From the name you can guess there’s something different about this place. Why call the place a “line” rather than a shop, parlor or studio? There are many answers to that question, but it’s important to know you’re crossing a line when you step through the door. Across our threshold things are done a bit differently. It’s important to understand that we do not associate with the common tattoo industry. Everything done here is based on a completely different drive. Our motivating factor is not primarily based on monetary gain like other tattoo studios. Otherwise, the creator would be charging the staff excessive booth fees similar to those absorbed by most shop owners.
Across this line is a public forum for meaningful discourse and training. All of our Apprentices grow to become Mentors who pay our benefits forward to others looking for occupation(not only in tattooing). This is due to TattooLine being one of the properties overseen by DeadTech, a vocational outfit with a focus on bridging our understanding of the dead arts and antiquated technology with the living arts and tech of today. Beyond this, DeadTech is one of the many Spades in AVA’s chest. Just as DeadTech is a tiered "Spade" under AVA, TattooLine is one of many "Familiars" under DeadTech.
Although Tattoo Line has a creator, he doesn’t feel the need to call himself the owner. Lording over others working within our community would be antithetical to his original vision of creating a hub for free self-determination, information, and education. Before you assume there’s no structure within our community due to the creator stepping aside from an authoritative role, be aware there are AVA tenets to be respected within our hub, all of which apply to TattooLine’s creator, same as the staff. It's most important that he witnesses others uphold those same tenets through their own free will rather than his dictations.
All of these tenets have been formulated by the AVA community to refine good people, to make better people, to bring about a healthier community. Not everyone cares enough to struggle for higher potential, but for those of you who do we offer a space that allows you to unravel and project your own vision with our helping hands to support you along the way. This doesn’t apply only to visions of tattoo artistry, it also includes any tech, activity, or craft that can hold good water for our community.
The staff at TattooLine are concerned with more than just putting pretty pictures on skin. Improving our quality of life by improving the quality of our community is of greater import to us all. Informing and educating others while we're all adjusting to a volatile world will bring us all back to consensus and reveal a new platform to launch from. This future platform is our concern. We've already raised tattooing to new heights in our community; now's the time to raise the community.
Other studios in the tattoo industry may choose to imitate this. More power to them. The creator of TattooLine recognizes that the tattoo industry and the local community is in great need of change. If this work can inspire others in and out of the tattoo industry to follow its example, it will be the greatest payment he’s received. However, attempts at cooptation or subversion will be noted and moved up the chain for addressing.
