Conversations with Joshua Muzzy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Muzzy.

Hi Joshua, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My tattoo journey started over 10 years ago when I was unhappy in the janitorial career field I was in. I always disliked working in that environment and wanted change. I’ve been making art since I can remember so tattooing always spiked my interest but I never felt I had the time to do an apprenticeship.

I had friends who pushed me to buy a tattoo machine kit offline and start trying to tattoo them out of the house as practice. I quickly learned that I needed professional help to master this craft and gave it up after tattooing close friends. Fast forward a year to my janitorial position is in jeopardy when the school district I was working for laid off a lot of janitors who were full-time in an attempt to take our benefits away and offer us part-time work with less pay and no perks. A few months before the layoffs happened I had a friend in the body modification industry who was a piercer and told me I could come to learn to pierce and then I could switch to tattooing eventually. So I started hanging with him and trying to pierce. Quickly realizing it wasn’t for me I stopped trying to pierce.

So long story short once the layoff took place I switched to the tattoo apprenticeship while surviving off of the retirement fund I had through my previous career. At first, it was hard only doing small $20 tattoos here and there while also being at a shop where there was no constructive criticism to learn and grow from. I only stayed there 9 months before I came over to the shop I currently work with called Tattoo Avenue. Fast forward some more and now I’ve been here for 9 years and have really grown and learned a lot and have come a long way from where I started.

Hard work, dedication, and self-discipline can bring you a long way! Working at many tattoo conventions and guest spots in other states has really helped me grow in so many ways and network with talented, like-minded artists! Even after almost 10 years, I’m always pushing to be the best I can be and constantly wanting to learn and grow so much more. The future looks bright!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey was not smooth at all, it came with a lot of realizations and hard work to achieve what I have so far. My old self used to try and coast by always wondering why I wasn’t improving within. My focus wasn’t fully invested in my craft and I had a really profound psychedelic experience where it showed me how I need to refocus my energy on my art and learning as much as I can and never stop learning no matter how old or how long I’ve done this for.

So now years later and with tons of self-discipline I can see so much progression within myself and what I’m manifesting in my life. From job offers in Denver with artists I’ve looked up to for years to being invited to live paint at music festivals, I keep striving to do the best I can do and just create the best reality for myself possible.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My current style is one I bring from within my mind’s eye. I have amazing artists/friends I am inspired by but I’m always trying to make it my own so I do not look like a cookie-cutter artist. I do a lot of geometric types of artwork. I’m fascinated by isometric geometry and have seen this art as a part of me through visions of soul journeys/ceremonies. I usually call it “geomech” for I try and fit the geometry in a way to fit the flow of the body. I’ve learned a lot from one artist I’m friends with named Mike Cole. He has helped me in so many ways, I’m ever grateful for the knowledge he’s passed down.

Lately, I have had some visions on how to make my style stand out more and am diving into these new designs I’m calling “AlienMech Armor” and it’s been such a fun adventure bringing these visions from my mind to skin. Check my Instagram to see these styles! @Joshmuzzy_tattoos. I also like to get nostalgic and speak to another crowd with my geometry where I take characters and trip them out with geometry coming from their heads or other fun ways!

I’ve always lived in a cartoony reality within my mind and have always liked watching cartoons and other animated stuff so the characters are just a lot of fun as well! I also paint a lot in my spare time. I tend to stick with the isometric/geomech/AlienMech stuff for my oil paintings!

Check my painting Instagram for those projects! @geometric_dreamz.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I do not think luck has anything to do with it. It takes hard work, discipline, and dedication to get where you want to be on any path in life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/joshmuzzy_tattoos