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#1) Everything REALLY DOES look better with GOOD tattoos. (Even douchebags wearing Ed Hardy shirts...:rolleyes:). Whatever you're self conscious about ain't no thang when you've got a bad ass tattoo. Why would it be? You're too busy being stoked about the awesome tattoo. IMHO. #2) Keep watching, @growltiger, because it's not anywhere near finished yet! :) And if you wanna talk backpiece stuff feel free to PM me for anything! #3) It really is. Like I said, I've spent a lot of time (years) changing scripts in my head and weeding out the shaming stuff - btw totally get rid of anything that has advertising and/or commercials in it...anyway - I visited a friend who I had not seen for 3 years recently, and some of the first words out of her mouth were about how heavy she was and her weight - in response to a question that had nothing to do with anything at all about her or her weight! Because I don't have that particular shame-script running through my head any longer I was sort of shocked and surprised - and then really sad, because it sucks to have that awful, shameful, guilty, not-good-enough feeling running through your entire being at all times, and a lot of PEOPLE (all of us, regardless of gender) have that subconsciously ruling our lives. Just behind all of our other thoughts. And I felt sad for my incredibly talented and awesome friend who after three years, it was the one of the first things she wanted to communicate to me :(. FWIW, when I was younger, I realized that when I saw a woman who was clearly confident and also fat or somehow unattractive, my thoughts went along the lines of "who does she think she is? she's fat! she can't do/wear/say that!". I became afraid to go into public for awhile, because if *I* was thinking that then what were people thinking about ME? Literally would not go in public unless I had to for work or groceries. I began to wonder why I had such a sharp reaction, and such a negative one, at that? And what kind of asshole thinks that!! So I actively reversed my initial instinct and began admiring confidence in all who had it. (Why am I writing all of this? This is embarrassing/painful to admit, geez ) I think that there was something in me that was jealous of them for having confidence when I couldn't - if that makes sense? Like how could you be confident if I am not? (How dare you!) I think society gets mad when people go off script. I didn't like the way those thoughts made me feel, the way that negativity would sort of take over and poison me. A quick aside: Can I be honest, in the middle of this writing, and say that I am feeling a little bit of shame at ever having had such poisonous feelings...and feeling very grateful that I was able to literally change my mind....but wow, how petty and shortsighted and young. Life is a work in progress, always. Anyway - I traced a lot of my anxiety, guilt, fear, shame, and poisonous negativity to some of those thoughts I was describing (and of course many other thoughts and patterns in my life) - and I realized that I didn't have to accept my part of the deal. Just because society or some jerk or my mom or WHOEVER offered me this deal (i.e. be 'fat'! = feel shame, you're worthless!) didn't mean I had to participate. My thoughts are kind of falling apart here, but I think I'm trying to say - remove yourself from the equation. It takes some time to shed what we've been fed our entire lives, and you have to actively identify what is making you feel bad and then actively change it. Listen to your body. Do you feel bad? Knots in your stomach? Headaches? Active guilt/shame? Identify what triggers those feelings...dig deep if you have to...and then remove yourself from the thoughts/people/environments that are causing it. Ugh, word vomit, in the end just go get a big, awesome tattoo. I think that encapsulates what I'm trying to say...

@Johannes Congrats on both accounts! I'm at three months sober. It gets really tough sometimes, and I have lost virtually all social life, but I'm becoming way more productive. Keep it up.

started working in the construction business a couple weeks ago...an old friend called me upp and offered me a well payed job at a building site...hard work but i'll afford good tattoos later on and people will have places to live. win win situation in my book! - - - Updated - - - and a little pat on my own back for being sober for two months now..(pretty good since everyone i know seems to work in a bar or just love drinking..)

I decided against the coffee, because I didn't want to amp myself up too much. Figured it would be easier to stay calm this way. So, I got there a few minutes after she opened, and she had another client getting ready to sit down. I asked her if I could talk to her for a minute, and she came over to the side and I quietly explained the situation. I did it quietly so as not to alarm the other client or make him think she doesn't do good work. I showed her where the star was uneven, and she agreed that the best way to make it all even was to fill it in all black. She was very understanding, and I made sure to explain to her from the start that I was not angry or upset and nor was I planning to drop her as my artist. We both remained calm and reasonable and were able to reach an agreement without either one of us becoming upset. I'm very glad we did, and this makes me want to stick with her even more. I have an appointment for some other work this coming Tuesday, and she said she would have time to go over the star then. I'm just so glad that it went well. It's a tough call asking an artist to cover their own work, but she was reasonable and understanding about the whole thing and I feel very lucky to be able to have her as an artist. It takes a strong person to be able to look at their mistakes and say, "yeah, I messed up, but I'll make it right".

Done. Getting one of his geometric flowers. No idea where I want to put it, but I'll figure that out when I get there...

Another display option if you have the same ikea lamp:

I decided to test this theory, being unfamiliar with Dio and today's work requiring a little 'awesoming' up. This just resulted in my secretary, a quite stuffy retirement-aged man who had come into my office to do some filing, throwing me the devil horns and having a little mosh. It's made my day. Dio for the win.

Blackheart Walk-In Day is coming up!!!

Just adopted a 1 year old small black lab mixed with who knows what. We got it from a local rescue that drives to the South (he's a Kentucky dog) and brings them back to the twin cities. So far, much like myself, he's enjoying the change and the snow! He's really mellow and doesn't appear to have been too traumatized. Dogs really are great.

<blushes> Aww shucks... @cltattooing Even though I know and have confirmed multiple times that it's an owl, this is what I see every time your avatar pops up ahahahaha

Miss @beez, you are an inspiration!!

I hated my chubby, pale legs until I started getting them tattooed. Like, always wearing pants even though I lived in Texas, hated. Life is better now with my tattoos.

Thanks @beez and @SeeSea, you are both totally right. I've hit that age where youth is no longer on my side, plus having a baby, even though I came out of it relatively unscathed, has been a bit of a shock. I'm the same size as I was before, just everything is rearranged. I need reupholstering ;) It's very easy to be negative, like you say, about not being cool/pretty/thin enough but that is just years of exposure to body-shaming talking. I've seen someone on here say something along the lines of "Everything looks better with tattoos". I like that mantra :D @beez: I hadn't realised it goes right up your back too. What are you doing to me?!!

who: Clarens Monroy from Por Vida Tattoos (upland, california) what: Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when: Saturday where: Salt Lake International Tattoo Convention why: I want to start a sleeve of everything from my childhood that i loved or made an impact on my life and I got it at the convention only because I won a voucher for a free tattoo (under $500) tehehe just wanted to post a list, anyways, here's a picture of my tattoo (which i love very much)

starter kits, resources and tips for scratchers

We've got four cats and two dogs. Like others, there's far too many favourite photos to choose from. However, this week I'm going to see the highly excellent Monster Truck play in Glasgow, so here's Jorja rocking one of their T-shirts. Because - well, why not. :D

Maybe this is why I love pussy so much??? OMG....tattoo pigments are why I am gay!!! Nothing in life is safe......and no one is going to tell you what is really in the pigments......I've been tattooed for a loooong time and other than it making me a lesbian and the total lack of filter on my mouth anymore....i think I am perfectly normal! ;) The unicorn tears are why the tattoos don't hurt so bad.....without them you could never tolerate getting tattooed.....

Perseverance lectures are up!!! Junii! Jill Bonny! I mean Horiyuki! I mean Jill Mandelbaum I mean Jill Halpin!... ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT1KpJ2O1mU Chris Brand! Horishiki! And there are more too but I'll try posting them later if someone else doesn't get to it first. A little bummed I can't watch these till I get home. They may not be safe for work viewing if you work with uptight folks.

Doing anything while listening to Dio is fucking awesome.

I don't even know HOW I came across this pinterest site but some of these are so ... I don't even know what to say... It's worth checking out the entire collection, oy vey. Including a "Semen Demon" tramp stamp and a "Fo Sheezy My Jeezy" christ. Here are just a few: Nickelback (yes I think that's custard on her face...) Whore Life Degrading Mrs P. - - - Updated - - - I clicked through to find out WTF about the nickelback tattoo lady, and this buzzfeed article was unexpectedly hilarious. Enjoy :) 38 Reasons Why You Should Feel Better About Yourself Things could be way worse

@Dusk I grew up in Dallas and OKC - would never wear shorts growing up, and instead dealt with being hot and sticky and fucking miserable all the time. Now I see we both live in Seattle...coincidence? Hahaha - welcome to the forum and the cool pacific northwest!

I'm a bigger guy, standing at 6 ft 2 and weighing in a few hairs under 3 bills. I honestly have never given a thought to what a fat person looks like tattooed, because it makes no nevermind to me. Never thought for a second about placement or visibility vs body type or any other dumb shit. I personally don't believe that tattoos and body shape should have anything to do with each other, one way or the other. Just my personal opinion.

I know one bigger lady from the beach, she has a mastectomy done and plastic surgery to get her back to somewhat normal. She had the area tattooed and it looks great on her, really hard to see the scarring that they do a nice job covering up.

So I've had a tegaderm fail, not so much the product but just poor application/procedure. Only waited 4 hours after finishing to clean and cover, then I didn't take care in the layout of the sheets and had to cut and patch some corners to get full coverage. Woke up the next day with a tattoo sized blister effectively (very full of liquid) and over the course of the day one of the joins between my poor patching was compromised and started leaking. I ended up taking it off after just over 24 hours and reverting back to bepanthen. Moral of the story, take the time after the tattoo is finished to let it get rid of most of the plasma/ink etc. then seal it in with the 'derm. And maybe get some help placing sheets in spots you can't easily use both hands on.

i've only been workingout/lifting for ~3months and I prefer front squats over back squats... does that make me weird? PR'ed my front squat at 145lbs for 4 reps yesterday. also crossfit hasn't injured me yet. good mix of normal people and athletes at my gym (i refuse to call it a box) and the coaches provide great guidance on form/technique.

Awww, come on now...Don't hate, appreciate! Front Squats rule! (...so do goblet squats)

Dude I need this new album!

Saw Freddie Gibbs live I'm Santa Cruz. It was an awesome show.

This is great! And kinda relates to something my artist did a couple months ago. I'm not heavy, but did carry some extra poundage for some years, and I'm older. So I've got the start of some sagging in my mid back - you know where I mean. So he was placing the stencil for a moray eel on my lower back and the shape of the eel was similar to the contour of my back there. And I jokingly said, how about moving the eel up a little? :-) Well, by the time he got it where he wanted it, it worked perfectly! The top dorsal fin of an eel is kind of wrinkly compared to its body, and heck, that's sure fitting the tattoo to the body, right? LOL! Get a great tattoo! Go in and tell them if you want to hide anything or accentuate anything - your mom and her friends were on to something!

This is why we can't have nice things.

Got these bonji from Horimitsu today! They were done by machine, too small for him to tebori. Still awesome and very pleased. Please forgive the pic, they are still fresh and only a few hours old. They represent the Buddhist's Bosatsu for protection from evil.

Why is everyone on the show so apprehensive when it comes to tattooing someones ass? Have they never seen a bodysuit before? Fuck.

LOL! Learn something new every day...like that is not, in fact, an owl OR a stormtrooper hehehe ahaha

@beez haha! well technically it's a black-shouldered kite so I guess + = ???

I'm at work so no time to read back through the thread, but I recall people suggesting things that you weren't keen on. It might be worth you having a good response for why you don't like those ideas, in case she brings them up. I only say that as, based on this page of the thread, you say you are worried about being nervous, upset and/or angry. Having some responses in your mind might help you articulate them better. WhatSeeSea says makes sense too. Better to be over-prepared and get what you want out of this, than for it to go wrong and you potentially burn bridges.

Wow and thanks so much, @Lance! Can't wait to watch these.

Yet another body-positive thread. This forum makes me feel warm and fuzzy :-) Can I ask a dumb question wrt thighs. Specifically, lady thighs that are prone to cellulite in the not so distant future (thanks mum!). How would tattoos be affected? Would developing cellulite ruin a thigh tattoo or would the tattoo hide it to some extent? Presumably something geometric might go a little wonky, but would something more organic hold up?

paragraphs are your friends! :cool:

I told a co worker of mine that I'm getting a rattlesnake and a skull tattooed on my torso. He said "are you getting a Harley with that tattoo? hurr hurr hurr." From now on when someone at work asks me what I'm getting tattooed, I'm just telling them I'm getting a dead relative tattooed on me.

This is a thought I'm having after reading the above discussion: The problem I see with a great deal of these "after-care" products is the push and branding of them as opposed to the actual usage. I'd venture to say that some folks (not referring to LST members) often spend more time thinking on which after-care lotion to use than they do in regards to picking their tattooer. And for me, there lies some of the resentment. A great margin of these products are made by non-tattooers. Myself personally, I'd rather spend the cash I have getting the most amazing tattoo I could and going out again and getting another, healing it simply with what has worked for decades, than give a thought to these products that will make exponentially more money from selling their wares and not giving back to the tattoo community.

Benny Hill dubbed over some kids dancing at a festival. If you can watch this without laughing, then you probably aren't human. Haha

Can we just send Mr. Wells a shirt and call it even? I feel like thats the best way to go about this...

My 9 year old daughter, after learning how much her grandmother hates tattoos, told me, "well, that's her problem then." :)

LOL, I can't stop laughing at this one!

tattoos make everything look better.

Sorry folks but hitler fucked it up for everybody from here on out to eternity. Along with that mustache. So I'm not into it at all. Not one bit

If the original post was asking for info about the politics of the Japanese tattoo world in itself (their drama within their own tattoo culture, tattoo families etc), I apologize in advance for this long post about having tattoos in Japan. I've spent a lot of time in Japan, most of it centered around tattoo-related things. I've tattooed there a good amount, as have many of my friends. I work with a japanese tattooer who specializes in their traditional style of tattooing, working with machine and by hand. Both of us have been tattooed by Horiyoshi 3 extensively, by hand in Yokohama, which puts you right in the middle of where tattooing intersects with the underworld in their culture (Juan could also talk a lot about that I'm sure, having managed to get dozens of Yakuza naked and photograph them). We talk about this stuff all the time, and I've also had many hours of lengthy discussions with other tattooers who've spent way more time in Japan than I have, pre-dating the Japanese "open" tattoo scene that they have now; as well as years of talking to Japanese friends who live here and there. Given all that, I don't see any reason why people shouldn't discuss this publicly. In fact, I'd say it SHOULD be discussed, so tattooed people who'd like to go to Japan can have an idea about how to behave/what to expect/basic rules of thumb for services etc that might be effected by your having tattoos. I had a customer telling people the other day "you don't show a KOI tattoo in japan!!" which, while at least sensitive, is a little extreme and oversimplified. The above links have really good info. One of the best snippets I found was roughly "in Japan, the Yakuza are never far". That's really true, but not in the way you might think. In Japan, organized crime is an accepted part of the culture, and frequently they are involved in business that comes into contact with regular people (construction, high-interest cash loans which are very popular, nightclubs, property management etc). A friend of mine's elderly mother needed the roof on her house replaced: she got a bid of around $20,000, contracted the company to do it, paid them, and they stole her money. Although her deceased husband had once been the mayor of the town they live in, she was powerless to do anything. It's not like here where as long as you're pretty much not trying to deal large amounts of drugs on the street, or walking around in the ghetto dressed like 2-pac, gangs are pretty much going to leave you alone, because you're not moving in their world. In Japan, the Yakuza make their living off the normal people (as I understand it), so there's always the threat that ordinary people might have to deal with them. There are magazines you can buy at 7-11 in Japan that are basically like "Yakuza Weekly", it's that accepted. One of the famous ones is called "Document" This intimidation is where a lot of their power comes from, from what I can tell. Japan is a very "polite" society, where fitting in is stressed to a degree that we can't comprehend. People are quiet for the most part, humble, keep to themselves. The idea of a thug coming into a small business and making a commotion (most indoor spaces in Japan are small) by shouting or simply threatening to make a scene is intimidating enough that most business owners would want to pay money, monthly, to avoid such a mess. Every street tattoo shop in Japan I've ever asked pays these kind of fees, as I'm sure many, many businesses do. Even extremely well connected people I've met still pay, just heavily reduced amounts. Asian culture in general is just so much more homogenous than life as we know it, to stand out at all is to really draw attention to one's self. So tattoos not only go against the grain in the larger social sense, but they're also something that touches the ever present "yakuza" nerve in the minds of much of the population. It's like a double whammy for a largely mild-mannered people. An easy way to think about it is imagine being at the library with your kid, or at a restaurant, and seeing some guy walk in with "MS13" or "Slauson Crips" tattooed very visibly on his neck; would make most normal people uncomfortable. In Japan, to SOME people, it doesn't matter if you've got My Little Pony on your arm and you're as white as Howdy Doody, if you're showing a tattoo in public, you're a thug, and probably a criminal. I've had little old men come up to me and call me a Yakuza, and even after I explained in Japanese that I'm not Japanese so I can't be Yakuza (which isn't really true anymore), they just keep pointing at the tattoos and saying "Yakuza, Yakuza..." But keep in mind, that's the exception. In Japan, pretty much anyone who's not Japanese is seen as kind of a monkey anyway, so even without tattoos, there're going to be things they don't want you doing/participating in. I've gotten dirty looks without anything showing in a Bob Dylan themed bar for merely invading their little world. But I've also been shown enormous kindness with a lot of skin showing by elderly people. Kind of like here, I find young adults and middle aged people tend to be most offended, while kids, teenagers, and the old & elderly are usually interested or inquisitive about foreigners and/or tattoos. I've also seen many Japanese people showing tattoos in public, even very traditional ones. I'd be happy to answer any questions that I can, but in general: In Japan, many people live in tiny apartments that don't have a bathroom or even a toilet, let alone a shower (imagine living in a bed & breakfast with no shower). Many people who do have the square, deep traditional baths big enough for one in Japan will acutally re-heat bath water for themselves to save water & heating costs. Because of these constraints, and because it's so nice, the "Sento" or public bath is still very popular. Sento are kind of like an indoor public pool, but it's a bathhouse which has a separate side for men and women. There are little faucets with very hot water that you sit in front of on a stool, next to other people doing the same. Here you wash yourself with soap before getting into the very hot bath, which is usually big enough for 3-6 people. There are also showers, but the real fun is the bath, which feels amazing (there's usually an even hotter one right next to it). Sento is everyone's basic right, to take a bath, so it doesn't matter how many tattoos you have, you're welcome. When you hear japanese tattooers talking about seeing tattoos for the first time in the bathhouse, they mean Sento, not Onsen. Onsen are the natural hot springs scattered all throughout Japan, almost all of them have minerals that good for your health. Usually there's some kind of facility built up around them, whether it's a huge wooden building, a hotel, a rustic retreat, or even just a vessel that looks like a swimming pool. Some onsen are outdoor, some indoor, some co-ed, some public, some private. Unlike Sento, Onsen is a luxury activity, and a source of much national pride. It's like going to a spa here, many elderly people and families are on vacation, tour groups have chartered busses, schools are taking class trips etc. They want to enjoy the scenery relax, deeply, and they're naked in public (all Sento and Onsen are nude all the time). They don't wanna see Scott asking them to scoot over in some language they don't understand. Therefore, many Onsen don't allow tattooed people, they figure "why bother trying to sort out the good tattooed people from the bad, all Yakuza are bad, period, and many Yakuza have tattoos". If you want to enjoy Onsen, I'd say look for those that are more rural and private, not too fancy, connected to a hotel or inn. I've only been to a few, and the ones I know don't allow tattoos tend to be some of the most famous and beautiful. But I HAVE enjoyed seeing snow fall in ultra hot water under the night air with many naked tattooed guys, so it can be done. Hotels AFAIK don't turn away anyone, all have private baths. Some have Sento or "rooftop Onsen" which are nice and usually small, so you dhouldn't be shy about using them. Capsule hotels seem to be the exception, as they have a kind of Sento only, and since they're located in nightlife heavy areas, that means many Yakuza, so they don't want tattooed people in the public bath inside. Many nightclubs in Japan have specific "rules" which, as a monkey, they're going to think you of course don't understand; so you might get turned away, even if you're with a Japanese person, but not always. In Japan, just be polite, bow your head a little to people, say "Sumimasen" if you say nothing else (excuse me), and put soy sauce on your rice if you want, you're an American. anyway, I typed a lot & I wanna do something else, but happy to help anyone who has a question if I can