text: I got my very first tattoo back in August after my th birthday It was an interpretation of the Salvador Dali painting Swans Reflecting Elephants done by Stephanie Flannery Before scheduling my appointment I did almost eight months of research to find the place that best suited me There are so many tattoo shops in Phoenix that are amazing and so many that are horrendous For me the environment and vibe the shop had made a huge impact on my decision I wanted to be as comfortable as possible while sitting through a four hour tattoo and I knew some poorly lit dingy tattoo shop with rap music blasting was not going to provide me with that After visiting the Golden Rule it was a breath of fresh air There was so much natural lighting the space was open it looked clean and the aesthetic fit my lifestyle Shortly after my visit with my parents my dad pulled up a special Arizona Highways yes we record it every week did on the shop so I could gain a little more information about the shop and their philosophy What I appreciated most was how insistent they were on being considered an art shop not just a tattoo shop I thought that was really cool just because it goes to show how seriously they take their work and how much effort and thought they put into it Skipping forward to the day of my appointment I was terrified Not being the best at tolerating pain I cried for thirty minutes after I got my nose pierced anxiety overcame me Stephanie was so sweet and patient and made me feel very confident in what I was doing They let my dad and girlfriend sit in with me so they could document and send my mom pictures The entire session took about hours and I did not take any breaks The pain was not nearly as bad as I thought and I think that had a lot to do with the environment I was in and how kind my artist was Bottom line I would recommend this shop to anyone Obviously it is pricey but you get what you pay for Everyone is so nice and accommodating there If you are getting a bigger piece an appointment is required and most artists are booked out months in advanced but it is worth the wait I will not go anywhere else I am so happy with the outcome of my first piece and cannot wait to get more