This is in regards to the (Muscatine Journal, Sept. 27) story, “Not any tattoo will do.”

Yes, in Muscatine, any tattoo will do. People don’t care if they are getting tattooed in garages or someone’s living room and it doesn’t matter who does it either or how the person learned as long as they can get it for cheap.

I am an internationally known, award-winning artist and I had to reduce myself to working for peanuts because the town thinks it needs 10 tattoo shops and the town can’t even support one.

When I went to the Journal to let them know I was closing my business after 11 loyal years and moving on to bigger and better things, I was told to write a letter to the editor. So here it is. The economy is horrible there. No one knows anything about tattoos. They just want to get them and don’t want to pay.

I am now working in a busy shop in Ft. Worth,  Texas. I should have moved 10 years ago. I love it and I’m doing very well, so put all the rumors to rest.

To all my loyal customers, I apologize. But I had to leave because I am too good of a tattoo artist to stay in that close-minded, stereotypical, judgmental town. All I ask is for the people of Muscatine to do background checks on the tattoo artist they pick.

Remember that old saying, “Don’t know what you got till it’s gone?”

Well, how’s it feel?

Stacy Shoppa

Ft. Worth, Texas

Editor’s note: The Muscatine Journal does not publish stories about every business that closes.