Tattoos -- Yay or nay?

In general, however, the only thing I ever tell people who say they want to get a tattoo is to wait a few months after they come up with a concept before actually getting their ink. That helps make sure it's still a good idea once the euphoria of the initial "hey, it'd be really cool to get a tattoo of _______" has worn off. Some impulse buys can be easily corrected, tattoos, not so much.

One of my least favorite objections to tattoos is "but what will they look like when you're older/what will you think of them when you're older?"

Well.....when I'm older with grandkids to love on and bodily breakdown to worry about, etc., I honestly don't think that my old wrinkly tattoo will be at the top of my to-think-about-today list. As for what they will look like, well, they will look like I had a pretty darn awesome childhood. No pity for tatted-up grandma (please note, I only have 4 tattoos), because tatted-up grandma doesn't give a darn.

I love tattoos, and think they're sexy when done right. I've heard from a coworker that mine look unfeminine (I have one on each collar bone, not matching or anything, and 2 on my left arm), but I'm happily married to a man who thinks I'm VERY feminine, and I don't really care how feminine I appear to others, so it doesn't really bother me.

I like them, and want one, but too much of a chicken butt to actually go through with it. That and can't really justify the expense either.

Yeah, actually, I do write in the hopes that others will like my work. I do know not everyone will, but yes, I write not only for myself but for others. I work with plenty of artists and they are putting their work out there for others to see. With the hope that others will like it.

When tattoos first became popular, I'm sorry, but many people got them for attention. I will retract the statement that EVERYONE got them to be different, I'm sure others had other reasons and still do. As they got better in quality many people get them for symbolic reasons, not to get attention, I'm not disputing that.

But it's human nature to want to do something that will make you stand out. Getting tattoos, piercings, gauging.. whatever.

Yer doing it wrong.

Artists become artists because they cannot live another day with that thought trapped inside them. They MUST put pen to paper- they MUST put brush to canvas.

Artists are artists because their soul speaks through their medium. Not because they want other people to read their work or see their art. Is that a great side effect? Sure. But they go into buisness doing that because they are good at what they do and people happen to like it.

But non artists don't go into business being artists because they want attention. If what you say is true- then people would become artists all the time for attention- that's simply not the case.

As for me- I am an artist- I am a dancer. I love art- I love dance- I love the creative eye and what people's souls tell me or want to share with the world. That takes shape in many forms. It is neither right nor wrong- if it is true creativity - it is genuine- and there is no direct ulterior motive for it's existence. It exists only because that is one one persons soul needed to express and put out into the universe. If it's popular and makes the artist money- great. But there is a reason the expression "starving artist" exists- people don't do it for money or attention- sure maybe one day- but they do it because that's what their soul says they must do. It's also a reason why undercutting is such an issue with artists. People love doing what they do- they feel badly for getting paid- or people think- well you love doing it- why should I pay you for what you are worth.

I dance- I will always dance. right now I do occasionally get paid to dance. But I will always dance- with or without the money- because I LOVE dancing. And when I dance with abandon it what it is- I am not ashamed of what it is and I put it out there because that's what's coming out at that moment in time.

Who are you to judge that and say WHY?



And moving on to tattoos. I'm a YAY person- but conservatively.
I do think some people get tattoo to make themselves seem like something else. And I do believe there are BAD tattoos- drunk tattoos or poorly thought out chidlish ones. But it doesn't change the fact there are amazing pieces out there.

I'm an artist- I want to see art. I don't like flash- or crappy tattoos that look like they were done by a child. Simple shakey line art- or poor wording is meh to me. But anything that is well throughout and well done- I love- content is almost totally irrelevant to me.

Mine is a book end- it represents a chapter in my life that I'm happy to walk away from and be out of forever. The door is closed- and it represents the person I was- and who I am. It goes with me everywhere I am- and I will have it forever- because that part of my life- happened- and I cannot change that. I'm glad for some of the experiences- but I'm happy to have moved on. My tattoo is as much a part of me as those experiences are.

It has about jackall to do with attention. I find it weird when people mention it randomly. I actually often don't know what to say. , usually I stutter out a thanks.

Do I like showing it off occasionally? sure- I love my back- I work damn hard on it- and I drew my piece- and both myself and my tattoo artist worked very hard on it- so yes am I proud of it- sure- but it don't go shoving it in people's faces. But it's an intrinsic part of me- so sometimes I share- sometimes I don't. Much like sometimes I tell people about those times- and sometimes I don't.

One of my least favorite objections to tattoos is "but what will they look like when you're older/what will you think of them when you're older?"

Well.....when I'm older with grandkids to love on and bodily breakdown to worry about, etc., I honestly don't think that my old wrinkly tattoo will be at the top of my to-think-about-today list. As for what they will look like, well, they will look like I had a pretty darn awesome childhood. No pity for tatted-up grandma (please note, I only have 4 tattoos), because tatted-up grandma doesn't give a darn.

I love tattoos, and think they're sexy when done right. I've heard from a coworker that mine look unfeminine (I have one on each collar bone, not matching or anything, and 2 on my left arm), but I'm happily married to a man who thinks I'm VERY feminine, and I don't really care how feminine I appear to others, so it doesn't really bother me.

so you're implying that one has to be tattooed to have "lived" during their youth? If this is a widespread thought, wouldn't this lead to people getting tattoos just to look like they're cool?

Quite a stretch for you to have read anything like that into it.

yeah, changing "childhood" to "youth" was pretty generous. As youth is a little more liberal.

Quite a stretch for you to have read anything like that into it.

yeah, changing "childhood" to "youth" was pretty generous. As youth is a little more liberal.

Eh, more that they didn't state that you had a lousy childhood if you're tat-free.

saying that it assuredly means one had an awesome childhood wouldn't imply that NOT having one has a less likely chance of being awesome?