MIKE BIGGS OF BIGGS TIKI

This month’s side hustle is a nice little treat to kick off fall!

This month's side hustle artist is Mike Biggs from our hometown- Las Vegas! For Mike, making Tiki Mugs began as a side hustle when he was tattooing full time. Sometimes life takes unexpected turns that help nudge us into the direction of something else. This is the case for Mike Biggs during the pandemic. I'm sure all of you had experienced tattoo shops being closed during this time, it definitely caused a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. However, with this uncertainty it helped push him to go all-in on his side hustle and make it a full time gig! (lucky for us!). Don't forget to get yourself a raffle ticket this month to try and win this limited addition tiki mug made by the man himself!

KEEP READING to learn more about Mike and how his passion because a full time job!

PURCHASE A RAFFLE TICKET HERE!!! 

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE OUTLET THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A SIDE HUSTLE OR HAS NOW BECOME A FULL TIME GIG?

Making Tiki mugs was a side hustle while I was tattooing fulltime. I really fell in love with sculpting and while out at a tiki bar I ordered a drink and it came in a tiki mug. My brain exploded and I knew what I wanted to do or at least try to learn how to do. From there I got obsessed with learning ceramics and finally slip casting which is the technique I use now. It involves a lot of boring stuff like mold making and time consuming production but in the end its very rewarding and I get to sell my art!

WAS THERE A KEY MOMENT IN LIFE THAT INSPIRED YOU TO MOVE FORWARD AND TAKE YOUR CREATIVE OUTLET OR SIDE HUSTLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

The definitive moment was the pandemic! I was tattooing full time and then when the pandemic hit they closed the shops down for a long time! Like 4 months or something. So after shitting my pants with anxiety I decided to go full force with my side hustle to make some money. I put all my time and effort into creating my business and brand and products and then just never went back to tattooing! It worked out way better then I thought it would and now I have my own little business and its expanding!

DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ARTISTS TO HAVE MULTIPLE CREATIVE OUTLETS?

absolutely!!! You never know where it might take you. I think having the same job for too long will stifle your creativity. You need to always be learning new things ALL the time. Thats just me though. Im kind of a workaholic and tend to go off on tangents but I have had many hobbies and always loved starting fresh and learning a new medium or whatever. Good for the brain,...and anxiety

I make music....like chill beats with electronic elements.... Its something I enjoy doing for myself and even though I collect all the music I make and post it to my soundcloud account for others to hear, I really just like doing it for myself. Its very meditative and rewarding .... plus I can have original music to use for posts or videos I make. Its fun! And im obsesssed!

DO YOU HAVE A BIGGER PICTURE OR A VISION OF WHERE A SIDE PROJECT OF YOURS COULD TAKE YOU?

Oh for sure. Im building my brand up and expanding into other products. One day Ill either have my own warehouse to work and ship out of with maybe a couple employees....or just get bought out by a bigger company and chill and start another company!

ANY ADVICE FOR ARTISTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING UP A NEW SIDE BUSINESS OR TAKING THEIR SIDE HUSTLE TO A PROFESSIONAL FULL TIME LEVEL?

Its really all about passion and time and money. Its hard work. I honestly never fucking stop. I work all day and most of the evening and most of the weekend. Balancing time and money is the hardest part. Get that down first especially if you have a family and people depending on you. All you have to do is have a goal in mind and work on it a little every day.... thats it!

DO YOU HAVE ANY ARTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN TRULY INSPIRING OR POTENTIALLY MENTORED YOU IN ANY WAY?

recently its been other mug makers.... VanTiki comes to mind and BigToe (Tom Laura) always have inspired me not just from their own art but their work ethic and they are always pumping out good work.

YOU HAVE ANY RANDOM KNOWLEDGE TO DROP ON US THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PUSH US FORWARD AND PURSUE OUR ALTERNATIVE ARTISTIC PASSIONS? 

Keep on trucking. Move forward. If something isnt working just keep going and either improve on it or start another project. Dont be afraid to keep throwing stuff on the wall until something sticks. Learn to balance time.... save your money then re-invest it in your own projects, then save more money and do it all over again on the next... do nothing for 10-15 min a day and focus on your goals and priorites (meditate).

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU? WEBSITE? INSTAGRAM? TIKTOK?

IG: @BiggsStudio

 Websites: BiggsStudio.com, BiggsTiki.com