Before imitating super stars think of how it can affect you negatively.
Why jumping around now when Tattoos have been around since ancient Egypt and have also been discovered on "the iceman" from millions of years ago. So why all the talk today about the tattoo culture and its effects on our society? Some nations of the world still sees tattooing as a family and cultural tradition. Children are tattooed as a right of passage. In America, they feel it is an expression of who they are as a person. With this self expression comes positive and negative feedback from other members of our society. Some of the positive aspects of being tattooed can be expressed by many tattoo lovers. The rush of putting something decorative on their bodies is like no other feeling in the world. Knowing the mark of the needle is there forever is a beautiful committment to many ink seekers. Picking a design and saying it is part of "you" is what drives some to commit to tattoo collecting. Sports teams, girlfriends names, children's favorite play toys, favorite foods, brand names, flowers, and even frightening subjects are part of the tattooing design platform. A tattoo can mean a committment between two friends to be friends forever. A tattoo can commemorate a death of a family member, friend, or even a pet. Many times while doing memorial tattoos, artists will see the tears of the living flow under the buzz of the needle. The tattoo gives closure and security in knowing the memorial is permanently a part of the grieving person's body. "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" is actually what the memorial tattoo does for the client seeking to show their love, committment, or grief of losing a loved one. This is just one positive effect of getting tattooed. Another effect that can be positive is the ornamental decoration of one's body. Many decorative designs can be seen on young people and even people in their eighties. One episode of Miami Ink showed an eighty year old lady getting her first tattoo. She was a perky eighty year old and wanted to have her initial on her upper arm. It was an honor for Ami to decorate her virgin skin at the age of eighty. Art on the skin has been around for millions of years. Expressing oneself through artistic designs is an uplifting experience for many being tattooed. The designing of a unique tattoo is one positive part of the tattooing experience. Becoming the designer gives the tattoo client a sense of ownership of the artwork being placed on their bodies. Some tattoo artists do not like to use artwork done by the client or a client's agent. Some art just does not make for good tattooing. If a piece of art is not up to an artist's view of good tattoo art, the artist may refuse to do the tattooing. If the artist approves of the art the client has designed, then it can have a very uplifting and positive effect on the client. The pride that comes with saying they designed their own artwork is great. Choosing the placement is another positive control of one's own body and what will become a part of their being forever. Positive feedback from friends and family also adds to the clients feelings of euphoria from being tattooed. Negative feedback is also very common when someone gets a tattoo. Society in the past few decades was very critical as a whole of tattooing. To be tattooed was a stereotype of being in the class of people who had been in prison, in jail, in trouble, or even in a gang. Now the stereotype has changed, since doctors, lawyers, teachers, grandparents, moms, and even preachers are getting tattoos. This new generation that has been encouraging of the tattoo culture and has promoted the positive image of tattoos. Still with this new generation extending their open arms to tattoo artists and people covered in tattoos, there are still sections of the general public that look down on tattoos. If one covers their tattoos in the workplace, then sometimes the negative effects are not felt. Many tattoo seekers do not realize the negative effect of getting a tattoo in a visible place. Covering a visible tattoo for career reasons can be a committment in its self. Make-up and even clothing choices are under scrutiny when trying to keep tattoos from public viewing. This is one reason artists may discourage a tattoo seeker from getting a neck, face, or even a lower arm tattoo. The armed services is also very stringent on tattoos being viewable to the public while in the service. Once soldiers were proud of getting their new tattoos and showing them off, now if visible, a service man can be charged with insubordination for having visible tattoos. So when considering a tattoo, be sure you consider the negative effects of tattooing your body for life. As an artist, I view the positive effects as outweighing the negative effects. This is all realitive to the person being asked. One's experiences will determine if tattooing is viewed as positive or negative. It is all about how you look at the big picture, even if that picture is on your skin! So before you tattoo try and have a good reason of doing it
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