Meet Bad Habits Tattoos | Tattoo Parlour

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bad Habits Tattoos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bad Habits Tattoos, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
For many years throughout history, our industry has been discriminated and carries a negative stigma. Corporations still look at the tattoo industry based on what it was in the 60’s. Then, the industry which had been mainly reserved for men, known for its criminal, prostitutes, and gangs. Tattoo culture began to shift by expanding to new clients in the 90’s and slowly became more of a commonplace. Female tattoo artists started to make their impact and tattoos shifted to become more modernized for it’s time. Celebrities made a huge impact on the industry which made tattoo shops a more popular place to be. This is when the tattoo culture became more “acceptable.” Fast-forward to today, tattoo artists are more artistic, developing and specializing in different styles, more professional, and changing the industry all together. The equipment is more advanced, hygiene and technology has developed like never before, and shops are changing their interior. Many shops started to change their interior to create a more comfortable and inviting environment that gives clients a warm welcome. But because of the discrimination and stigma that our industry has, corporations still refuse to do business with us or even do business near us. We should be viewed as any other corporation. We contribute to society the same as any other business and work just as hard, yet we still are being counted out. The tattoo industry is a unique but underappreciated industry. Many people fail to realize the amount of work that is put into every tattoo or idea. The amount of knowledge, preparation, and experience; no matter what type of tattoo it is. Every tattoo, no matter the complexity or meaning, takes the same amount of knowledge and effort to execute. What matters at the end of each project is good quality work. But because of our stigma and discrimination, clients fail to realize that artists provide more than just a service. Artists are knowledgeable, experienced, and understand the perfect formula for creating a great tattoo. As tattoo artist, it is our job to educate our clients on what will or will not work based on our experience and professional knowledge. However, not every client are inclined to listen to our professional input or feedback. As an artist, we are am patient and take our time. We understand what the client wants and we put our professional direction on it. Treat it as a collaboration. Take an idea, add a personal touch to it, listen to advice, and create a beautiful piece.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Tattoos culture have progressed into mainstream like never before Tattoos are artistic representation of who we are. They are bold and they leave a statement. They describe who we are, our interests, and our emotions. A single tattoo can carry the most powerful or meaningful emotion or memory. In today’s modern society, tattoos is a form of self-expression. No surprise, we love it! When deciding to open our business, our first obstacle was finding a location where we wanted. Because the tattoo industry has a huge stigma and stereotype it was difficult finding a location where our current clients were. We eventually ended up in Fort Lauderdale, which happily, worked out for the better. There’s challenges and obstacles just like any business. Working with people has its own challenges. But after time and experience it is something that anyone can handle. The tattoo industry itself has its own challenges. To get people out of the stigma and stereotype is its own obstacle. Not only for our business, but every tattoo artist over the world has this problem. We see it as an artform and a way for people to express themselves. Many other people see the exact opposite, and that is the problem our industry struggles with. But just like anything else, we overcome it and do the very best we can. How to better yourself and be the best that you can be is always a challenge, but never an obstacle. In our opinion, that is how it should be. Always challenge yourself to be better than you were before. We’re always looking ahead at the future and always reading patterns. The industry changes and you must watch and be aware of what is happening. Always look for more rather than being comfortable of where you at. There is nowhere to grow if you are busy being content of where you are. Stay hungry, stay focus, and always put out amazing work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fort Lauderdale is filled with exciting new places and interesting things to do. As a local business, we like to support other local businesses as well. A local favorite of ours is family-owned Quvo Tacos & Craft Beer! Traditional Mexican cuisine with simple but tasty food! Perfect to relax in an comforting environment. Wide selection of beers and wines. If you don’t know which to get they’ll happily assist you! Some favorite dishes of our is the Guac and Chips, Street Tacos, and of course the Churros!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The biggest influence someone can make on another person is inspiration. That’s exactly what lead me to where I am today. Deano Cook, made the biggest impact on my career. I remember vividly when I was younger, looking through tattoo magazines in my home-country, Dominican Republic, when I was 18 and looking at all the different tattoo artists and their artwork. I remember turning page after page and there he was. Deano Cook, an amazing artist, and he translated a piece of artwork to skin so beautifully. I was so curious about the industry back then and I still am to this day. I never stop learning because that’s how you limit yourself. Of course, there was other people that influenced me as well. But Cook knew how to have fun with tattooing. No matter the subject. From horror, to realism, and cartoons, he had the most fun with each style. It’s always a pleasure to look back and see how the industry has evolved and to see where it all started.

Website: https://www.badhabitstattoos.com/

Instagram: @BADHABITSTATTOOS

Facebook: Bad Habits Tattoos

Other: Email Inquiries: bhtattoos11@gmail.com

Image Credits
Artist: Amaury Ramirez ( @amaury_badhabits) and Jorge Ramirez ( @polynesian_tatto0 )