What we do is not secret.

Secrecy has been considered a value in the tattoo culture. It has been such a tradition to guard all of your information that we pretend we are sitting on a wealth of knowledge that only the entitled are privy to.

If you know me, I constantly challenge the standards in the tattoo world. I ask “why” a lot. You should too. To be tattooed is to go against the grain. The act of getting tattooed is the ultimate rebellion. Yet tattoo artist rarely challenge the ideas and traditions that are still being used today. Have you ever wondered why shops don’t open until 12? It really doesn’t make sense but it is still a common practice.

Trading thoughts and ideas is how to push forward. So what is it I want to push towards? Locally, I see St. Louis as one of the top pools for talent. I am amazed daily at how good the artist are here. At one time in my younger days, I might have seen this as a threat, now I see it as an opportunity. I want to get to know as many of these talents and get them together to help push tattooing to its limits and beyond.

Pixar started as one of many production groups pushing the boundaries of digital animation. Once a year they met with other groups to share their ideas. Everyone who participated would show a short movie they had been working on. Usually a 1 minute clip that equaled a year’s worth of effort and hard work. This environment pushed those who participated to be the best they could be. All who participated went on to become very successful in their chosen animated niche.

Plan of action

It’s time to crawl out of the caves. There are many catalysts to share. Traditionally tattoo conventions have been a chosen platform. A couple of publications have taken on the challenge as well. I would like to start acting here locally.

My goal would be to share a common mission achieved by the sharing of information and backed by effort and work ethic. This is achieved by learning to balance TIME, MONEY and PEOPLE.

If you have drive and ambition to be the best you can be, this message is for you. In the coming weeks, I will be planning a meet up. It is an open invitation to those who want one thing: to learn.

Email me at hodel75@gmail.com

I will put you on a contact list and keep you informed on the next step in pushing St. Louis to becoming the ultimate tattoo city.