Whether you are getting your first tattoo or already have half your body
covered with tattoos I am sure you will find some valuable information
here. As a tattoo addict and someone who spends most of his waking hours
coming up with tattoo ideas I would like to share some of what I have
learnt over the years.
I have spent a great deal of time amongst tattoo artists in tattoo
studios around the world and have encountered a wide variety of
different people coming through the doors of the tattoo studio to
permanently mark their bodies. Many times I have questioned why it is so
many people go under the gun to get inked.
People get tattoos for lots of different reasons. Some people simply
because they love them and think they look good or enhance their
appearance, others to be a part of a 'tribe' or group, while others to
mark a significant event in their lives such as a bereavement or to
express love for another person. You could say that there are as many
reasons for getting tattooed as there are human experiences. Because of
the uniqueness of each persons life journey no two reasons are ever the
same.
In these situations the person wanting a tattoo has probably put a great
deal of thought into the tattoo and perhaps the tattoo itself will have
some kind of psychological meaning; for example when someone gets a
portrait tattoo of a loved one who has recently died that
psychologically they want to keep close to them for the rest of their
lives. Or maybe a person has been jilted by a spurned lover and wants a
tattoo of a broken heart or caged bird to signify their loss.
Human beings have being modifying their bodies with ink and steel for
many thousands of years. Many people see tattoos and body modification
as a spiritual practice. Before the advent of modern pain management,
pain was seen as a natural part of life carrying a variety of spiritual
and social meanings. But as time rolled on we began to deny the very
existence of anything beyond our physical bodies.
Human beings have being modifying their bodies with ink and steel for
many thousands of years. Many people see tattoos and body modification
as a spiritual practice. Before the advent of modern pain management,
pain was seen as a natural part of life carrying a variety of spiritual
and social meanings. But as time rolled on we began to deny the very
existence of anything beyond our physical bodies.
As a result many people without tattoos cannot see past the image etched
onto the persons body to the deeper meaning or symbolism behind the
tattoo. It can often cause a wide variety of reactions in the
'uninitiated' from mild curiosity to extreme disturbance resulting in
fear and mistrust of the person. Tattoos by their very nature cause a
reaction especially on those who do not have them.
This begs the question on why anyone would want to get a tattoo without
considering the wider implications and deeper meaning behind the tattoo.
So many people wander into a tattoo studio and have no idea why they
want to get a tattoo other than seeing their favorite rap artist or
basketball player and thinking it looked cool. So they waste the tattoo
artists time by saying they want a Nike swoosh on their butt or a tattoo
the size of a button on their back. Many tattoo artists will just put up and shut up because they see this as 'bread and butter' work.
Secondly getting a tattoo without due consideration can often lead to a
badly placed tattoo or badly thought out tattoo design. The results of
this are obvious but this is the number one reason why people get tattoo
removal in worst case scenarios or tattoo cover-ups. Some tattoo
artists are becoming renowned for their cover-up work as they are for
their actual artistic skill. Yet people do not realise the placement of a
small unambiguous tattoo may have later on if they want to get another
tattoo or the social restrictions it may bring.
Finally before getting tattooed (either for the first time or the
twentieth!) is important to deeply consider the design as well as the
placement of the tattoo and how it may interact with other tattoos
further down the track. Many people have gotten tribal armbands (when
they were cool!) and later decided that tribal tattoos carry no meaning
to them and that traditional style tattoos or celtic tattoos may have
been more suitable. I myself have been guilty of this and as a result
had a poorly thought out tattoo covered up.
Don't make the same mistake!