Tattoos

[Curiosity]

I am ignorant on the topic of tattoos... not because I dislike them but I detest needles - and for cosmetic reasons I have a choice not to go near them. I nearly lost my lunch getting my ears pierced when my girlfriend and I dared each other one Saturday to get them done...

What are the benefits and/or meanings of these graphics on one's body?

Do most people try to send some kind of personal message with them?

Are they considered beautiful by most?

Some of the ones I have seen on television are great works of art... but skin tends to reshape and the colors fade.... and they become blurred.... and they are expensive too yes?

Any information to share? I'd love to learn about them.​

 

[Tonington]

I like tattoo's on women, so long as they aren't the run of the mill dolphin on the hip or the like. I like them as art, and I appreciate the thought that goes into said art. When it has meaning, and a story, it's so much better than, hey lets go get tattoo's. I'd like some tattoo's, but I haven't come up with a design yet, or where I would like to put it. Those ink shows on the telly normally involve customers with an idea, and then the artist draws something up. I'd go for that.

The only thing that would hold me back is the wrinkling and fading of body and ink.

 

[karrie]

my little brother is emotionally stunted, for lack of a better explanation. He can't properly express joy, love, sorrow. For him, his tattoos are an expression of his feelings, his personality, that he simply can't get out otherwise. When there's a death, a birth, or just when he finds a symbol that speaks to him of someone he loves, he gets a tattoo. He's asked once to get a dragonfly for me. A symbol of our youth, growing up and playing along the river. It hurts, yes, but it's a price to pay in his view, to be able to get a design he loves. something to permanently tap into, and show for the world, that emotion.

And I think it probably doesn't hurt that it makes women want to touch his arms. lol.

 

[karrie]

The only thing that would hold me back is the wrinkling and fading of body and ink.

But bodies wrinkle and fade anyway. Even without ink there.

My biggest concern is the texture. I want a fairly tribal looking tattoo, but every woman I've ever met who had a predominantly black tattoo, you can FEEL the tattoo. They stand out, coarse and ridged, even after five or six years.

 

[Tonington]

I've thought of getting an owl tattoo. As a kid I talked too much, to the point where I would talk about things I didn't know anything about. My grandfather kinda guided me to the more reserved person I am today, with the story of the wise old owl. I have a ceramic owl in my appartment which my mother gave to me when I went to university. Some people made cracks about it without knowing, and I got rather upset.

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?​

 

[karrie]

That's a neat idea.. and there are a lot of cool ways it could be done.

 

[Twila]

When I turned 19 I got my first tattoo. Thought I was a rebel. Got another at 20 and another 2 at 21. Now I'm 36 and wish I didn't have them. I would prefer to be naked.

Mine did have stories, but I've grown and I'm almost a completely different person who, for the most part doesn't want reminders of what I use to be.

 

[Niflmir]

Yeah, I carry a photo of my grandfather around in my wallet, the first person in my family to ever pass away. One day I took it out without really knowing what I was doing and nearly burst into tears at work.

On a less serious note.

 

[hermanntrude]

I have a friend who has a white tatoo. You can hardly tell it's there except when she's tanned. It's quite neat... very subtle

 

[goat]

I must say I am particularly drawn to tramp-stamps

 

[lone wolf]

Never really found one I would consider marrying....

Wolf

 

[Twila]

tramp-stamps

I've never heard this expression before...

 

[Cosmo]

Hmmm ... I have seven tattoos. I got my first one at 15. I'm 48 so back then it was rare for anyone except bikers and sailors to have them.

I love my ink. Each one I've had tells a story about my life. Every meaningful rite of passage is represented on my body. I've had two covers done, one because my very first tattoo was spotty from being hidden from parents and, consequently, getting rubbed a bit. Another was an extremely fine design (single needle work) that blurred after about a decade.

Yep, Curio, they all mean something important to me. I love every single one of mine.

Have they, um, "evolved" with my maturing body? Yep. Definitely. The one I got back in '81 is on my lower tummy and the lines have blurred a lot, the shape has changed with weight lost or gained, it's not nearly so pretty anymore. But it is still meaningful to me, and really, that's what matters.

I have a labrys (two headed axe) on my left upper arm, a blue heron on my right upper arm. These two tats are probably my favourites. They express the dual sides of my personality ... heron is still, patient, quiet, mysterious ... the labys is a lesbian symbol expressing empowerment, strength and "don't 'f' with me" view of life.

I couldn't imagine not having tattoos! I've been saving my entire back for a single piece. Originally I got my tattoos where I could see them myself because I love them so none were anywhere I couldn't view.

And yep, the good ones are expensive. It will probably run me a couple grand to do my back. And it will take a number of sessions. I'm hoping to have it done for my 50th birthday. I haven't yet decided on a design. I want to sit down with the artist to do that. I'm hoping my favourite tattoo artist (a woman from Victoria) will be back before it's time for me to start this and I'll be able to work with her. She did some of my work and my piercings.

Short answer would be that I love my ink, even though it has changed with time. But like my crow's feet and smile lines, I don't mind the changes. My entire body is a map of my personal history and I wouldn't remove a single scar, tattoo or wrinkle.

Oh, and tattoos aren't like getting a needle. The process feels more like a burn while it's being done, but there is no pain at all once the inking has stopped.

 

[Brat]

I have 3 tattoos.
I got my first one when I was 28 years old. I turned 38 this year and got two more.
My first tat is on my ankle. It's of my childrens initials surrounded by roses. It is of something that I am extremely proud of (Since I wasn't suppose to have children) and will never change in my life.
My second tattoo is of a clover, with a red center. It's on my shoulder. It represents my Irish heritage and uniqueness.
The third is of a black butterfly on my forearm. It was the logo from a book that I read that really helped me thru a situation. It's there as a reminder for me, that I am a good person even when others feel the need to abuse or put me down.
I love my tattoos. They're personal to me and I really don't give a s.h.*% what others might think of them. I am actually planning on having more done.
They are painful to get, but the pain is soon forgotten and it's not that bad really. Kinda like a bee sting. And as far as expense is concerned, it depends on who you go to to have it done and how large the tattoo is.
If you get one, make sure the person who does it has a certificate from the board of health and they are inspected often. Also talk to some of their clients and go through their portfolio.

 

[Curiosity]

So in our fast paced world tats are just another way of an abbreviated history of one's memorable experiences - expressed on the body?

Not many people have the time to sit down and write about themselves (which is sad because I think there should be a 'Book of.... ' every living human.) Impossible of course.

Even with the modern technologies, it still takes time. Like dictating into a recording device. Then having to catalogue the recordings themselves in chronological order.... that would wear out the most determined record keeper no matter how anal they were.

Tats are an expression - and because of their limited nature, selection is at a premium I am certain - where the most significant ones are selected.