Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Monroe.
Hi Marissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a girl who was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Texas, basically everyone in my life thought I was crazy when I decided to move to New York City and study art. Any career in the arts is daunting. Each industry is hard to break into, and even once you have an ounce of success, it can be hard to build a stable, long-lasting career.
But I knew what I wanted and I would not be swayed. At 17, I moved to NYC and studied screenwriting and playwriting at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Once you start putting time into your art, it’s a natural transition to pursue other forms of art. Learning how to be a professional writer helped me learn to be a professional designer and professional tattoo artist. I figured out an artistic process for myself that helped me force myself to create even when I didn’t want to (which I think is a vital part to making your art a profession and not just a hobby).
Tattooing was never an art form I considered. But I started getting tattooed frequently and had my eyes opened to that possibility. I started seeing tattoo artists as true artists and was as excited to meet my tattoo artist as I was to meet my favorite musician or actress.
My intrigue with the industry continued to grow. How to become a tattoo artist felt like a secret that I wanted to uncover. I knew the “traditional” route was not for me. I am not the most talented illustrator. I would have failed if I tried working at a walk-in shop, and doing any tattoo that came in the door. That is a talent in itself. But I began to see this other possibility. This career where I could use tattooing as another artistic medium. Where I could create what I wanted, and have people come to me for that.
I remember so clearly having the thought “I’m going to be a tattoo artist, just not right now.” There’s no reason I should have thought that. I had no connections in the industry and had basically no illustration skills. But a year later my tattoo journey began.
I became friends with a tattoo artist. One night a group of us were hanging out and my now best friend, Maggie, brought up that I was interested in tattooing. She showed the artist a flash sheet I had made and basically got me my apprenticeship.
Then somehow years later we’re here. I get to tattoo in Texas, the place this whole journey really began when I decided to attempt being a professional artist. I get to travel to cities around the world, creating art that I want to create with a medium I never expected to use.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a 22 years old female who loves wearing pink and has long blonde hair, it has definitely not been a smooth road. There have been obstacles both in and out of the industry.
The industry is dominated by white males. A lot of tattoo artists I meet take one look at me and make up their minds. I’m talked down to and not shown the same respect I see my male friends in the industry receive. I feel like every time I walk into a room with other tattoo artists I have to prove myself.
However, I think I get more frustrated with assumptions people not in the industry make about me. Both my generation and generations older than mine have very set thoughts about tattoo artists. People older than me don’t see it as a “respectable” profession or a true art form. People my age tend to assume that me being a tattoo artist means I bought a machine on Amazon and tattoo friends in my apartment.
Being an artist is a somewhat undefinable profession. It covers so many things and can be done in so many ways. I love the path I have created for myself, but every time I try to tell someone about what I do, I find myself rambling to try and get them to see the full picture.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The word that feels the most correct to me is designer. I create designs and sometimes I tattoo them, sometimes I work with brands and they use those designs on products, and sometimes I use my own designs on merchandise.
Other people would probably call me an illustrator, but I truly don’t see myself that way. I took a lot of time to develop a specific style. I can create things within that style, but I’m not interested in doing things outside of that style at this time.
I’ve set myself apart in this industry by refusing to just be a tattoo artist. It’s important to me to link the work I create and who I am as closely as possible. I see a lot of tattoo artists use social media to only show their work. I think my work is a part of who I am, so it’s important for me to show all aspects of myself.
That gives me a deeper connection to my client and makes me feel like anything is possible. Like people who follow me support me, and not just my artwork.
I’m most proud of how incredible the people who follow me are. Every time I meet someone randomly or have a new client come in, I feel like I could be best friends with them. It can be scary to put yourself online. It can be scary to create and share art that you truly love. But I think it’s a vital part of creating a community of people who support you.
I’ve been able to travel the country for this job and will be going international very soon. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am making a living as an artist. The fact that I am able to support myself and do what I love because of art I create is a crazy concept.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Social media has majorly affected the industry. 15 to 20 years ago, as a client, you were mostly limited to the tattooers in your area. As a tattooed, you needed to be able to create whatever your client wanted in order to make money. There weren’t as many styles or idea-sharing going on. While there were well-known tattoo artists, that number was a lot lower than it is now.
Social media has allowed for more individuality within the industry. I would not have been successful 20 years ago. But thanks to social media, my work is able to reach so many more people. Instagram is able to recommend my work to people who are going to connect with it.
I am able to only tattoo my style because I have the clientele for it. A clientele that would be really hard to reach without the internet. I’m interested to see how this trend continues.
I also see a lot more people going the non-apprenticeship/self-taught route. I think that that will make the industry even harder to break into. Prior to this self-taught surge, to have a career as a tattoo artist you needed an apprenticeship. That would normally lead to a job at the shop, and so on. These self-taught artists don’t have a flow of walk-in clients and the safety of a shop behind them. They are basically having to start at an appointment-only level from the get-go, without being able to charge the prices that make that a realistic set-up.
I had an apprenticeship, so I can only speak based on what I’ve seen my friends go through. Those who self-taught, seem to struggle more with making money. They typically start off charging signifcantly less than walk-in shops (let alone appointment-only studios). Then getting people to take them seriously and pay their increased prices, can be really hard.
As the industry gets more saturated with self-taught artists, I worry about talented artists getting discouraged and giving up. There are a lot of big egos and jealousy within the industry. But when it comes to art, I think there is always room at the top. If you continue creating art you love that is unlike what anyone else is creating, success will come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pinkprincezzz.com/tattoo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkprincezzz/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pinkprincezzz
