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keepcalm

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  1. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from omeletta in The ladies thread   
    I wanted to share this sad but informative long-form piece from Jezebel called "The Tattoo Industry Is Having Its Own Wrenching, Revelatory 'Me Too' Moment."
    Personally, I (a woman) have been tattooed by three different men, and all of them were nothing but professional. I cannot imagine the horror and helplessness I would feel if a tattooer decided to sexually assault me while I was being tattooed! Talk about a vulnerable position! On the other side of the coin, it is disgusting to think that some female tattooers have had to put up with sexually suggestive comments/actions/pictures/etc. from clients while attempting to provide them with professional service.
    I hope no one here has a story like that.
    It is mentioned in the article as "an old cliché," but I think one of the more dangerous and harmful myths out there about women with tattoos is that we are "sexually available, and that [our] tattoos are there for men's pleasure." I am ready for that twisted belief to die a cold, hard death. Forever.
  2. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from piccalilli in The ladies thread   
    I wanted to share this sad but informative long-form piece from Jezebel called "The Tattoo Industry Is Having Its Own Wrenching, Revelatory 'Me Too' Moment."
    Personally, I (a woman) have been tattooed by three different men, and all of them were nothing but professional. I cannot imagine the horror and helplessness I would feel if a tattooer decided to sexually assault me while I was being tattooed! Talk about a vulnerable position! On the other side of the coin, it is disgusting to think that some female tattooers have had to put up with sexually suggestive comments/actions/pictures/etc. from clients while attempting to provide them with professional service.
    I hope no one here has a story like that.
    It is mentioned in the article as "an old cliché," but I think one of the more dangerous and harmful myths out there about women with tattoos is that we are "sexually available, and that [our] tattoos are there for men's pleasure." I am ready for that twisted belief to die a cold, hard death. Forever.
  3. Like
    keepcalm reacted to IX XV LXXXVIII in Latest tattoo lowdown.....   
    Got this nugget in Seoul, South Korea. Done by an artist with the instagram handle @Yuuztattooer. Took about 5 hours to complete. Doesn't speak much english, and I specifically went to Seoul to get a tattoo by him (I tacked on this special trip while in Hong Kong). Quite the experience, traveling to a foreign country I have never been to before. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Enjoy!

  4. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from pfj99 in The ladies thread   
    I wanted to share this sad but informative long-form piece from Jezebel called "The Tattoo Industry Is Having Its Own Wrenching, Revelatory 'Me Too' Moment."
    Personally, I (a woman) have been tattooed by three different men, and all of them were nothing but professional. I cannot imagine the horror and helplessness I would feel if a tattooer decided to sexually assault me while I was being tattooed! Talk about a vulnerable position! On the other side of the coin, it is disgusting to think that some female tattooers have had to put up with sexually suggestive comments/actions/pictures/etc. from clients while attempting to provide them with professional service.
    I hope no one here has a story like that.
    It is mentioned in the article as "an old cliché," but I think one of the more dangerous and harmful myths out there about women with tattoos is that we are "sexually available, and that [our] tattoos are there for men's pleasure." I am ready for that twisted belief to die a cold, hard death. Forever.
  5. Like
    keepcalm reacted to TattooedMumma in The ladies thread   
    hey @keepcalm , I only have one arm tattoo so far , its on the under/ outer side of my forearm. My arms aren't massively hairy, but the artist did need to shave the area anyway and the hair grew back no different to my other arm which is tattoo free in the same area. Everyone is different I guess, but I woud assume as a once off you woudnt notice much difference. I remember a girl in high school shaved her arms all the time and the hair always grew back rather intense, but my guess is that's due to the repeated shaving. 
     

  6. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from iowagirl in Lady Heads   
    I've decided I want a la-la-lady head from Nikki Lugo at Tattoo Paradise. I feel like my arms are too puny to put one there, though that's kind of where I want it. Lady heads are one thing I would consider getting in color because they look so awesome in color, but I think I'll keep sticking with all black & gray for now. Nikki has done some pretty black & gray ones -- I really like this one:

    Nikki at Tattoo Paradise
  7. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from Machcekborrach in Lady Heads   
    I've decided I want a la-la-lady head from Nikki Lugo at Tattoo Paradise. I feel like my arms are too puny to put one there, though that's kind of where I want it. Lady heads are one thing I would consider getting in color because they look so awesome in color, but I think I'll keep sticking with all black & gray for now. Nikki has done some pretty black & gray ones -- I really like this one:

    Nikki at Tattoo Paradise
  8. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Avery Taylor in Can't shake insecurity over loved ones' perceptions of [my] tattoos   
    “If your parents begin to like your work it's getting bad." -Charles Bukowski
  9. Like
    keepcalm reacted to soraya in Your overall look as a tattooed person   
    Great thread! This is why I love LST!
    I live in an environment where none of my friends have any interest whatsoever in tattoos. It is hard enough for them to get past the notion that I am tattooed. So asking them for their thoughts on coordinating clothing with tattoos would be a hilarious non-starter.
    But here, you get dozens of people who think about the same thing, and have ideas to share, and its no big deal.
    Thanks you guys!
    - - - Updated - - -
    I don't show my tattoos very much in my normal environment. But when we are on vacation away from home I do. In that case, if I am just out and about, I don't think much about coordinating my clothes. But if we are going out to dinner at a nice restaurant or something like that, and if am going to let my sleeves show, I generally tend toward solid colors, and black or charcoal, because it doesn't clash with the patterns of my tattoos.
    I like white too, because it really lets the tattoos take the lead because of the contrast. One of my favorite looks if I really want to rock my tattoos is a sleeveless white turtleneck. You have all of that pure white, and then "Pow!" – these colorful arms pop out of the sleeve openings. Love it.
  10. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from JBluewind in Plainskins say the darndest things...   
    Yup.
    ...and yup.
    I don't know if I'd call my first tattoo "silly" -- it's just a black & gray ibis about the size of a pad of Post-Its -- but I would like to think that I'm getting better at recognizing really good tattoos when I see them, about paying attention to the artists behind the tattoos instead of just the tattoos, and appreciating different artists's styles, etc. It's gotten more fun now, and I see why an entire culture exists around tattooing. When I was getting my first one, I didn't know any of that stuff, and I didn't think it was "about" that anyway. (It was about me -- duh. ;))
  11. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from JBluewind in Plainskins say the darndest things...   
    I look back with vivid embarrassment at my first thoughts surrounding my first tattoo... and after reading a post like this, I'm really glad I never really talked about it with anyone, haha. I had mostly come to my senses re: design before the needle hit my skin, thank goodness, but it took so long to get to that point because I was obsessive over everything (design/details/meaning/etc.).
    I think it's a really common perspective for people getting their first tattoo. Maybe I tend to have more sympathy for these people than others since I basically used to be like that myself. Of course, I still think they need to educate themselves, but I get where they're coming from. Too much attention to an abstract meaning almost always means the tattoo suffers. But when you think about changing your body permanently for the first time, it's probably pretty natural to want as much control as possible.
  12. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from PopsBdog in How do you react to stares??????   
    good god this
  13. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Tornado6 in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    This is difficult to selfie!

  14. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from Lance in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I forgot I made this embarrassing post!
    Thank you all for the encouragement and positive vibes :)
    I like the idea of trying henna first to see what it might look like. The foot/ankle would be the most all-year-round visible spot I'd have a tattoo, so I am having more than my normal amount of anxiety over placement.
    Alternatively, I'm also considering the back of my upper left arm (above the elbow) for this piece (a fox head and some patterned bits around it). I'm so terrible with decisions -- especially about tattoo placement. I've been looking at pictures of tattooed people on the internet for weeks now, trying to get a feel for how tattoos look in certain spots on the body.
    Classic overthinker, right here.
    Thanks again for the indulgence, guys! You really are the best.
    - - - Updated - - -
    Picture! :)
    And thank you for the encouragement!
  15. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from pidjones in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I forgot I made this embarrassing post!
    Thank you all for the encouragement and positive vibes :)
    I like the idea of trying henna first to see what it might look like. The foot/ankle would be the most all-year-round visible spot I'd have a tattoo, so I am having more than my normal amount of anxiety over placement.
    Alternatively, I'm also considering the back of my upper left arm (above the elbow) for this piece (a fox head and some patterned bits around it). I'm so terrible with decisions -- especially about tattoo placement. I've been looking at pictures of tattooed people on the internet for weeks now, trying to get a feel for how tattoos look in certain spots on the body.
    Classic overthinker, right here.
    Thanks again for the indulgence, guys! You really are the best.
    - - - Updated - - -
    Picture! :)
    And thank you for the encouragement!
  16. Like
    keepcalm got a reaction from hogg in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I forgot I made this embarrassing post!
    Thank you all for the encouragement and positive vibes :)
    I like the idea of trying henna first to see what it might look like. The foot/ankle would be the most all-year-round visible spot I'd have a tattoo, so I am having more than my normal amount of anxiety over placement.
    Alternatively, I'm also considering the back of my upper left arm (above the elbow) for this piece (a fox head and some patterned bits around it). I'm so terrible with decisions -- especially about tattoo placement. I've been looking at pictures of tattooed people on the internet for weeks now, trying to get a feel for how tattoos look in certain spots on the body.
    Classic overthinker, right here.
    Thanks again for the indulgence, guys! You really are the best.
    - - - Updated - - -
    Picture! :)
    And thank you for the encouragement!
  17. Like
    keepcalm reacted to cltattooing in Money is a vulgar topic, but...   
    I know it's hard to not think like this especially if you are new to getting tattooed or prone to getting star-struck (me), but you shouldn't! Tattooers are just people with a specialized skill set. We owe our lives to the clients and have no valid reason to think that we are better than you. Don't get tattooed by people who think that you owe them something, can't stress that enough. You will find that the more you get tattooed, the experience is just as important as the art. Get tattooed by people who not only do awesome work, but who are friendly and humble people that you will want to spend however many hours in close proximity with. If you aren't comfortable in your tattooer's presence, you probably shouldn't get tattooed by that person. Hope that helps :)
  18. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Micky Vansittart in Money is a vulgar topic, but...   
    ... why do I feel that it's the most awkward subject to approach when talking tattoos?
    Surely I can't be the only one?
    I'm by no means suggesting that tattoos should be cheap, and I'm certainly aware that you pay for what you get. Totally. I'm willing to pay fair-coin for good work. I will never haggle with prices. If I couldn't afford, I'd wait and save until I could.
    It's just that the topic of how much a tattoo is going to end up costing seems 'taboo'.
    For my first ever tattoo, a walk in with a specific design, I was quoted one price. After the design was printed on that fancy carbon paper stuff, his colleague told him the price should in fact be X amount. After reviewing the stencil again, my artist then added MORE onto the cost. Doubling my very first quote. Already set up, and it being my first time, I went with it feeling held to ransom.
    For my other smaller tattoo's, after consultation on design, size, placement I apologetically raised the awkward question of "umm, so how much do you think that will be?" and was met with a vague "well it could be this, could be that. depends on how long... hmm, but then it could well be this". I understand that variables have to be taken into account, but why are we not met with "my hourly rate is XXX, I think it'll probably take around X amount of hours...", so I can get a decent idea of the end cost?
    When consulting for my bigger piece, I never broached the subject of price seeing as my first few encounters were telling me this is not a topic you bring up. I was going to be tattooed by a well known artist in a well known shop, and in all honesty I felt a tiny bit embarrassed about bringing it up knowing it would be far more expensive than my previous - Almost feeling like I could be met with "well if you have to ask, you can't afford me".
    I put down a £200 deposit and just guessed the excess amount to bring with me on the day - working off the higher hourly rates I'd seen in comments online for London. Luckily I brought enough, but the final cost was whispered into the ear of the receptionist who then told me the final amount to pay.
    So forgive me if i've got the etiquette all wrong here. I'm not a frequent flyer. Perhaps it's a bumbling British thing. "sorry how much do y... oh right yes, sorry. vulgar topic... yes... of course yes... i'll just pay all the money... yes, naturally. Silly me."
    But I'd be really interested to hear some advice on this.
  19. Like
    keepcalm reacted to LizBee in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    Yeah, I think you'll LOVE your feet and ankles if you decorate them in this way.
  20. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Synesthesia in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I think it's common for people to get "problem areas" tattooed to help them like those body parts more. I personally have never thought a tattoo made a certain part of the body look worse, if anything, it's a huge distraction from flaws. If you want it on your foot, go for it.
  21. Like
    keepcalm reacted to sophistre in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I don't have thick ankles particularly, but I do have pretty beefy calves. They're just very, very muscular, to the extent that I don't often fit into zip-up knee-high boots (which sucks, because I love themmmmmmm).
    I used to worry about this kind of thing with shoe choice. Can I wear the boots with the big piece in front? What about booties in general? Won't that make my leg look wide all the way down?
    I don't really worry about this anymore. If you look happy in what you're wearing, people roll with it. If you look uncomfortable and nervous, they notice. There is no substitute for genuine joy.
    Plus, I second the person above who said that tattoos can be transformative! Mine made me love my fat upper arm long before I started getting back into shape.
  22. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Tornado6 in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    Heck, I just draw on myself with a marker.
    The swoop of my first tattoo made my ankle quite fetching, if I do say so myself. I'm pretty sure that the root part of that floral piece is my favorite tattooed thing on my whole body. The tattoo on the other leg is not very shapely, but I love it for entirely different reasons.
    Placement seems like it is going to be very important, and I'm very sure that if you go to the right artist, you'll come away with the most beautiful ankles in the world!
  23. Like
    keepcalm reacted to pidjones in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    Vanity have anything to do with body art? NO! Really?!?
    I had a schoolmate in High School that although very thin and attractive otherwise, she had very thick ankles - I thought they were sexy as hell! Just wait, Curvy Girls are the fashion trend now - cankles may be next! If you really want to see what a tattoo would do, let me suggest two options: 1, get someone to take a couple good unobstructed photos of your ankles and then Photoshop some tattoos onto them, or 2, Henna - my tattoo artist also has a henna artist in her shop. It doesn't have to me a traditional Indian or mid-East design to be done in henna. Whatever your idea, have an artist do it for you and judge by your own feeling (and other's comments if you care).
    But, either way - if you do get it, you MUST post the photos here!
  24. Like
    keepcalm reacted to LizBee in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    I don't have the slimmest of ankles, either, and that's where I got my first tattoos - on both of them.
    I urge you not to judge yourself, or label your body parts with pejoratives, lol, and simply get a tattoo where you feel led to get on placed. I knew my first tattoos were meant to go on my ankles, though I have no real explanation for why, and that's what I did.
    I even got my tattoos circumferentially around each ankle, which, if you listen to the style gurus, cuts off your leg and makes short legs look shorter (not supposed to wear ankle straps on shoes, for instance). To hell with that crap! Ignore our image-obsessed culture and do what you like, and get a tattoo that YOU like.
  25. Like
    keepcalm reacted to Lance in Is a foot/ankle tattoo a bad idea   
    @keepcalm, I have fugly feet. Imagine Hobbits and The Beast from the X-Men movies. Didn't even occur to me when I got my feet tattooed. I just wanted to get tattooed. I think you'll be fine. As what is usually said, get what you want. I'm sure you'll love it. Tip, when you do get it, keep your feet elevated and take willow bark capsules to help reduce swelling.
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