RUEthless IRONS

The website launch is about 6 days out. I’ve been working to turn that directory spreadsheet into a full PWA so you can have it right on your phone like an app.

Tattooing has been good to me my whole life. Everything I have has come from this, and I just want to give back so others get that same feeling of being part of this community. It’s always been about making your own path and finding freedom by going against the system— trying to make a path.

This isn't an organization, a union, or a group. It’s just an open, unbiased directory shared among peers so you can cross-reference where your dollars go. No favorites and no picking sides—if it’s independent and artist-owned, it’s in.

Like the Dan Higgs quote, it’s about nurturing something that came way before you because you hope it continues after you. This is about being in the middle and making sure this resource is here for the next person. At the end of the day, this is just about unity in the trade. People who are actually here to contribute will always find a way to work together.

I’m still adding to the list daily. If you’re an independent brand, hit me up. If you want your logo on the site for the launch, send it over now. Let’s keep pushing.

The Cause and Effect

As tattooing exploded, outside money moved in to consolidate the independent brands and supply houses built by artists. This happened because convenience was prioritized over reliability and the craft itself. Now, we are seeing government regulations being framed as "safety nets," when they actually operate as a "pay-for-play" regulatory tax. This isn't about villainizing—it’s about the mechanical reality of how these systems work and the cost of choosing convenience over the ecosystem.

The Reality of the Trade

Tattooing is a service business and a luxury expense; it fluctuates with the economy. This isn’t a corporate 9-to-5 or an hourly wage job. You chose freedom, and with that comes slow periods and busy periods. When things slow down, you work on your art. You learn the history of the trade. You look at different avenues of growth as an artist. There is more to tattooing than just putting ink in the skin.

The Work

Travel. Get tattooed by the artists you admire and pick their brains; that is the best education you can buy. Use social media as a tool to network. Go to conventions and art shows. Buy art and support the independent makers who give back to this trade. It takes years of dedication to earn respect from your peers and provide better work for your clients.

The Responsibility

You only get from this trade what you give. Tattooing needs love and it needs to be respected. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and continuing what they laid out is a massive responsibility. Many of us have done better for ourselves than any of our predecessors, yet the problem is not giving anything back. We honor this art form by giving back everything.
Stop being complacent. Ask a thousand questions.

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Tattooing has never needed—nor wanted—anyone’s approval.

​The magic has always been in the ability to create something permanent with little to nothing. There are so many good people giving back right now—making killer ink, needles, and machines, throwing conventions and art shows, and constantly pushing the mark. That energy is what inspires us to kill the next tattoo and the next build. It’s the people and the process that matter, not the labels, regulations, or government seals on your tools.
​Don’t be fooled by the chatter of outsiders claiming they are here to "help."
There has never been help offered to any trade that didn't come with a catch-22 of a profit margin and a plan for your dependency. They are using the MoCRA bill to target pigment first, labeling it a "microbial risk" to establish a foothold. They want to substitute your integrity with their "regulations" so they can charge you for the privilege of existing.
​They want to act like we are guests in their factory and that they developed things for us. They didn’t. They are guests in our factory. This isn't about helping the trade; it's about creating a sustainable profit-driven machine for everyone but us.

​Stop being compliant. Start asking for receipts.

Convenience is Compliant.
Compliant is Complacent.
Complacency is giving up.

​If you want the receipts for anything I've been posting, message me. I have nothing to hide. Everything good in my life has come from tattooing, and if I can give back to this trade in any way, I’ll feel complete.
​Never let go of your Golden Ticket.