Meet Rudy Mage: Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rudy Mage and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rudy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When i graduated from the Art Institute i realized quickly i didn’t want to work for someone. i was in and out of dead end jobs for many years. i had finally landed a good job with a decent salary as an art director for a paper manufacturing company. i was there for a maybe a year and from one day to the other they had to let me go. it was at that point that i said i was never going to work for someone again. i had a little bit of money saved up and i went and i got a small warehouse, my mom helped me out with a small loan and i went and got some screenprintng equipment and a digital printer. the rest is history…15 years in the game

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My art originated from a Graffiti background, i grew up tagging on walls, i realized at early age around high school days that i wanted to take this to another level, after i graduated High School i went to the Art institute to pursue a degree in Computer Animation. it was there where i started to experiment more with my Art and the different mediums i can use to create. Art was always my hustle. i would do murals for companies, i would do kids rooms also. it was something i loved and it was my life. It wasn’t till after i opened up my own company that i was able to spend more time doing art. i started to brand myself and promote myself more and more because i had already build a successful company that allowed me to give more time to me as an artist. you asked me if it was easy? this wasn’t easy at all it was a very tough road but it molded me to whom i am today and thats the most fulfilling part. i did it myself for myself and that is really rewarding. the best lesson i learned is that hard work ALWAYS pay off, it can take you a year to succeed or like me 10 years. i have always wanted to share my story, I’ve always felt like i have something people want to hear and see more off. i will continue to tell my story thru my art and my career.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Miami has a lot to offer and now that I’m older we are able to do things we couldn’t afford to do at an younger age. i would start off in wynwood bar hoping and eating at the numerous restaurants they have, one of our go to is Suviche and Crudos. after that we can go to midtown have a beer at tap 42. we love joes stone Crab so that would be a must for dinner. me and my wife own a home in south miami but I’m sure we would do a staycation in miami beach. we can rent a boat we can rent some jetskiis. relax pool side or go to the spa, most likely day drink every day lol

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely yes, before i opened up my own shop i did my own side hustle with t-shirts out of the trunk of my car. i had a small heat press in my studio apartment and i would outsource screen printing jobs to my good friend Roger and his Company Three Fold Apparel. i also worked part time as a sales rep with Daniel Jimenez at the Consultant Group. he mentored me coming up in the industry and gave me the knowledge i needed to go on my own. i appreciate everything they taught me and we are good friends till this day.

Website: www.inkedpro.com www.rudymage.com

Instagram: @inkedpro @rudy_mage

Twitter: @inkedpro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkedpromiami

Youtube: youtube.com/inked pro

Image Credits
photography by @derick_G and @michelangelo_photography