Megan Woznicki was fourteen years old when she dreamt of becoming a tattoo artist. With that dream (and a heavy dose of fearless teenage determination), Megan walked into a local tattoo shop to inquire about becoming an apprentice. They told her she was too young and that she didn’t have enough money to pay for the apprenticeship. Though her dream might have been crushed, it was only temporary. A few years passed before Megan’s artwork would catch the eye of a shop owner at a different location. This marked the beginning of her successful career as the tattoo artist we now know as Megan Massacre.
When it comes to her tattoos, Megan has a style all her own. She doesn’t limit herself to blacks and grays or color – she does both. Megan is known for combining several styles into one, creating tattoos that appear to “jump right off your body“.
Whether you’ve seen her on episodes of NY Ink or you follow her on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed Megan not only has a huge passion for tattoos but for fashion; so much so, that she added a tattoo shop to Grit N Glory, a Rock N Roll lifestyle boutique in New York.
Aside from tattooing, Megan is an active artist, specializing in watercolor, colored pencil, marker, oil, and acrylic.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Megan and ask her a few questions about her life as a tattoo artist. Read about her perspective on the tattoo lifestyle and what keeps her inspired.
How long have you been tattooing?
As of January 2016 I have been tattooing 12 years.
What is your favorite thing about being a tattoo artist?
I have always enjoyed the real freedom that comes with being a tattoo artist. You can just pick up and go, work wherever you like, and you can look however you want. Basically being your own boss, at the same time getting to do something you truly enjoy for work, which doesn’t feel much like work at all. It’s also pretty great that people love your work so much that they want to wear it on their body, I find that really flattering and humbling.
Where do you find your inspiration?
My inspiration changes all the time, and I feel like my artwork is constantly evolving because of it. Whatever I am surrounded by really, whether it’s the places around the world I travel to, the artists I’m working in my shop, to the music I listen to and fashion trends. I derive inspiration from everything I see.
How did being on NY INK change your life?
It changed it in many ways. It helped bring my artwork to a worldwide audience; which helps me get to travel a lot of cool places to tattoo. Also, being in the public eye makes you extra vulnerable to scrutiny. There’s both good and bad aspects to being on TV.
Any pet peeves about the tattoo industry?
I don’t really like it when I’ve seen some artists claim ideas as their own and freak out if other tattooers use similar ideas or are inspired by their artwork. There are not many “new” ideas, they’re all just recycled ones.
I don’t feel like people own ideas, and if you put them out into the world and they inspire someone else it’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Of course I’m not talking about directly copying artwork, that’s different, and I don’t think that’s cool either.
What is your favorite type of tattoo machine?
I’ve used coils most of my career, my favorite was always my Micky Sharpz micro dial. The past few years I have picked up using rotaries, my current preference is the Cheyenne Hawk.
Connect with Megan Massacre on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, visit her website www.meganmassacre.com
