I recently received a series of very "friendly" messages from one of the people who played a big part in my learning, for better or worse, early in my tattoo career. The messages concerned my current style, how I was "wasting my skills", and how I wasn't respecting tradition. It's taken me a little while to put it into the proper perspective, but now that I have I think it's very important that I address some ideas that have resulted.

There is a notion going around the tattoo community that artists should remain wholly "a-jack-of-all-trades". This notion is reinforced by (what I've heard) is promoted in the television shows that display tattoo artists as always having to diversify. This in turn promotes a culture in which all tattoo artists should be ready for anything at all times, ready to switch styles at the drop of a hat simply to serve whichever customer comes in next. I'm going to come out and label this aspect of tattoo culture as nonsense right here and now, and here's why.

Proper business is about specialization, and that includes every single creative industry as well. It's the reason EA (Electronic Arts) sticks to video games and doesn't also have a sandwich line. Black & Decker makes hardware, and doesn't bother with a line of lingerie. And Lay's specializes in delicious potato chips, and doesn't waste their efforts on creating a line of shoes. Similarly, Monet was an impressionist, and didn't bother with sculpting. Kandinsky was a pioneer in abstract painting, and didn't bother with photorealism. And even tattooing legend Norman "Sailor Jerry" Keith Collins has a very distinct style. We seem to forget that even the legends chose a specialty that at the time was considered nonsense by their peers, but was later acknowledged as visionary and solid.

I personally do not care about trends. I respect tradition but I am not a slave to it. I respect the tattoo industry as well, but just like everything else I do, I am not bound by its imaginary rules. I promote artistry in all forms, I encourage artists of all kinds, I believe in a creative community that influences each other, bounces ideas back and forth, and respects what everyone else is doing as part of the culture growth.

We all have a ton to learn, and my personal influence comes from places like complex heavy metal band Gojira (IG: @gojiraofficial), the pointillism of Georges Seurat, the zen brush-work of Japanese monastery art, the tattoo work of Corey Divine (IG: @coreydivine) and Cassady Bell (IG: @cassadybell), and many others. These influences result in a mostly black-and-grey style that incorporates geometry, dotwork, abstraction, and elements of creature design and texture.

What will never happen is me adhering to what others think I should be producing, and I highly suggest that all artists do the same for the sake of your sanity and your business. Find what you absolutely love to create and create it. Hone in on your specialty and go hard in the paint. Stop paying attention to what the guy next to you is doing or saying and look yourself in the mirror. What are your influences? Who is your clientele? What are your goals? What do you have to offer?

And most importantly, what is your style? Doesn't it feel good to have the freedom to choose?