i can't believe i'm writing this ... ppl w/ tattoos

I agree... I have some that mean something to me and some I just got because I wanted them.:)

Only advice I ever give-- Research your artist and make sure he/she is a good one.

Btw...I love your convo with running shoe guy! haha

I have two, both have meaning to me. The one that is visible in the workplace has to be covered in concealer or by boots being it's on my ankle. We're got a really strict dress code. If the other is visible at work, wait a few minutes before the police arrive to arrest me for indecent exposure.

I know a lot of people that get tattoos in groups. I know a group of girls that all have their house number from a place they shared in college tattoed to the sides of their feet.

You shouldn't have to explain your own self expression if you don't want to do so. I'd much rather have a tattoo than a Justin Bieber haircut!

Will it be at midnight?

I don't have any yet but I have had 3 in mind for a long time that I'm going to reward my self with as I loose weight, my first will be my Mom's D.O.B and D.O.D. I've seen a lot that I like so I know I'll get some just for that reason as well.

I have 8 tattoos and only 5 of them have some meaning behind them

When i finally get some tattoos they'l all have meaning..
Not because i dont like tattoos with out meanings.. Because i do love the idea of having a pretty picture or something.
Its just if one day if i stop liking how the tattoo looks, then it wont be a like uhh why did i get it?!?! it will be more of a, it doesnt matter how it looks its what it means to me kind of thing.

My first tat on my wrist is in honor of my gram.
The rest of them will simply be what I like, which is turning out to be an insect theme...Butterfly on my wrist, I'd like a dragonfly (bicep) and a honey bee (inner left ankle) as well.
Then there's the side/back piece I drew up a few years ago, has a black widow hanging in a rose vine.

<<<Bug Lady.

Married to an exterminator?

As someone that has 4 already and more planned I just perfer they have some sort of meaning. All four of mine are meaingful one i drew and share with friends, one i share wth one other friend, i have imprendere inspiritaional word for me and a star with wings i drew personally for my are class that I loved so much I made it my first tattoo. I personally am artistic and want only meaningful art put on my skin permentaly. I perfer someone look at mine and ask about them and get a inspired story behind it not just well i thought it looked good.

I once worked in a nursing home as an aide so I know no matter what you get where it is going to end up looking distorted and ugly in the end. so I have always passed on the tats no need giving then more to laugh about

I have a little panda and fox on my back. I got it because it was cute. Everyone asks me what it means all the time. I say " i just thought it was cute."

Not all of mine mean something. I have a demented teddy bear on my foot. Got it cause I thought it was cute. lmfao! I have over 20 tattoos and yeah... most of them dont have meaning. only one that really means much of anything besides my zodiac sign... is my daughters name and birthday. The rest of mine are just... pretty. lol

I have tattoos. both arms full sleeved. Among others.

I always end up reading tattoo threads (and stupidly piss myself off) and I always end up reading how people always advice to "get something that MEANS something".

WHY?

Sure, if it means something, awesome. You had something meaningful you wanted immortalize on your skin. Great. But why does it HAVE to? Can't *kitten* just be pretty? (or ugly, or scary, or whatever?) Some of mine do, most of mine, well, I just thought was cool.

When I was getting fitted for a pair of running shoes a couple weeks ago, this was the conversation:
Him: "So why sleeves? What do they MEAN?"
Me: "Why do you have a justin beiber haircut?"
Him: "Point taken."

okay, that conversation didn't illustrate my point or question at all, I just found it funny. My real question is ... those WITH tattoos - does all of your ink MEAN something?

If I am going to have something depicted on my body for all of time, I want it to mean something, something to represent me, a part of my soul. I think you can find something pretty and meaningful. I want a tattoo unless it meets these requirements. It has to mean something otherwise it's pointless to me.

Some of mine mean stuff. I've got one for each kid, one for my wife and one for my dog. I have a couple others that mean stuff. The sleeve I have in progress is a dragon. A friend asked what it meant. I replied "dragons are *kitten* awesome". I told my artist about that conversation. He said "yup. Just like 'why'd we drink al that beer' 'because it's awesome'"

I used to hang out with people who were very much into the tattoo/body mod lifestyle and whenever someone asked what they should get there was a torrent of "get something that means something to you otherwise you'll regret it." And I see what they mean to an extent because I see all these ridiculous tattoos of cartoon characters, stuff that's "in" today or was 5 years ago, and I know they will more than likely regret it later in life. Ink's permanent, even if you get it lasered or cut off.

But I think what the mentality really should be is simply, if you like it, wait a year or two and if you still like it then, get it. If it has meaning, fine. If it's just because it's pretty, fine too. Tattoos are art and last time I checked people bought art and hung it on their walls because it was pretty, not necessarily because it spoke to their soul or something.

I have one tattoo right now and it does have a meaning, but I also waited 5 years to get it because not only was I underage, but I wanted to make sure because I know the stigma tattoos can carry. I have an artist's palette on my left inner wrist with a hole through it, the hole "bleeding" paint with it spattered the same way you see blood spattered when someone gets shot. Above it is the word "art". It's there because I am left-handed and as of December 2011 I have had 5 surgeries on that arm (4 on my hand, 1 on my elbow) because I ended up with carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and several cases of tendonitis in my fingers that made it painful to grip a pencil, much less draw. To me it's just a way of saying even I get shot in that arm I'm still gonna find a way to make art even if I gotta bleed it out of me. Do I go running around telling my story to folks who see it? No, they just assume I'm an artist and I leave it at that because hey, you don't tell you life story to the guy next to you on the bus just cuz he said hi, why tell that story just because someone said "Cool tat"?

Really people just need to know that when it comes to tattoos, you've gotta pick something you really like. It's like going to a pet store/shelter to go pick out a new puppy. You don't pick up the first one you see and go home with it, you look at them all, play with a few, think about it, maybe leave and come back, and then you make the decision. And why? Because it's a commitment, that dog is going to be with you a long time just like a tattoo will and if you end up not being able to stand the tattoo you can't just give it away like a dog. It can't be a split second decision.

I agree completely. I have two half sleeves that have no major significance other than being things I've always liked.