We’re looking forward to introducing you to BJ Massa. Check out our conversation below.
Hi BJ, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am most definitely wandering and I am perfectly at peace with that. Walking a path is fine but now that I’m in my mid 50’s giving myself permission to wander allows me to explore new ideas, new mediums and new perspectives.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is BJ, and I’m a tinkerer, maker, and creator with an endless curiosity for color and texture. I first stepped into the art world as a furniture painter, but not in the traditional sense. I pushed boundaries, experimenting with tools, techniques, and unexpected finishes, and began treating furniture as functional art.
That spirit of experimentation led me to canvas painting, where I discovered that many of my furniture techniques translated beautifully. My layered backgrounds, combined with clay-based paints and acrylics, create abstract faces that are vibrant, expressive, and full of movement.
I also love working with vintage paper for collage, often making my own prints on a gel plate before transforming them into whimsical compositions. More recently, my passion for sustainability and my fascination with oddities has inspired a series of assemblage pieces, where rescued doll heads, lamp parts, vintage buttons, and jewelry bits come together to form quirky, one-of-a-kind characters.
Across all mediums, whether paint, collage, or assemblage, the common thread in my work is a love of faces, whimsy, and the celebration of quirkiness.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I grew up in a picture-perfect suburban home with mom, dad, two kids, a dog, and yes, an actual white picket fence. From the start, I felt the world expected me to be average: to grow up, get an office job, marry, have kids, repeat. My mother, who I adore, even insisted I wear dresses or skirts to school until I was about ten, because pants just weren’t “appropriate” for little girls.
As I grew older and carved out a sense of self, I realized I wanted something different. I ditched the dresses and leaned into my own style—vintage clothes, jewelry I made myself from old pieces, and sometimes men’s blazers and neckties. I was stepping just outside the boundaries of what was “normal.”
An art teacher in junior high told me I had real talent, but warned I’d probably be discouraged from pursuing it. She was right. Between guidance counselors and expectations, I was steered toward being “typical.” I stopped taking art classes altogether.
In my twenties, I followed the script—office job, marriage, two children, stay-at-home mom in the suburbs. For a while, it seemed the world had won.
But now, in my mid-fifties, I know I’ve won the war. I’ve come full circle. I wear what I want, create the quirky, unconventional art that I love, and live unapologetically outside society’s expectations. I’ve not only embraced myself as an artist, but as a woman who refuses to be defined by anyone else’s rules.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Outwardly, I come across as fearless. I take risks, dive into new things, and often say “yes” to opportunities before I even know the details. But the fear that’s held me back the most is the fear of not being good enough. It’s irrational as I know nobody masters something on the first try; but emotionally I wrestle with feelings of inadequacy. Vulnerability is uncomfortable for me, and yet that’s exactly where you have to go to learn.
So while I love exploring new ideas and mediums, I usually do that privately where no one can see me stumble. I don’t want anyone to witness the “not good” stage.
Recently, though, I attended a creative retreat where we were asked to paint a floral still life which is most definitely not my comfort zone. Normally, I would deflect with humor and point out my flaws before anyone else could. But this time, I set a different intention: to let myself be vulnerable. I accepted that my painting wouldn’t be the best, or even “good,” and that was perfectly fine. Facing that fear was liberating and I came out the other side unscathed and maybe even a little stronger.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I spend enough time on social media as both a consumer and a creator to know it’s often just a highlight reel. I’m sure I fall into that trap sometimes too, especially when it comes to hiding vulnerability. But for the most part, what you see is what you get. As an independent artist and small business owner, I don’t have the time or the energy to maintain some kind of persona. Honestly, that sounds exhausting.
Recently, someone asked me why I make art and what it means. The truth? I make art because I love it. I don’t attach layers of cultural commentary or hidden messages. I create what I enjoy and if others see their own meaning in it, that’s wonderful.
So yes—the public version of me is the real me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m in the flow state. If you’ve never experienced it, you’re missing out. It’s that magical place where time and distraction disappear, and it feels as if your subconscious has taken the reins.
Starting a project is always the hardest part, whether it’s a canvas, an assemblage piece, or even everyday tasks. But once I get past that initial hurdle and slip into the flow, it’s glorious. My mind shuts out everything else, and my only focus is the creative work in front of me.
It’s like blacking out, and then waking to find what I’ve painted or made and feeling amazed and a little awed that my own two hands created it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.junkduphome.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junkdup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JunkdUp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JunkdUp
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