Community Spotlight: Mak Gallegos Tattoos

Welcome to 'Community Spotlight' where we explore the unique stories of businesses, organizations, and individuals, and celebrate the heart of our community!

Meet Mak Gallegos, a tattoo artist, vegan and new dad! Mak currently works at Oregon INK & Beauty in Eugene, Oregon creating permanent scab art for ink enthusiasts. We’ll dive into how Mak got started in his profession, how veganism has shaped his life and business, and some of his favorite pastimes.

On Tattooing:

Mak, what brought you to tattooing and how has your journey been as an entrepreneur and artist so far?

The decision for me to become a tattooer just kind of happened. I wasn’t looking for it and I wasn't too familiar with the industry. Moving from Texas to Oregon about 9 years ago, I was brought up with the typical “tattoos are for gangsters and criminals” ideology. I've always found tattoos fascinating, and even with that negative stigma, I always imagined myself having lots of tattoos.

When I moved to Oregon, I realized how much more open and accepting those types of things were. I learned the laws regarding licensing are strict and the pathway to becoming a tattooer is more formal. It wasn't until I went to a tattoo appointment for myself that I realized I could become a tattoo artist. I came in with my own design and the artist said I should look into tattoo school. I've used art as an expressive outlet for as long as I could hold a pencil, so I didn't hesitate on that recommendation.

The past 6 years have been full of growth and self discovery. All of the jobs I had in the past were very straightforward: clock in, perform a task with a relative skill ceiling, clock out. With tattooing, there is no one to answer to, no one to tell me when and how to work, no one to watch me and correct my mistakes, but me. While that sounds like most people's dreams, and for me it has been, it's also been a huge learning curve full of challenges and personal growth. At the end of the day, I love it, and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to create art for a living and meet so many interesting humans.

What are some of your favorite tattoo styles and topics, including a few pieces that you’ve tattooed?

I try to keep my capabilities wide spread but the styles of tattooing that feel the most rewarding and fun for me have to be neo-traditional, illustrative, japanese traditional, water color, and anything with hard lines and bold color. For topics, I'm a big fan of surrealism. I really enjoy taking things people usually find beautiful and merging them with the weird or unpleasant and vice versa. I've done spiders merged with flowers, birds merged with hands or flowers, critters with mushrooms, etc. I'm also a big nerd, so anything video game, fantasy or cartoon-related is a close second.

This isn't the most common, but I also love tattoos with layered or deeper meanings, especially within the theme of love or unity. One tattoo that really hit that note was a bust of a woman. Her skin was colored to look as though she was the sky and clouds, with birds flying on her shoulders, and a large sun in the center of her chest. Her hair was colored to be the night sky with stars, nebulas and a large crescent moon. Under the bust were droplets of milk colored to look like opals. I worked with my client on that piece to try to communicate the idea of our interconnectedness to the universe and the important role and power of mothers, while making an image that would translate well onto skin.

How has the tattoo industry changed since you started your business? What are some of the challenges and benefits that come along with that?

When I was just starting out, it felt like a fairly small industry, at least here in Eugene. Now it's growing exponentially, despite everything that’s happened with covid. I'm still able to pay the bills, so no sweat on my end, I'm just impressed by the amount of new tattooers entering the scene, and I could only imagine the competition between new artists. Technology has also come a long way. Making a large amount of art in a short time frame is very easy now, compared to using a light board and traditional materials. Social media has had a huge impact for artists as well. When I started, I would print off all the pictures of my work, put them in a binder, and set it in the shop lobby. I would carry business cards and drop them everywhere I went (still do). Now I feel you get far more bang for your buck if you have an online portfolio, especially through social media. It’s a lot harder for me to navigate though, and I know that’s true for a lot of other artists out there.

On Veganism:

What inspired you to go vegan and how has your commitment changed over time?

Long story short, being told you could have a heart attack at any moment at 22 was enough to make me look for answers to improve my situation. Learning that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world, and especially in the US, I was desperate for answers and willing to try anything before signing up for a lifetime supply of pharmaceuticals. The two biggest factors I had control over, related to my hypertension, were diet and managing stress. Stress isn't something you can learn to free yourself from overnight, but diet was something I could change relatively quickly. After learning about people who were curing and reversing damage from heart disease, diabetes and in some cases even cancer through a whole foods plant based diet, I figured I would give it a shot. I have since lost 50lbs of extra weight, cured lifelong chronic migraines, and have perfect blood pressure.

It wasn't long before I found out about all the other ethical and environmental reasons that one might adopt a vegan lifestyle. Veganism helped me open my heart to all beings, animals and humans alike. It started me down a spiritual path that I am so grateful for, and better for it. I try to advocate for veganism by being a good example and sharing love to the best of my ability. I try not to push or force or belittle anyone who doesn't see things the way I do, but I am never afraid to be open and proud about my stance on the matter. My commitment to veganism is just as strong as it was 7 years ago when I started.

What are some of your favorite meals, both home cooked and around Eugene?

MORNING GLORY! That is the spot! I'm grateful for all of the options this town has to offer. There's a handful of Thai and Indian restaurants that have plenty of veg options. Ubon Thai and Evergreen are favorites. Tacovore for tacos, Slice or Hey, Neighbor! for pizza, Acorn Cafe or Sweet Life for sweets, Lotus Garden for chinese, the list goes on and on.

But cooking is one of my favorite things to do, and I've been helping in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. I love trying to find ways to veganize things I grew up eating, or things that are delicious just not usually vegan, like cheesecake! My at home recipe book has too many great bangers to list here, but some of my favorites would have to be fried egg breakfast sammies (tofu slabs and a yolk sauce), soy chorizo and “eggs,” pozole, tamales, a wide variety of tofu scrambles, yakisoba stir fry, or mac salad. For desserts, the above mentioned cheesecake (we had a couple explode in the oven before we mastered that recipe), tres leches cake, chocolate mug lava cake, pumpkin pie, tarts and fruit crisps with macadamia nut ice cream on top, ranger cookies and more.

I feel like adopting a vegan diet opened more doors than it closed. For anyone who feels like veganism is too limiting, I say it's time to get creative and have fun, while also doing something for your well being and the well being of others.

How have you incorporated your values into your business, and how has it helped you?

I have chosen not to tattoo any speciesism related content (the assumption of human superiority, leading to the exploitation of animals), Which is to me the foundation of all other oppressive “isms” of which I also will not tattoo any related content. I also only use inks that are certified vegan (made without animal products and not tested on animals). Being one of the very few vegan tattoo artists in the area that openly advertises as such, I've gotten quite a bit of vegan clients for that reason alone, and I've done numerous tattoos under the vegan theme!

On Life:

How is being a dad? And has it changed your perspective on anything?

Being a dad so far has been nothing but great. Sure, I don't get to sleep as much as I used to, but it's soooo worth it. It has shown me a whole new depth of love I didn't know I was capable of feeling. It also has lit a fire of determination in me to be that person I've always wanted to be. Self development is a necessity now because I don't want to pass on any of the generational traumas or negative traits and habits I have collected in my lifetime. And not self development in the way of constantly trying to be someone “better,” or some never ending striving for some status or wealth, but self development in the sense of removing all of the things that keep me from being free, loving, and emotionally connected to all of life.

Being a witness to the way my son looks at the world with such wonder, without any concepts or identities, reminds me of the clean slate we all once were, and how we all share that in common. I think being a parent is a chance to shape the future with love and unity, and it starts with the actions of the parent.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Being a dad and a supportive partner to my fiance takes the top of the list, but some of the activities I most enjoy include hiking and camping (i'm on a mission to collect all of the Junior Ranger badges), running, biking, unicycling, calisthenics and weight lifting, cooking, reading, meditating, cold exposure, writing, and foraging. I also love to go to concerts and shows, I try to play video games when I get a chance, and I'm a long-time dungeon master for D&D.

Being a Dungeon Master for D&D entails a lot of creative storytelling and imagination. Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?

I've been DM’ing now for about 10 years, but I've always been interested in game development and storytelling. I have always loved to create things for people and D&D has been a great outlet for that, and a way to spend quality time with close friends. I get a lot of inspiration from video games, especially the RPG types. Some of my favorites include Chrono Trigger, The Elder Scrolls series, WOW, Monster Hunter, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon. I also pull a lot of inspiration from movies, shows and even books. From Game of Thrones, The Hobbit, Harry Potter and so much more. I even love putting in funny references from things that wouldn't usually fit the high fantasy theme, like my roster of characters made after the cast of King of The Hill. If I’m not actively engaged in an activity, I’m usually daydreaming of adventures and characters for my future D&D sessions.

Thanks, Mak!

Be sure to follow Mak on Instagram, and of course book a tattoo!