Sobriety, Partnerships & Finding Your Purpose with James Boag and Missi Blue | Ep. 57
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Release Date: 11/19/2025
Finding your style and making it your career with Missi Blue
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Twenty years into my tattoo career, I can finally say I've built a business doing exactly what I love—and it happened because I stopped trying to please everyone else and started being a "Missi Blue pleaser." This episode is my origin story, from a scrappy 19-year-old apprentice working double shifts to opening Blue Bird Tattoo Studio and becoming known for pet portraits that capture each animal's soul. I'm sharing the messy middle, the moments of doubt, the role spite played in my success, and the practical steps that allowed me to go all-in on specialization without losing myself in the...
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Staying Sharp in the Tattoo Industry with Jesse Smith
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
When I was an apprentice flipping through tattoo magazines, Jesse Smith's work stopped me in my tracks. Fast forward to today, and I'm sitting down with the man himself, someone who's spent over 25 years proving that unconventional paths can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Jesse started tattooing with a prison-style gun made from a toothbrush and Walkman motor, learned by trial and error, and built an empire that includes Loose Screw Tattoo, the Richmond Tattoo and Arts Convention, and the Richmond Tattoo Academy. This conversation isn't about shortcuts or hacks—it's about the real work that...
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How To Be More Resilient with Missi Blue | Ep. 65
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Building resilience isn't something you're born with—it's a skill you develop through experience, self-awareness, and intentional practice. In this episode, I'm breaking down what it really means to be resilient in business and how you can strengthen this critical muscle. From my own experiences of opening Blue Bird Tattoo Studio one month before COVID shut everything down to navigating a traumatic accident that left me out of work for a month, I've learned that resilience is about more than just surviving hard times; it's about how quickly you bounce back and keep moving...
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What I Wish I Knew Before Opening A Tattoo Shop with MIssi Blue | Ep. 64
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
When I opened Blue Bird Tattoo Studio, I truly believed I'd just show up, tattoo, go home, and do whatever I wanted. I thought I'd work alone because I was tired of dealing with other people's energy. Looking back, that was incredibly naive. I would have gone insane working by myself all day with no one to talk to except my clients. The reality of opening and running a shop hit me fast, and I had to figure everything out the hard way. From understanding the different types of shop models to learning actual business management skills, setting clear expectations with my team, and finally...
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How to Find More Local Clients with Missi Blue | Ep. 63
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"You can't do nothing and expect people to just find you and give you their money to tattoo. You either need to get on board with social media or talk to people in person—one or the other." Here's the reality: if you're crushing it at conventions but struggling to book local clients, the problem isn't oversaturation in your market. We have 14 tattoo shops within a quarter mile of Bluebird Tattoo Studio in a town of 16,000 people, and we stay consistently busy. The difference isn't luck or location, it's intention. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what we do differently to attract...
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Shiny Object Syndrome with Missi Blue | Ep. 62
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
I'll be honest—I've been a serial project-starter my entire career. From expanding Bluebird Tattoo Studio to opening the Bluebird Art Collective gift shop, I've chased plenty of shiny objects that pulled me away from what really mattered. This episode is about recognizing when you're spreading yourself too thin, understanding why we're wired to chase new ideas, and learning how to channel that creative energy into focused, sustainable growth. If you've ever felt like you're running in place with a dozen unfinished projects, this conversation will help you refocus on what actually moves your...
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Figure out what you want with Missi Blue | Ep. 61
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"You can wish and hope and dream for your goals, but that alone is not getting you anywhere." As we head into a new year, I'm reflecting on what worked, what didn't, and how I'm going to show up differently in 2025. This year taught me something crucial: feelings are terrible leaders. When I let how I'm feeling dictate what I do each day, nothing gets done. After recovering from a skull fracture and completely uprooting my office setup, I've been struggling to get back to my routine—and it's made me realize that the only way to win is to build systems that work regardless of how I feel. In...
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Your Complete Guide to Working Tattoo Conventions with Missi Blue | Ep. 60
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"Every convention for me is a chance to just do better, to do a better tattoo, to meet more people, to get new inspiration, to find a new opportunity. Even when it's a bad convention, it still serves a purpose." I get asked all the time for advice on doing conventions. How to prepare, what to expect, what actually works. And honestly, in the moment, I never know where to start because there are a thousand things that could make or break your experience. So I sat down and really thought through everything I've learned from years of doing conventions, and I'm sharing it all with...
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The Lonely Truth About Being the Boss in Tattooing with Missi Blue | Ep. 59
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
"It's lonely being the boss. And yes, I get that I asked for this, that I did this to myself. I understand that, but why is it like this?" Missi Blue A coworker's offhand comment stopped me in my tracks recently; something about how I'm "never in a good mood" when I walk into the shop. That hurt. Not because it was entirely true, but because it highlighted something I've been carrying quietly for years: being the boss is incredibly isolating. I show up with my serious face on because I'm walking into whatever needs to be handled that day, carrying the weight so my team doesn't have to. But...
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How Fear of Failure Keeps Tattoo Artists Stuck in Place with Missi Blue | Ep. 58
Bound By Art: A Tattoo Artist's Survival Guide
Perfectionism isn't about high standards—it's procrastination in disguise that keeps tattoo artists from taking action on their biggest goals. Learn why waiting to feel "ready" is holding you back and how to push past fear to actually grow your career, even when things get messy. "You're never gonna feel ready. The only way to truly feel ready and confident and prepared for the things that you've already experienced and had some success with in the past." Let's talk about the elephant in the studio: perfectionism. We tell ourselves it's about having high standards, but here's...
info_outline"I didn't die because of tattooing. There were days where I ran with some bad people... and I think the only reason I didn't overdose constantly was because I had appointments to go to. I had a job to show up for. I had somewhat of a purpose." - James Boag
This conversation wasn't planned. James and I were trying to squeeze in a podcast recording all weekend at the Tampa convention, but life kept getting in the way. Finally, we said forget it. I grabbed the microphones and headed to the beach on Monday. What started as a casual hangout turned into one of the most honest conversations I've had on this show. We covered everything from how the industry has changed to James's personal journey through addiction and recovery. I learned things about my friend that I didn't know after all these years, and honestly, that's what made this episode special. It's raw, it's real, and it's exactly what happens when two tattoo artists just share REAL talk.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
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How modern convenience is eroding the tattoo community - Why the shift from scrubbing tubes and tuning machines to disposable everything has unintentionally eliminated the bonding experiences that brought tattoo artists together
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The relationship between creativity and constant comparison - How scrolling through endless Instagram feeds dilutes your authentic artistic voice and why drawing from real life (not other tattoos) is essential for developing your own style
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James's raw story of addiction and recovery - How tattooing literally saved his life by giving him appointments to show up for, a purpose to pursue, and a reason to keep going when everything else was falling apart
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Why finding something bigger than yourself matters - The practical role that spirituality, higher power, or simply helping others plays in both recovery and building a sustainable career that doesn't consume you
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The reality of business partnerships in tattooing - How James and his business partner divided responsibilities based on their actual strengths, why clear roles prevent partnership disasters, and how having someone to ground your wild ideas can save your bank account
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What makes a successful apprenticeship program - Why James believes in complete retraining even for artists with previous experience, and how connecting management responsibilities to apprenticeship progression creates genuine investment
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The importance of networking in today's tattoo industry - Why building relationships with other artists isn't just nice to have anymore, it's essential for surviving in an industry where loyalty is disappearing and artists are constantly shop-hopping
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Creating authentic shop environments - Why so many modern tattoo shops feel soulless despite looking pristine, and how adding genuine artistic elements and personality makes your space memorable instead of just another white-walled salon
Links:
instagram.com/tattoosbymissiblue
instagram.com/boundbyartproject
instagram.com/bluebirdtattoostudio
Music: Unknown Road - The Harp Project