Permanent Behavior: Self-Taught Artist to Tattoo Legend

"It's only on you for the rest of your life," reads the Instagram bio of tattoo artist Shannon Anderson aka Mo' Better. A widely recognized tattoo artist, he's done notable pieces on famous athletes and entertainers, But he's also inked multiple generations of Bay Area families. He's a self-taught tattoo veteran who is paving the way for others to traverse an industry that hasn't been to kind to people who look like he does. For the past twelve years, Mo'Better's been the owner of  Inkestry Custom Tattoos. But before he held a tattoo gun, he was known as a talented air brush artist, and before that he was a skilled barber. He learned each craft out of necessity. And each craft has earned him money, broadened his following and expanded his community. For the final entry in our series on tattoo culture in the Bay Area, we talk to Mo' Better about his craft, and his life. Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices