Paradigm - a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly: a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind.

Not every tattooist follows the same path. The art form of tattooing is simply a job to some. This, like many other stigmas, do not apply to Camtastic. Calling tattoo "the most royal of all art forms", he isn't doing what he does just for the money. He is a student, teacher, tattooist, artist, and visionary. With 3 successful shops in Southern California, the place he calls home, and branches reaching as far as Costa Rican jungles where they meet the beach.

Camtastic is cultivating a new lifestyle awareness, for himself, his family, and his artists. Developing a new respect for this ancient art, and a new insight to the strength in the human spirit. Nurturing a shift of ideas, from the concrete, unquestioned, original structure- to free thinking, open concepts that improve upon the old and strengthen the new. This is his vision, his life's lesson thus far....

"When I started tattooing 24 years ago, I was searching for the stripe in the Zebra. Instead, I found a life long path, along the lines of Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, surfing, music and art, that was aptly named "Tatu", or as the masses know it, Tattoo".

 

 

Professionals who apprenticed me told me I shouldn't consider myself a tattooist until I had been tattooing for 10 years, at least. I believed them to be wrong, when they couldn't have been more right. They were not inferring that I wouldn't appear to be a good artist before 10 years of experience, rather they were referring to the fact that it takes many years to work on the infinite types of skin to become technically proficient, and more years to gain even further understanding and ability.

Rollo May, my lifetime inspiration, once wrote; "The courage to create is the ability to carry on despite doubt."

This is the way of the artist.

Almost 25 years later, I look at my life, and I like what I see, solid family, solid community, solid crew, solid shops, solid work, SOLID.
Tattooing is the most royal of all art forms, the most profound of artistic mediums, the most widely chosen rite of passage for this modern world.

As tattoo artists, we have to pull the new tattooing out of the ether, and force it to yield meaning.

It is our responsibility, it is my path, always remembering that there is only one letter difference between ARTISTIC and AUTISTIC.

That's the Tao of Tattoo.

Welcome to the paradigm shift."