Trethowan wrote:Yanagi-sen wrote:Trethowan wrote:I've always been too afraid of the permanence of a tattoo. They're pretty and very cool, but they're forever (mostly). I know one could remove them or cover over them but that sounds expensive and painful. :-p I used to say that the only way I'd get one was if I actually got my book published. I'd get a tiny little book tattooed on me somewhere discreet.
I can live vicariously through my dolls. I've got one that I want do do a full set of sleeves on! hehe
I knew I couldn't get a tattoo unless I designed it myself, and it had to MEAN something. I have a celtic knotwork crescent moon (yes, I designed it) in woad blue on my upper thigh. You can't see it unless I'm wearing a swimsuit or REALLY short shorts. I got it as a symbol of dedication to my goddess.
That makes sense. Most of the people I know who have gotten tats did so for very personal and meaningful reasons. I don't know too many folks who mark themselves without a deeper meaning. There are lots of 'drunken tattoos' on those tattoo art shows. Those are fun to watch.
It always mystifies me when people get tattoos on a drunken whim, and whooo-boy some of the stinkers they get!! The one that takes the cake for me is the fat French guy who got a pinup girl on his chest and torso...and used his own man-boob as a substitute for one of hers. It was...a well done piece artistically if not taste-wise, but it looked like something a body painter would paint on for a hilarious joke, not something you woke up to every day. I was looking at his wife (who was understandably horrified by his tattoo) and thinking "How do you go to bed with this man?"
When he finally got the coverup (a beautiful Chinese style tiger tattoo that I commend the artist for being able to cover up the tattoo so well) he was so happy he started crying. I would too if I finally got that monstrosity off me!
I treat tattoos with a reverence one might treat one's faith with. If something is going to be permanently inked into my body, it's damn well not going to be a tramp stamp or dolphins leaping over the sun. It's going to, as
Yanagi-sen said, have to
mean something, and that something needs to be worth getting a tattoo over!