keepcalm

...a TED speaker asks: Juan Enriquez: Your online life, permanent as a tattoo | Talk Video | TED.com I thought it was an intriguing talk only because often, the negative reactions to tattoos have to do with them being "forever," and "what if you change your mind?", etc. It made me think about the young people I've known who've passed away -- their Twitter feeds, their Facebook profiles -- their online selves are frozen in time. The girl who passed away 12 years ago, would she still like those same TV shows she talks about on Twitter, or be comfortable showing those Facebook profile pictures? In the grand scheme, it doesn't f^cking matter -- those things show who she was at that time, and I don't think there's anything shameful or regrettable or embarrassing about that. We're all humans, and we all grow and change our minds and adopt new attitudes. Everything we leave behind -- tattoos, Facebook pages, message board posts, blogs, pictures -- is just a big, fat smearing of evidence of how we've personally tripped through life. Like the slime trail a slug leaves behind. Yes, you can quote me on that last one. I know it's elegant as f^ck. ::sips tea, pinky out::

I totally agree! At the moment, my right leg/side has more tattoos, but I have a small tattoo on my left ribcage. I like the way it feels and the way it looks and would like to keep it going.

I agree. I would also posture a guess that the huge swell in people starting to get tattoos in the last decade or two is an increase in people getting tattoos to mark occasions, remember loved ones, "assert their identity" (whatever that means), etc., NOT an increase in people getting tattoos because they like tattoos. I feel like the people in the latter group have been getting tattoos for that reason for a while, and will keep on doing so regardless of what everyone else is doing (or what the media is saying about tattoos!). I'm not necessarily saying the later group's decision has any less to do with identity, but yeah.

An interesting read from The Atlantic -- just offering it up for perusal: The Identity Crisis Under the Ink - The Atlantic Excerpt: In 1998, Velliquette and colleagues conducted an interview-based study that found people use tattoos as a way to cement aspects of their current selves. “We were hoping to look at the postmodern identity, and really what we found is that we were in this modern era where people did know who they were,” she said. “They had a sense of their core self.” Eight years later, the team revisited the idea. The second study, like the first, found that people used tattoos as a means to express their past and present selves. But the people interviewed in the second group also seemed to need proof that their identities existed at all. They relied on tattoos as a way to establish some understanding of who they actually were. “We continue to be struck by rapid and unpredictable change,” study co-author Jeff Murray said at the time. “The result is a loss of personal anchors needed for identity. We found that tattoos provide this anchor. Their popularity reflects a need for stability, predictability, permanence.”

Two marathons in two months! Intense :) One of the things I hate most about getting any tattoos from the waist down is that I have to put a hold on running for at least a week after. I'm thinking of getting the tops of my feet tattooed next year and am already bummed about all those missed runs :(

Ha, no worries, @sighthound! I do like the aesthetic of a pair of complementary feet, so I may tough up and do it anyway! And you're right -- pain is subjective and different for everyone. I also have a rib tattoo that I don't remember being particularly painful, but it was also my very FIRST tattoo, so my experience and memory was/is probably affected by that.

Dammit! I hate reading this, haha. I have plans to get a couple of animals heads at the beginning of next year, and right now my highest-bidding thought is to put one on the top of each foot. I've heard lots of people rate the foot high on the pain scale :(

@Marwin3000 -- love what you have goin' on!

Yay, a photo! Haha. I mentioned this in another thread, but I love seeing pictures of people with tattoos just in regular life doing regular things. It helps me when I'm thinking about placement for future work. I'm anal about it, and I like to be able to picture what I would look like with tattoos in particular places on my body. I wish I had more pictures of myself with my tattoos showing. And sadly now winter is arriving, and all but my face has been covered lately!

I'm interested in any answers you might receive! I visited Colorado for the first time over the summer -- Ft. Collins, Boulder, Denver, Vail/Avon -- and totally fell in love with the state. I would consider moving there sometime in the not TOO distant future -- having all those mountains -- hiking, camping, rock climbing, & the river -- right in your backyard! Heaven. Sadly, Boulder already seems to be getting expensive (in terms of real estate) because I think people are catching on to how awesome its location is. I could see myself living there even if it meant indulging the super crunchy granola folk who tend to gravitate there, haha! (Not that I have anything against granola.) (I love granola.) Anyway, ramble over -- sorry! Hope you get some replies from locals!

Thanks for posting this picture! I LOVE looking at pictures of regular people doing regular things where you can see some tattoos. It helps me immensely as someone who is admittedly kind of anal about placement -- I want to know what I would look like with a tattoo on certain parts of my body, and seeing other people with tattoos in those places I am considering is helpful. Google image searching only goes so far, because usually the photos are taken with the intent of showing off the tattoo(s), so it doesn't give you a good idea of what the person would look like in regular life, regular clothes, and regular postures. Incidentally, I think it's a great photo, and it shows how well the tattoo on your arm fits your personality! :) More pictures, people! ;)

I met @mmikaoj this week in Stockholm! He hosted me for a night as a couchsurfer, and I got to enjoy an amazing dinner with him and all of his housemates, too! Very fun and generous folks, all of them. AND I got to see all the art he has hanging around, and the art he is making himself! A stand-up guy, this one (and talented). Thank you again for the hospitality and for being awesome, @mmikaoj! :) Hope to see you again soon -- either back in Sweden or in the States! (wink nudge)

@mmikaoj, saw your note about Sweden (finally -- whoops!!) and replied!

I grew up in the southeast, and I think there's a lot of bad-quality work there. So many crosses. All the "only god can judge me"s. Beer-drinking good ol' boys with the sleeves cut off their t-shirts exposing something gnarly tattooed on their biceps. Tribal. Again, from my experience, tattoos are seen as "trashy" in the southeast more than anywhere else in the U.S., but I am probably judging the area harshly because of my own experiences there, haha. Incidentally, Miami might be its own ecosystem -- I've never been there, but I imagine the tattoo scene there is distinct from, for example, the middle of Alabama.

Yeah, this is my 5th(ish) tattoo, and I've healed it differently than all the others. Aquaphor for the first couple days, then nothing for a couple days, then a light layer of lotion for a few days, and on and off whenever it looks/feels like it needs it. I have to say, other than the swelling, it has been the nicest healing process by far. It barely itches!

I will capitalize on this thread to ask a question: If you had to recommend a couple of books that are a good place to start for someone interested in learning more about the history, culture, and development of tattoos and the art of tattooing generally, what might you recommend?

Swoon indeed. I love the look!

Agreed, @jimmyirish - lots of good points, here! I think it might also be something I ponder often because I really like tattoos, but I usually don't feel "part" of the culture -- I feel out of place in many shops because I'm not heavily covered at all, and I don't know a lot of the things that people who are into tattoos usually know, like the names of all the Japanese figures and scenes, or what particular styles are called, or many of the most famous tattoo artists, etc. I guess I just usually feel like I'm not quite in the culture, but not quite an outsider either. I do like reading about tattooing, though -- and lately I have stumbled across several artists whose work I love, and who I'm excited to follow a bit, etc. So that's always fun. I dunno. I try not to take any of it -- or myself -- too seriously and just enjoy it! This forum helps :)

A quote from the above BBC link: "Words like 'untidy', 'repugnant' and 'unsavoury' were all used to describe the perception clients were likely to gain of the organisation if someone decorated in this way was hired." A question I ponder occasionally: What will it take for the general public to stop seeing tattoos and tattooed folk in such a negative light? time? a generational shift? both? the publicizing of quality work instead of the often-dumb tattoos celebrities get? ha The Getty stock photography collection inspired by that "Lean In" book (which I haven't read and don't necessarily regard) has been a cool thing to watch unfold: It would be so cool if more companies started buying and using stock images of tattooed moms and dads, etc., in their advertising. Check the first photo in this article, for ex.

I had no idea about cat hair either! This thread is so informative, haha. I'm just happy I can finally wear pants again now that this thigh tattoo is settling down.

I have the blues a bit after my tattoo last weekend, I think because it was such a good experience, and a design I'd be looking forward to getting for a while. However, I already have another consultation and appointment booked (with a different artist) for February, so there's something to look forward to again! :)

Haha love this and congratulations! :)

Whoops! Meant to post that in the "commiserate about healing" thread, haha! Carry on, ladies. Loose pants, yoga pants, yes yes :)

He did get rid of the redness in the photo, yes! I can't wait til it's calmed down in real life, haha. Haha good idea! Yeah I'm kind of sad that I can't see the two pieces on the backs of my shoulders, because I'm quite fond of that pair. I will be staring at this one until it's too cold out for anything but pants! :)

Thanks! Yeah, Dennis did the blush on her cheek. It's a bit bleedy in that photo so is a bit unclear I suppose, haha. She is such a babe, though, and I love her more and more every hour! (This is also the first tattoo I've gotten in a location that I've been able to look at more regularly, so I think I am just enjoying that aspect, too, haha!)