Buzzing machines, loud music and lively conversation reverberate inside the Golden Rule Tattoo Shop. But for one tattoo artist, these noises are insignificant.
Paul Schorsch, or “Paulski,” is profoundly deaf. He is also one of the most talented tattoo artists in The Golden Rule Tattoo, according to his coworkers.
“He is so imaginative, his creativity is nuts,” said Jason Anthony, owner of The Golden Rule Tattoo, located on Roosevelt and Second streets. “He takes classic folk art and pushes it to the next level.”
Art has always been a point of interest for Paulski, who, as a result of spinal meningitis, became deaf at 13 months old. Paulski loved graffiti and skateboard art growing up, his father Robert Schorsch said. He even painted massive murals on his garage door.
Paulski’s disability should not be mistaken for an inability to do the job, Anthony said.
He received a bachelor’s degree in computer animation, and said upon entering the field of web design, people passed him by and ignored his talent because he was deaf. That needed to change, he said in an email.
“I have made my disability less likely to hold me back,” Paulski said.
Paulski began his tattoo apprenticeship at the Phoenix Tattoo Company and did his first tattoo in 2007. His advice for anyone wanting to get into tattooing: get an apprenticeship in a shop with experienced tattoo artists.
He credits taking the good with the bad and developing a good mental attitude for overcoming the challenges caused by being deaf.
“We wanted him to be part of the hearing world, not the deaf world,” Paulski’s father Robert Schorsch said of raising him without using sign language. Paulski can read lips and wears a hearing aid, which allows him to hear only a small amount of certain tones.
Paulski said there are times he wishes he could have a conversation with his clients, especially being in such a social business. But, the lack of noise enables him to give more attention to detail and greater focus, his wife Justice said.
“I end up just focused on the task, which can be a good thing, because they’re out of the chair faster. Tattoos hurt!” Paulski said.
Paulski said his favorite style of tattooing is American Traditional because it still looks good after many years, unlike most styles. When creating a tattoo or piece of art, he researches the details of it to make sure that everything is accurate, Schorsch said.
Paulski’s Instagram account, followed by more than 8,000 people, displays his brightly colored tattoos ranging from multicolored sharks to intricate mandalas.
His goal as a tattoo artist is to keep topping his work every day, and according to his wife Justice he has definitely achieved that. She said his work is constantly evolving with each day.
“Now in tattooing, I pretty much take charge of everything and answer to very few people,” Paulski said. “But they do not — and cannot — restrict me in how much I want to achieve and obtain success.”
Contact the reporter at gabrielle.c.abbott@asu.edu.
