyone is in a position to make a living doing what they love so freely, and I truly wouldn’t be here without the support of those who appreciate my work and what I do.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There are so many things that I love about being an artist. But perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of this career for me personally, is seeing how happy you can make someone through simply taking some time to create something for them. Whether it’s a tattoo or a commissioned piece of art, there’s nothing more gratifying than the feeling that this part of who you are, this extension of yourself is appreciated and has made some kind of positive difference in someone else’s life.

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

I think one of the best things society can do to support artists and the creative eco system is pretty simple; BUY THE ART YOU LIKE! Not just what you see online and in magazines. It’s ok to like hand painted pieces from an artist who has less than a 1,000 followers on social media. And believe me, you have no idea what the impact of that kind of support will do for the up & coming artist. Or even the longterm artist who may be questioning their work in this particular phase of their career. I’m not saying that there isn’t some amazing talent out there with the follower count to match the skill level. All I’m saying is that there are a ton of talented people who have some incredible work, being completely overlooked simply because we have a habit of being told what to buy, or who to buy it from. There’s something I find impressive about an art enthusiast who’s collection embraces their personal style when it comes to choosing what they buy and what type of art they surround themselves with.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mode_art

Image Credits
Travis Stover