In defense of Taz...

I was going to stay out of this, but I just can't. Dang it. Call it the Communication Degree, but I have to say something. I've been reading all of these threads since I decided I'd waited long enough to get a tattoo. I had been thinking about it for 20 years. Fortunately or not, I live in the "highly exalted," world of professionalism echoed by this (Ahyln?) (sorry about spelling) character every day, like so many other people. Well guess what? Professionalism is a wonderful thing, and we all need to have it. Yes. It's important. Admittedly, our professionalism, or lack of it, sets the tone for our personal reputations, and professional lives. But there is something more important I believe, which is passion. Passion is what gives us the drive to even HAVE a professional life in the first place. Passion is what makes us angry, what make us love, and what drives us to be the best at everything we do. Professionalism is a by-product of passion. Not the other way around. When a person has passion, they hit some out of the park, and sometimes they fall flat on their face, but at least they live every minute. Professionalism won't do that for you by itself. Professionalism has a lot to do with self respect... another admirable quality. But not the one that's the driving force that makes you great. Passion, by the way, is just about the ONLY reason for being an ARTIST at all if you distill it down. Let me explain something to (Ahyln) (Darn. Mispelled it again.) (I can't leave this post to go back and get the correct spelling) about artists. I've been an Art/Creative Director in some of the finest Design and ad agencies in Colorado for over 15 years now. Not one person... Not one... of the like 23 I've hired to create art for me over the years EVER got a job because they were a consumate professional. That's an absolute great quality... one of the best, but nobody has ever received employment with me unless they had an inner fire to push themselves to be the best, most passionate, most disturbing, the most perplexing, the most creative, the most tortured, the most dissatisfied, the most HUMAN artist they can be. So Taz gets pissed off when somebody is jerking his chain. So what. He's human. He cares about his art. I would expect that kind of defensiveness from any of my artists. They put their egos on the line every single day. Taz puts his ego out there on this site every single day. Without him, and people like him having the passion for their art to go to this website everyday and answer questions for people like me without any kind of compensation at all, I would have been too scared of the "spooky underground culture of tattoos" to ever do it at all. Taz, and people like him who are PASSIONATE about their art are the reason I enjoy my artwork on my body so much. To me, that's the very definition of a PROFESSIONAL. (Sorry Taz, don't wanna blow your reputation). Finally, to your comment of only having one chance to impress, obviously you haven't been reading this forum very long because if you go back and check any of the other several dozen postings that Taz has contributed to over the last week alone, you will find him to be a consumate gentleman about 90% of the time. (Sorry again Taz). Finally, to Ahyln? (Darn, not again), I'd say this... You are reading a message board about tattoos and tattoo artists. They are not necessarily always Philosopher Kings and Career Scholars, and thank god for it! You are a very eloquent, and polished debater my friend, but I think you may have entirely missed the core point about artists in general, and why people get tattoos in the first place. And, if I may drop the elocution for a moment... I sure as fuck didn't get mine to impress or receive the kudos of what a professional decision I had made. I did it to honor my darker, wilder side. I mean, fuck? Why the hell do you get one in the first place? (If you'll pardon my french) I for one would like to thank Taz for the (obviously) hours of selfless time he's devoted to trying to be a source of education for people. Sure helped me out. Can't be professional 100% of the time folks. If you are, you aren't a human being. Feel free to correct my english.

Or in other words, think of it like this..."Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius". -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

diddo

We will be sad to see taz go. If his passion is leading him elsewhere because I dont like representatives of my studio calling the public "fucking doughebags" and "sluts" then thats the way the cookie crumbles. I hope he gets over it and returns because he is obviously full of knowledge and great help.

Just to be clear, I am behind Taz on this whole "troll" issue. That said, just an observation on the comment of only having one chance to impress... I've heard it said better and more clearly that the artist is only as good as his/her most recent tattoo. Obviously someone can have an 'off' moment, but people do often judge on what is directly in front of them and that is what lends some truth to the expression. It is also why it is good to try ones best constantly, whether in ones craft or in ones dealings with idiots. All that being said, I think Taz does better than the 90% figure quoted above.

Passion and professionalism are NOT the issue Al . . . . we all including Ahlyn(I think) understand that we all look for a different balance of the two in ALL the people we keep in our lives our teachers, our lovers, our friends gabe is passionate and professional aboout computer programming, tattoos, and the first amendment this is a website HE created to support and encourage all three and we encourage (almost) everyone to participate yes there have been a few who have crossed the line NOT Taz NOT Robert from Boise NOT Liz from Mississippi but if you come onto TattooNOW dont expect to be agreed with everytime thats the problem here maybe in the world finding a way to co-exsist with folks who dont believe just what we believe but are similiar in so many ways maybe TattooNOW is a huge experiment in freedom of speech and social democracy and the continued growth in the internet as a means for interpersonal communication and community building that will some day soon supercede national boundries OR MAYBE its just a silly message board and we all need to relax a bit dude

*sighs* Ok, I honestly don't know why I've become the representative of all the woes of the internet, especially this forum, but I'll try to answer some of your questions, although you have to admit most of them can't be answered via computer. Why did I get a tattoo? Because I love them, because they're beautiful, because I love the way it looks on my body, because I love the way it makes me feel, because I loved planning and thinking about it for over a decade, because it's a rite of passage, and also because I love Tolkien (that came out of left field ask me about that later). If you hadn't noticed before, just because I'm not fifty years old, or own a tattoo shop doesn't mean that I cease to be a human. Just because TAz does doesn't mean that he ceases to be one either. Adults have adult conversations all the time, and just because people don't agree on a single point doesn't mean the end of the world is neigh. In reality you know nothing about me, and I know just as little about you. Maybe you don't really care about your experience with your artist, I do, and I gather that I can't really be the only person in the universe that does. Maybe I should have just posted a one-line response or something to that effect, but I like to try and back up my arguments so I don't seem so flaky. In all honesty, I'm just a twenty-one year old girl that is, like you are, a consumer in this industry. I posted my opinion as clearly and thoroughly as I could, and left it at that. I had no idea it would freak the fuck out of so many people as it has. This is an internet forum, it has shades of reality and unreality. Unfortunately professional artists have more to lose on a forum than they could ever gain, simply because they are professionals, and I have the luxury of not being one. I try to hold myself to the same courteous and polite standards most normal humans have, and I for the large part, expect other people to treat me in the same manner (of course in the real world alot of people don't but the expectation in all reality is pretty low and I still hold them to it). What Gabe has been mentioning is the truth, there are more people that don't say anything then people that do. Just because I was stupid enough to say something, probably means there's at least ten or so people out there that were smart enough not to say a word, and just walked away from the whole tattoo industry. In the end, that doesn't help me, and it doesn't help the professional.

Also, what kmama said.

what the hell time is it in the windy city why is everyone up sooo early?????

If I was in Chicago-land there'd be more reason for me to be up...I just go running early in the morning. Also, I like to make the "dear god I'm pregnant" call as early and as frantically as possible to my mom. Eight years running and it still works :P

If I was in Chicago-land there'd be more reason for me to be up...I just go running early in the morning. Also, I like to make the "dear god I'm pregnant" call as early and as frantically as possible to my mom. Eight years running and it still works :P

Moms are ok, but you can NOT play that joke on your significant other. it is NOT a fair joke.

Aha, another victim speaks! "But I'm spotting, what are we going to do!? OH GAWD!!"

Hi I am Tim ..I work with Taz and yes I am on his puter.. Ihad to speak on this ahlyn persons post..we are all sitting here at the shop makin needles an dwotnot and laughing our asses off at her dumb concepts. do ypu really think that sombody reading that post of krys and the T man is going ta be turned away from tattooing because a tattooer got pissed off at an asshole? Not just no but f*ck no and ahlynn-for such a highbrow eddicated-hee hee-girl you need to get out in the world and see some of the sh*t we see at the shops maybe your attitude would change. and do you really think just because the big bad tattooers said afew bad words to a total idiot who insulted all of us that anybody would want to avoid them..aw come on these guys deserve respect not the bullsh*t comments you put out no you are not the center of attention here-do not flatter yourslf- there are just a whole army of taz fans out there who do not agree with you and do not apprecaite your comments-if you doubt that well just read the posts..that man spends most of his life helping peopleand when he gets pissed there has to be a reson-a good one gotta go read your posts again-we need another laugh, tim and the crew at painted angel-and damn proud to be a pat of the taz possee

another thing for kmama-if your forum is so intrested in free speech why cant krystoff say what he pleases to defend our art? you may not even see how self serving and hippocritticle(sp?) that is? and the blow job guy and liz didcross the line-or else why did you ommit lizs posts?answer that!.if I was krystof I would tell you that Iam going to say what I want and if you do not like it then take your job and stuff it cause jobs just are not hard to find for a good artist like him.I just wish he had stuck to his guns but I understand.-Tim

Its seems to me that if the fellow (bob ross) were banned from the start. After all his posts targeted and aimed to disrupt. We wouldn't be loosing the two main contributors. Even THAT wasn't necessary. I believe in free speech. Taz and Krystoff replied to this jerk in DEFENSE of the industry. So WHAT that they used colorful terms and descriptions? I am Italian and also tend to get colorful when excited. What they said seemed no worst than asking for a BJ during a tattoo? Except theirs were at least given in the RIGHT context. Some of you seem to be blessed with that rare self control and educated articulation. Most of us are not, ESPECIALLY artists from what I can see. (I am one) I STILL say GOOD JOB TAZ and KRYSTOFF. Some may have not liked the way they did it. Point IS they DID step up to this as they should have. Its not my site but I would suggest in the future to get rid of the troublemakers RATHER than the supporters. just my two cents. PaleoJohn

I watched Krystof type in that message at the studio without telling him what a shit-storm it would raise. I let the thread go for a long time before putting my 2 cents in (not until the offensive nature of the post became the topic). Dont fucking tell us we are hypritical for letting you say shit we disagree with on our messageboard, your missing something fundemental about free speech. You think its professional to insult stupid people then call them fucking douchebags and sluts all you want, feel free. Insult away. Theres obviously a lot of it to be done there are a lot of stupid people in the world. Please, dont let me stifle your voice. I imagine you guys read the posts where taz puts words in my mouth? I didnt call people out by name. I never said people should have sex in public. I never said it was ok to have sex in a tattoo shop. I dont need people on this board creating drama where its not necessary and making shit up to make me out to be the bad guy then call me a hypocrite. John, I am not getting rid of anyone but Ill be damned before I have to silence my voice on my own messageboard. We have not banned anyone from this forum (well, maybe 1 exception). Not for nothing, this forum thrived for years without Krystof and Taz. Of course they help immensely, we are glad to have them because they help so many people, and if they leave because I ask them to be a little more professional and not call sexually adventurous people who know little about tattooing fucking douche-bags and sluts, then they leave of their own accord. They will be missed, but they are the ones leaving. If they cant take a bit of constructive criticism, then they should get a thicker skin. For christs sake, its not like there arent plenty of people patting them on the back. I never knew my opinion was important enough to drive someone from the forums. Its amazing, there was never any question about whether blow job guy is out of line. There was never a question about censoring anyone. There is the reality that calling people fucking douche-bags and sluts is not professional and will make other visitors leary about asking valid questions (like the tone of the kids thread). If someone lacks respect for the tattoo community, venomous insults is not the way to earn it. My goal with this site is to help the tattoo community earn the respect of the public. Not for nothing, but I learned how to behave professionally from some of the most talented, influential, and respected tattoo artists in the industry. Dont tell me I dont understand "the way things are" or the "world that tattoo artists live in" or that you take this art more seriously. I take it very seriously, I fucking starved myself and family for years to do this the right way, thats why this is an issue. You cant be professional 100% of the time? Funny, I dont see too many tattoo artists telling my visitors they are douche-bags... In fact, this is the first time in like 5 years... Is it the end of the world? No, not really, but I can speak my mind when I want. Ducky, your right, name calling and vulgarities happen a lot more than it should. That said, I dont have to treat every visitor on this forum the same, Krystof represents ME and my studio. I can tolerate visitors insulting away, but when it reflects on me, if I dont like it I will say so. I didnt even say anything for a few days until another visitor called him on it. Then I joined the discussion (after talking briefly with Krystof) and Taz made it all out to be about him... In any event, more than anything I hate stupid forum drama. If you dont like it here, think we're free speech hypocrites for letting posts we dont agree with stand and that we are out of line by thinking outright name calling is un-professional, then dont let the door hit you on the way out. Your more than welcome back anytime, but if you expect me to keep my mouth shut your out of luck.

and in reguards to Gabe not wanting them to be talkin about people and using disrespectful names, then you gotta do that for everyone man. WAY too many people on here curse and call names without you mentioning anything for you to get on just two people, who happen to be the ones answering most of the legit questions, and the not so legit ones

Tim- You really hurt my feelings, I don't think I can bare to live with myself anymore. People somewhere doing something, who I don't even know hate me! God my life is a misery, thank you for setting me straight! I'm going to cry myself to sleep now, with my hi-faluting edu-ma-cation.

Did ya REAlly THink I'd be scared off by ANYBODY???? HELL NO...Its April Fools FOOL???????? SHEEEE IT!!!!!!...TAz

Phew!

Gabe,,OHH Gabe I (almost ) feel sorry (almost again)...But DAMN! this was sooo fun! I hope ya don't hold it against me oh Great One! HEE HEE HEE HEE (sound of maniacal chuckles comin from the closet where taz is kept) What are those sucking sounds? TAz

Gabe. agree about the profanity but can SEE how it happened and understand the passion of it. I knew nothing of the April fools joke. Seemed like Bob Ross was allowed to stay ,instigate, push and promote this disaster while these two guys were paying the price. Not to mention the closing of the site. I'm sure ALL have learned from this.lol Just happy tomorrows April 2nd!

Hey someone mentioned my name..heheh..Happy April fools everyone..glad to see the confusion has settled down!! I think we'd all hate to see our beloved Taz leave!!!!