Ben Shaw

Ben Shaw Ben Shaw is a licensed tattoo artist of over 25 years, business owner, industry advocate and educator

Gungi.09.24.22 to 03.30.26.That paw print is his. Not drawn.The duck. The banana. The leaves. Somebody knew this dog all...
09/05/2026

Gungi.

09.24.22 to 03.30.26.

That paw print is his. Not drawn.

The duck. The banana. The leaves. Somebody knew this dog all the way down.

Three and a half years is not enough. It never is.

Thank you for trusting me with him.

07/11/2026

Thursday night at the gala someone asked a question that stopped me cold.

How much time do you actually have left?

None of us know the answer to that.

But if you’re an artist who’s been grinding for years and something still feels missing, I want to invite you to something tomorrow morning.

We’re holding a prayer service right here at the convention.

Suite F. Sunday morning. 10am.

No agenda. No pressure. No religion.

Just artists coming together to connect with something bigger than the craft.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

Just show up.

Suite F. Sunday morning. 10am.

Come find me.

07/07/2026

Someone called me a false teacher on YouTube yesterday because I said tattoos aren’t a sin.
So I want to address it publicly.
Because I think a lot of people watching feel the same way he does.
And they deserve a real answer.
Here’s what the Bible actually says about false teachers, proof texting, and why reading scripture in context isn’t twisting it.
It’s exactly how we’re supposed to read it.
And if you’ve ever been told your tattoos make you less of a Christian - this one’s for you.
The door is open. It always has been.
Drop your thoughts in the comments. I read every single one.

HASHTAGS

07/06/2026

I fell into a trap.

As I traveled and spoke around the country, I’d meet new people all the time.

We’d introduce ourselves.

Swap Instagram accounts.

And without even realizing it…

I’d look at their follower count.

If they had a huge following, I’d think,

“Wow… it’s an honor to meet you.”

If they had a small following…

I’d move on.

That’s embarrassing to admit.

But it’s true.

The algorithm had poisoned the way I saw people.

It quietly taught me that influence equals value.

That followers determine significance.

That some people deserve more attention than others.

But that’s not how Jesus sees people.

He never measured someone’s worth by their platform.

He didn’t choose influencers.

He chose fishermen.

Tax collectors.

Ordinary people.

People the world overlooked.

Because God’s Kingdom doesn’t measure people by influence.

It measures them by love.

I had to repent.

Not because Instagram is evil.

But because I had allowed it to shape the way I valued people.

Now I want to see people the way Jesus does.

Not through the lens of popularity.

But through the lens of eternity.

Because every person you meet bears the image of God.

Whether they have 10 followers…

Or 10 million.

07/05/2026

The world measures success one way.

Jesus measures it another.

The world tells us to climb.

Jesus tells us to descend.

The world says promote yourself.

Jesus says deny yourself.

The world says become bigger.

Jesus says become a servant.

The world says leverage people.

Jesus says love people.

The world tells us to build our own kingdom.

Jesus invites us to build His.

That’s why the metrics of the Kingdom look so different.

They’re measured in humility.

Faithfulness.

Obedience.

Generosity.

Love.

The greatest leader in history didn’t climb to the top.

He stepped down from heaven.

He washed feet.

He served.

He gave His life for others.

If you want to become more like Jesus, don’t ask, “How can I become more successful?”

Ask, “How can I become more faithful?”

Because in God’s Kingdom, greatness isn’t found in being above people.

It’s found in serving them.

07/03/2026

People love quoting one verse to tell tattoo artists they’re going to hell.

Leviticus 19:28.

“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.”

Then they stop reading.

But if you’re going to quote Leviticus, you need to read the whole chapter.

Leviticus 19 is part of what’s known as the Holiness Code—a set of laws God gave to ancient Israel to set them apart from the pagan nations around them.

Those nations cut themselves and marked their bodies as acts of worship to false gods.

That’s the context.

God wasn’t condemning tattoos as artwork.

He was condemning idolatry.

And here’s what many people overlook.

That same chapter also says not to trim the sides of your hair.

Not to trim the edges of your beard.

Not to wear clothing woven from two different fabrics.

Not to plant two kinds of seed in the same field.

So if you’re going to apply Leviticus 19:28 literally today, you have to apply the entire chapter consistently.

Almost nobody does.

Why?

Because those ceremonial laws were given to Israel under the Old Covenant.

The New Testament teaches that Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law, bringing believers into a new covenant through Him (see Galatians 3 and Hebrews 8).

So before someone uses Leviticus to shame you, encourage them to read the whole chapter.

Because context isn’t optional.

It’s everything.

07/01/2026

real tattooing isn’t just about the design

it’s about how the design works with the body

art has shapes

and your body has shapes

the best tattoos don’t fight the body

they fit it

they flow with the muscles

they move naturally

and because of that

they look better

they age better

they last

but when a design fights the body

something always feels off

and honestly

a lot of people are living that way

nothing is obviously wrong

you’re busy

you’re productive

you may even be successful

but deep down

something feels off

there’s constant friction

because you’re carrying things you were never designed to carry

you’re chasing things God never asked you to chase

you’re trying to live someone else’s calling instead of your own

God didn’t create you to copy another person’s blueprint

He created you with intention

purpose

and design

when your life aligns with Him

there’s less friction

more clarity

more peace

not because life gets easier

but because you’re finally walking in the direction you were created for

so pause for a moment and ask yourself

where does your life feel out of alignment?

don’t ignore it

bring it to God

because alignment doesn’t just change your direction

it changes your life

06/30/2026

Can success become your greatest failure?

I think it can.

There was a season when I reached what I thought was the pinnacle of success in tattooing.

I helped lead the movement for tattoo artist unity.

I was flown first class around the country to speak.

I spoke on stages.

Built influence.

Built a platform.

From the outside, it looked like I had made it.

But inside…

Something was missing.

The more success I found, the hungrier I became.

It was like sitting down to an incredible meal.

It looked amazing.

Smelled amazing.

But when I took a bite…

It turned to ash in my mouth.

Because success was never meant to satisfy your soul.

Only Jesus can do that.

Scripture doesn’t call us to reject success.

It calls us to reject exploitation.

To stop chasing the world at the expense of people.

To build lives marked by patience.

Generosity.

Humility.

And love.

The Kingdom isn’t built by hoarding influence.

It’s built by serving others.

So here’s my question for you:

Who around you needs patience instead of competition?

Who needs prayer instead of judgment?

Who needs to experience the love of Christ through you this week?

Because the greatest success isn’t building your own kingdom.

It’s helping build His.

06/25/2026

worship was never the problem

we were created to worship

the question is

what are we worshipping

for some people it’s followers

for others it’s money

status

success

intelligence

beauty

even ministry platforms

anything can become an idol

when it takes the place that belongs to God

that’s the oldest temptation in human history

to replace God with something else

social media didn’t create that problem

the algorithm simply monetized it

it profits from our desire to be seen

to be validated

to build our own kingdoms

but the more we worship created things

the less satisfied we become

because they were never designed to carry the weight of our identity

only God can do that

the world says

find your worth in what you achieve

Jesus says

find your life in Me

so ask yourself

what gets your attention

your affection

your time

your trust

because whatever has your worship

has your heart

and only one King is worthy to sit on that throne

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87107

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