Meet Mike Boyd

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

Mike, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My parents have been very influential in building my work ethic. My dad had his own business and my mum was always creating. Moving to big cities and doing difficult things keeps pushing me to create and evolve.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Mike Boyd, a professional tattoo artist with 15 years of experience.

I grew up in the scenic Hampshire countryside, but I always longed for more. After finishing university, I started working front of house in tattoo studios, and by autumn 2009, I completed my first paid tattoo. Over the next four years, I honed my technical skills, though I felt frustrated by not creating my own designs. This frustration fueled my development of a unique style of color tattooing, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century European art and pop art. In 2014, I made the bold decision to move to London, embracing the challenge of stepping outside my comfort zone to focus on my color work.

London’s diverse culture introduced me to artists from around the globe, which led to opportunities to travel and work abroad. Seeing how tattooing was treated in different countries, and exploring their rich tattoo histories, was eye-opening. Before Brexit complicated things, I had an annual European tour circuit that even extended to Hong Kong. In 2018, I received my first U.S. working visa, which opened the door to the vast and varied tattoo culture in the States—something I was eager to explore and learn from.

During the pandemic, I branched out into murals, graphic design, and merchandise, taking on projects like painting a hotel roof in Israel, designing beer labels, and creating artwork for whiskey bottles. The challenge of working across various mediums is something that continues to excite me.

In March 2023, my wife and I relocated to New York City for a new adventure. Now based in Brooklyn, we’ve embraced the vibrant energy of this incredible city. The American tattoo community has been welcoming, and though the journey hasn’t been easy, it’s been immensely rewarding. I also share a paint studio with my best friend, which has given me the freedom to experiment with new tools and larger canvases, leading to my first group show in Brooklyn earlier this year. The creative freedom that painting provides is refreshing and invigorating.

Tattooing has taken me around the world, and I feel fortunate to have avoided a conventional career. It’s not always easy being a creative in today’s world, but I wouldn’t trade this path for anything.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Always be open to learning—absorb everything like a sponge. Don’t hesitate to ask questions; there’s no shame in seeking knowledge. In fact, aim to be the least experienced person in the room. When I’ve sought to advance my career, I’ve intentionally placed myself in situations where I’m the least qualified or skilled. Imposter syndrome may creep in, but it’s essential to learn how to silence that inner critic. And above all, never give up. Keep pushing forward, no matter what.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always open to collaborating with other individuals or brands. Collaboration is a great way to learn something new, gain insight into others’ creative processes, and take valuable lessons from the experience.

Feel free to check out the collaboration page on my website to see some of my past projects. If you’re interested in working together, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing info@mikeboydtattoos.com.

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