We are part of a generation where tattoos have become normalized. They are no longer something to gawk at or something to make you question the individual behind the ink. Tattoos are symbols of who we are inside. They build on our individuality, our uniqueness and the fundamental values each of us chooses to stand for.
At the same time, tattoos allow us to be a part of something. They might represent our nationality, culture, race, gender, community. They might be of our favorite sports team or band, or our favorite book or film. This is not only a representation of ourselves but a manner in which we connect to others who identify in the same way.
Tattoos are permanent, and the thought of that scares people. I personally like to consider them in the same way that I would consider a potential partner; make sure you spend enough time wrapping your head around the idea of spending forever with them (or it, in this case) before you make the leap.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before getting a tattoo:
1. What does this tattoo mean to you? Does it represent a person or a place that is important to you, or a moment in time that you never want to slip from your memory? As long as it is something that you never want to forget, there will never be a reason to question its place on your body.
2. Are you proud of what it stands for? If you look in the mirror or down at your tattoo, and you see something that represents who you are and what you believe in, then own that ink.
3. Does it add to who you are? Tattoos shouldn’t limit you, they should expand on who you already are. They should take how you feel on the inside and reflect it on the outside.
No matter where your tattoo is located, or what it is, you got it for a reason. Whether that reason is spontaneous or involved years of planning and thought doesn’t really matter, so long as you know the reason exists.
I look at my tattoos and I feel like they are a part of who I am. They reflect parts of me that I would never simply share with someone, and yet it’s written so openly on my skin. When people ask why I give them a simple answer, “it reflects who I am.” Often times that probes more questions and that’s okay too. Maybe they don’t understand or maybe it means nothing to them, but as long as means something to me I don’t really care. My tattoos make me feel whole.
Permanency is scary, it’s a commitment and that can be intimidating. If you’re choosing to get a tattoo, make sure you ask yourself some of these questions. In the end, though, it’s no one’s body but yours. If you want to cover it entirely in tattoos or keep it entirely bare, that is your decision to make.
Featured image via Jamakassi on Unsplash
