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

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Replies

  • kayleesays
    kayleesays Posts: 564 Member
    Not to sound abrasive, but the new trend is to get tattoos (particularly text tattoos) that take paragraphs to explain and have to do with some inner turmoil. As someone who speaks regularly with several tattoo artists, the people who get these tattoos are rarely flexible with the artist, so they wind up getting tattoos that age really poorly.

    I definitely don't think a tattoo needs a sob story about my grandma to be special, and if it is about my grandma? Well, I'd better honor her memory and make sure it's a good tattoo that would heal well.
  • ccadroz93
    ccadroz93 Posts: 136 Member
    I sport a full back piece, shorts, short sleeves, ribs and the my lower left leg. Until I blew my leg out with this incredible dragon I could wear shorts and a t-shirt and none of them showed. I also get that silly question. I guess people just feel the need for things to mean something...I agree with you....mine don't all mean something specific either. Some are "just because they looked cool". I also have quite a few that were whatever the artist wanted to do. Guy Atchison did my head, Patti Kelli did my ankle and the other side of my head, and Randy Adams did most of my back. I have my husband and my oldest son's birth signs and now I am going to get one of my best friend's initials in memorium of him; those mean alot. The funniest one I have is Chinese writting on my right wrist. People ask what it means and I tell them,"it says that whoever asks what this means will die in 7 days!!" Actually it is my acupuncturist's name. LOL
  • CharleeChaos
    CharleeChaos Posts: 9 Member
    A few of mine have significant meaning, which I think can make them more special, but really I just look at it like this. A person with tattoos is just someone with an art appreciation....only they display it on their skin instead of walls.
  • kwaddell1987
    kwaddell1987 Posts: 70 Member
    I've got 4 tats and only one doesnt have any real purpose, and honestly its the one i regret the most, i didnt put any thought into it, plus it was done with a rigitty tattoo gun, so it doesnt look the best, the others are ones i thought out and drew myself, no real major meaning but ideas i liked, i agree with the others, i think it is a personal preferrence, if u want a tat just because then do it, and dont let anyone else make u think twice, if it realy bothers u to a bigger degree, maybe u should think before u ink lol.....just sayin :)
  • karmin44
    karmin44 Posts: 3
    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?
  • beckipercy
    beckipercy Posts: 160 Member
    Mine does, but that's just me. Any tattoos I get will have a meaning, simply because getting a tattoo for me is the most terrifying thing in the world, and also ensures I'll always love them. This said, I don't believe that everyone with tattoos must have some big story behind each and every one. It's our body, nobody elses, we can do what we like with it!
  • dusty8907
    dusty8907 Posts: 350 Member
    Mine means absolutely nothing other than i was bored and was curious what a tattoo felt like.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Some do some don't. Some didn't at the time when I got them, but now they have meaning for me (remind me of a particular time or experience).
    Only one was gotten with the intention of it "meaning" something - a memorial piece for my best friend. The rest I got 'cause they're pretty/I wanted a new tattoo
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    Everything has meaning, even if it is "just a piece of art". If it represents a moment in your life, it means something. If you were inspired to get it, it means something. If you saw it on a billboard and thought, "Hey, that cell phone would look really good on my inner thigh," it means something. What, I don't know. But there is some kind of reasoning and meaning in everything. Ugh, that sounded way too philosophical, even for me.
  • CanadianScot
    CanadianScot Posts: 28 Member
    I have one tattoo and it doesn't mean anything. I drew in while in class at college 12 years ago, liked the design and had it done simply because I wanted a tattoo. My mom was not too impressed at first but soon came round and even encouraged my brother to get a tattoo. What was strange though, is that my aunt was even more unimpressed. So much so that she would heavily criticize me in front of other people. Well, karma has come to bite her in the *kitten* as now her own darling daughter is a tattoo artist!
  • jankleberry
    jankleberry Posts: 508
    mine dont mean anything... I just liked the pictures!
  • Hayter2013
    Hayter2013 Posts: 77
    I got a small dolphin at the age of 17, peer pressure from mates as everyone was getting them but I liked dolphins and think its rather cute.

    My second tat is that of my sons name and DOB. I got it for my first Mothers Day present. I will have to get a tattoo again if I have another child as its only fair, but my Daniel tattoo is on my lower back, so the next one will need to go above that, (on lots of bone) lol so that will kill!!

    I think my tats should be personal though. I didn't get my sons name to show if off or anything. Was literally from the heart, as my son was also seriously ill a few weeks before getting tattoo so it means a lot to me.
  • Patovader
    Patovader Posts: 439 Member
    I have a Saltire which means a lot to me (being Scottish) and I plan to have my childrens names done somewhere.

    I think each to their own and why not get something done simply because you like the look of it.
  • stayxtrue
    stayxtrue Posts: 1,186 Member
    Yep my whole sleeve is based on this:

    Revelation 20

    The Thousand Years

    1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
    4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
  • scotslass
    scotslass Posts: 317
    Mines is my big brothers name Richard in a heart with wings and his birth year to the year he passed underneath on the bottom of my back :-) so mines means something and will probably get my son's name inked on me somewhere at some point too
  • jenken99
    jenken99 Posts: 564 Member
    i have 3 tattoos..a black panther on my thigh...meaning nothing ,, except i like them i have a heart with tribal on my lower back cause it looked cool,,, then i just had a angel on a dagger added to the heart bcause i do collect angels... can i say they r just addicting.. lol
  • MinkyMoo13
    MinkyMoo13 Posts: 354 Member
    Not really.. I have a tiger on my arm as i like tigers.. I have a rose and celtic band as i like Roses and i have a heart on my wrist as i wanted it.. no other reason other then i just wanted it. I wanta nother Rose above the band (might eventually turn into a sleeve) and i'm having some roses designed for my thigh.. might turn intoa big rose lol!
  • AliceKlaar
    AliceKlaar Posts: 275 Member
    The only one I've got that actually 'means' something is a Venusian sigil. To me, tattoos are art - I don't need a reason to buy a picture other than I like it, same with my ink - I want it, I save up for it, I get it done. I got my first few getting on for 20 years ago, including a pure impulse piece on my left bicep, and I don't have any regrets. I don't know if I'll even be here in xx years time, let alone whether I'll be regretting any of them - if all my actions were governed by "I'd better not do this I might regret it" then I daresay I wouldn't do anything.
  • karyngrace
    karyngrace Posts: 105 Member
    I have a tattoo on my shoulder blade, and it has meaning to me. personally i like my tattoos to mean something ( I am planning more!! ) in saying that if yours don't then thats cool too!

    I reckon you need to decide more on placement and which studio to go to. its no good having a kick *kitten* design if some loser is going to completely stuff it up......or worse, give you an infection! eeek!
  • NicolePatriot
    NicolePatriot Posts: 621 Member
    I've got 3...and only 1 of them "means" something :)
  • tanya_613
    tanya_613 Posts: 15 Member
    {sheepishly} Yeah...

    My first one I got before I depolyed. I wanted something with my sons name and something that represented Strength and Love so I got a heart surrounded by two roses with my sons name.

    The second one was when I came back from Iraq and was in that you only live once attitude and I was riding a motorcycle so I HAD to get one on my lower back with my riding name... Innocent ;-)

    I want to get another one on my foot of a running wing... but that will be my award after I run a full marathon... (so far i've only done half marathons)
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,832 Member
    Only 1 of out my 3 mean anything. The other two are because I thought they were pretty.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    Mine doesnt. I drew it myself but it doesnt have a meaning. I just wanted one :)

    This!

    My next one is a dragonfly, b/c I think it would look awesome between my shoulder blades...that is all.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    Yep my whole sleeve is based on this:

    Revelation 20

    The Thousand Years

    1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
    4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

    Even though I'm not religious...that sounds epic :)
  • mwilke
    mwilke Posts: 378 Member
    1 of mine does- tribute to a guy that I went through firefighter 1 class who passed away at the age of 20.

    other 3- not really... i just like dragons :drinker:
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    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."

    Thank you for making my morning.
  • lordbyron46
    lordbyron46 Posts: 12 Member
    All mine mean something, but so do sleeves, you still have to pick them and want them so they must mean something to want to put them on your skin SIMPLES
  • Bull2707
    Bull2707 Posts: 106
    I have plenty of tat and working on my back piece. As of right now you cannot see them while I wear cloths unless i wear shorts. This is due to my occupation but when I retire I will also get sleeves. Some people do not understand tattoos especially on women. Some of mine have meaning and some do not.

    I do not have to justify what i do with my body to no one.
  • lilCrummie
    lilCrummie Posts: 12 Member
    lol i was haveing this conversation with my tattooist few weeks ago alot of mine mean stuff but the one am getting soon is just cos its a feking awsome tattoo lol like loads others tht i like love tattoo's keep saying its my last one then i get another idea i have 19 now lol
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    ...just because someone asks if your tattoos mean something doesn't require that you have to be rude to them (unless they say something totally inappropriate). You could have just said that you got these tats because you think they are beautiful/awesome/amazing/scary/interesting, etc.

    People who don't have tattoos are just curious and are asking questions.

    I myself don't have tattoos but if I were to get one it would probably only ever be the names of someone I have lost or my children. That being said, I love looking at tattoos.

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