Ben Shaw

if you’re getting into tattooing just to make money

to build status

or to find your identity

it’s going to eat you alive

trust me

i’ve been tattooing for more than 26 years

and i’ve watched people chase the money

the attention

the reputation

thinking the next milestone would finally satisfy them

it doesn’t

because tattooing makes a terrible god

so does money

so does status

so does influence

they always demand more

and never give enough back

my advice is simple

don’t idolize the craft

don’t weaponize the platform

become excellent

become disciplined

become humble

let your character preach before your mouth ever does

and for those wondering

can you follow Jesus and be a tattoo artist

absolutely

if you came to Christ after getting tattooed

your past isn’t held against you

that’s the beauty of the gospel

God doesn’t redeem perfect people

He redeems people

all of us have a past

all of us have things we’re not proud of

and yet Jesus still calls us

still loves us

still transforms us

God is in the business of redemption

not rejection

He doesn’t waste your story

He redeems it

so build your career

master your craft

serve people well

but never forget where your identity comes from

because you’re more than your portfolio

more than your paycheck

and more than your reputation

your identity is found in Christ

and that’s something the world can never take away

for years i used to go into schools

teaching kids about tattooing

the dangers of unprofessional tattooing

and the realities of the industry

but i always asked them one question

what do you want to be when you grow up

and year after year

the number one answer was the same

an influencer

that blew my mind

because somewhere along the way

we started believing that followers equal status

views equal value

and attention equals identity

and if i’m honest

i understood the temptation

who doesn’t want to be seen

validated

important

chosen

but here’s the thing

this isn’t new

social media didn’t invent this

it just monetized it

the desire to put ourselves at the center goes all the way back to the beginning

it’s the oldest temptation in human history

to build our own kingdom

to sit on our own throne

to find our worth in something other than God

the platform changed

the human heart didn’t

and that’s why so many people are exhausted

because if your identity comes from followers

you’ll always need more followers

if your worth comes from attention

you’ll always need more attention

but if your identity comes from Jesus

it can’t be taken away

your value isn’t determined by a number

a title

or a platform

it’s determined by the One who created you

so before you chase influence

ask yourself

who is influencing you

because the person you become

matters far more than the audience you build