First, I shouldn't allow redneck culture to dissuade you should you truly wish to get some ink. Second, I rather like your avatar as a tattoo. Remember that many tattooists have a machine in their shop, a kind of specialized photocopier, that gives them a photocopy of simpler tattoos like tribals in a form that transfers to the skin with the application of water. This machine can size up and down. If you are worried that the design seems a bit delicate, you can have it sized up to give it a more robust appearance.
Mal, I love your tattoo and the meaning behind it. A coworker of mine is drawing me a tattoo of a phoenix, to remind me that no matter how bad things get, I always have a chance to rise from the ashes of my life and rebuild something better.
Thanks. Heather, that's pretty much what mine is. It's phoenix wings. Though no one ever figures that out on their own, so maybe I didn't do a very good job. Most people guess that it's a butterfly, and I had one person guess that it was an alien plant in a vase (??? seriously?). What I like about having it on my back like that is that I always forget it's there. So I'll see it in the mirror every so often and be like, "Hey, nice tattoo!"
Tattoos and piercings makes me cringe, but the quietest and most polite students in my class are often the ones with the piercings! I prefer to see artwork on the wall, and even then I get tired of looking at the same pictures after a few years and change them around, so I've never got the point of being stuck for life with the same (not always very well-drawn) image (on slowly ageing skin). But I've always wondered, doesn't a tongue piercing affect your sense of taste a bit and make eating less fun? I've never had the nerve to ask.
In the beginning it was awkward with the tongue ring but after awhile you don't even notice it- at least I didn't. Plus you are given this huge bar for swelling. Once you get one that fits against both sides you forget you have it. Nothing was different, I didn't lose any taste or feeling. I took it out because I cracked one of my molars...that was less than fun. I agree somewhat with how you feel about tattoos. I have seen some that were awful and I felt bad for the person. I have also seen a few that left me completely jealous and wanting one. The first one I got was a complete mistake and I regretted my choice, though loved the experience of it. The ones I have mean something to me and I know I will be okay with them for the duration- however long that may be I do recommend to anyone wanting or about to get a tattoo, make sure you like what you get. That may sound stupid but plenty of people just get one for the sake of getting one (myself included). Luckily mine was able to be covered, some people aren't that lucky and are stuck with it forever. Some good advice I heard was draw it on yourself with permanent marker, at least 3 times and if you miss it then it's most likely a good choice. Sometimes that is enough to get the tattoo bug out of your system. They are addicting once you start so choose well
Mal, I can totally see the phoenix wings, now I feel dumb for not realizing that before. Very cool. Even cooler because you drew it yourself! On the subject of getting tattoos and then growing tired of them...the advice I was given was to get a picture of what you wanted, keep it somewhere for a long period of time, and then take it out and look at it again. If you still wanted it, get it. I do that, and I also cinnim0n said, draw it on myself with permanent marker.
Ha! I just saw this. This is what I always tell people when they start to extol to me about how they are getting their tattoo in a spot you can't see, and they've been looking at this tattoo forever, and blah, blah, blah... I just put my hand up and tell them, "Yes, yes. All that good stuff and more. Just know that you might think this is your first and only tattoo, but they are like really tasty potato chips. You can't have just one." I also tell them not to buy into the whole, "It don't hurt. It just kinda' bothers while they are doing it." macho B.S. I have six tattoos and each one of them hurt like a beepity-beep-beep! 'Specialy the ones one my calves. Those were p-p-p-paaaaaainful!!! Oh, yeah. Ain't tryin'a front. OUCH!!!
Try a henna tattoo, too. When I was doing those, I had a lot of people come in and ask me to do designs that they were thinking about for a permanent tattoo. It lasts for a couple weeks (longer than permanent marker, actually). In regards to pain, I remember mine hurting quite a bit. Afterward, though, it really just felt like I'd gotten a sunburn on my back.
I did the henna thing, too, for one that I was thinking about getting. The chinese symbol for eternity on my right hip. It was cool, but I decided against it. And now I'm sort of starting to wonder why...maybe I'll get it again so I can remember why I didn't want to get it. The one on my hip just stung a little, until he got closer to the hip bone and then it stung a lot. Afterward is when it really hurt, though. For the first couple days after I got it, it was painful. The one on my ankle (it's like half an inch in diameter...tiny little thing) made me cry. And while I cry easily at emotional situations, I don't usually cry at physical pain.
I'm planning to get a big one on my right shoulder and back area of a scarlet macaw sitting in a rainforest tree looking over a moonlit lake. Also, I want a tattoo of an eye--either green or violet--on my right wrist, a tattoo of Pooh bear (and my kids names on surrounding honey pots if i ever have kids) on my right ankle, a rose on my left ankle and a tramp stamp, although I don't know of what yet.
I agree. It f***ing hurts. When my aunt did my moth she had to have someone hold my leg and foot because it was twitching so hard she was messing up lol. When I did the other one I was so worried about messing up that I didn't think about it just went slow and was able to stop when it started to hurt. It does go numb if one area is concentrated on but when it's the outline, holy poop. I have seen big men weep and small girls just sit there so I'm sure it depends on the persons pain tolerance and if the one doing it is heavy handed or not.
I guess everyone has their own pan tolerance. The one on my rm tookabout 90 minutes and iwould have given thepain level maybe 2 out of 10 at most. I did ask what it was like before i got it, and thguy said its like gravel rash. And tats what it did feel like. The oneon my anckle took 30 minutes d would have been a 6 out of 10. Less flesh and more vibraton I just focused on the noise and closed my eyes. The one on my arm i almost fell asleep tobe honest. When i was younger and got my lips pierced, that was more of a challenge for me.
<-- (mixture of the two) I just had a totally demotivating conversation with William about the tattoo that I want on my forearm. "Won't be able to get a job...." "People will look at you in a certain way...." "Only thugs get tattoos you can see..." Blah, blah, blah, - Thanks, Mom! Yes, Mom! - blah!
Hmm..the one on my upper back, has the most color work right on my spine. It hurt, but I just made my friends talk to me while the artist was working on it. I most definitely will get another. Oh, Wrey I am sorry.
I have to admit, I've had similar conversations with my sister about limiting jobs she could get with visible tattoos. My take on visible tattoos, though, is that if it's tasteful and it's something you really want, go for it. You can always interview in a long-sleeved shirt. I forget if I mentioned this, but my friend Mike is drawing ideas for the phoenix tattoo I want to get. He showed me a couple sketches he had done so far, and they look so good! I'm really excited.
And the deal is, I don't want a tattoo on my upper arm / shoulder. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo typical.
Exactly! It's not like visible tattoos make you a bad person. As for the upcoming tat, so excited for you!
Thanks! He sent me a pic of one idea he's got, and I love it! I'll have to upload it and post it in here for you all to see. Or maybe I'll just wait until I get it, so you can see it in all its glory.
