keepcalm

Can anyone tell me a story about a parent, family member, or someone else you care about who had seriously negative reactions to your tattoos, but eventually came around? What did it take? Did you ever sit down and have a talk with the person? Explain more about tattooing or about why you're getting them? Did you just wait for them to relax on their own?
Or maybe they never came around? Is it still a stress on your relationship with that person?
Just thinking about my relationship with my mom as I consider moving into the world of much more visible tattoos than what I currently have... I know she "should" love me no matter what I decide to do with my own body, but her reactions have been so strong and so negative so far that I'm kind of worried.
Thanks for indulging me, haha.

I always explain that the dragon means I think that dragons look badass. Ditto for pretty much every other tattoo I have.
Yes, a few of them mean something, but I'm not about to break it down for a stranger. And even the "meaningful" tattoos are on me because I think they look good.

Last night a girl asked me why I had a butterfly tattooed on my hand, I told her "Because when you're an actual tough guy you can get whatever kind of girly tattoos you want."

If you really don't want to talk to them, you could always respond to their questions with a series of clicks and chirps.

How about just say, "It's open to interpretation. It means whatever you want." I think I'll go with that next time and leave it at that. That's art. What they mean or don't mean to you can be personal--you don't have to explain yourself to anyone. The last person who asked me why I got a tiger I just said, "I liked it." There are things that I associate it with but I just didn't feel like saying any more. Isn't that enough? That we get images that we like. Yeah. I think so.

It could be because I'm a long-haired and bearded burly dude with skulls tattooed on my arms, living in a place where I feel I see more tattooed people than non-tattooed people, but I don't really experience people asking me about what my tattoos mean. I think that women on the whole get this a lot more than men. People mostly leave me alone. I was a little bit concerned about getting "what does it mean" questions about my (in-progress) sleeve because there's a specific visual reference there that I don't really want to explain, but thankfully the raven's head there is hidden by a t-shirt so hopefully I'll mostly avoid that question while I figure out a stock bullshit answer.
I have nothing against tattoos with meaning (for that matter, I have nothing against tattoos without meaning either) I just think that the way most people go about getting a "meaningful" tattoo is all wrong. From what I've seen on the internet, the "meaning" takes priority over the strength of the image, and that's all backwards. You're going to associate your tattoos with whatever meaning you choose to give them anyway, there's no need to have hidden initials or a representative number of flower petals or whatever there. I spend too much time looking at pictures of tattoos on the internet.

For those who are not necessarily going for full-body coverage, do you ever think about the overall look you have as a tattooed person?
Like I imagine many people here, I am an appreciator of aesthetics, and when I consider getting new work done, I think long and hard about where to put it and how it will change the way my body looks in clothes, out of clothes, in swim suits, etc. It might be slightly different for females since we tend to have more variety in the clothes we wear (different cuts, lengths, dresses, etc.), but I do wonder... Do you pay a lot of attention to keeping your work balanced on your body? Do you take into consideration places on your body where you don't plan to ever get work? I guess one approach would be to prioritize the design, and pick the place on your body where that design fits best. Another approach would be to think about where you'd like to have tattoos, and pick designs you like that would flow well in those spaces.
This post is partially inspired by this thread about negative space with tattoos.
I am a huge fan of negative space and have spent a lot of time thinking about the best way and location to place substantial tattoos on my body, with space in between them. Some people might say this is overthinking it, but I can't help it, ha. I've considered putting most of my work on my left arm and right leg, leaving the opposites mostly clear. I've also considered mainly tattooing my torso and leaving my limbs mostly clear. When you think about it, following each of those two patterns would make for a really different overall look.
Maybe as a still-kinda-newbie to this world, I do think about this stuff too much, but I'm still curious as to others' thoughts :)

I forgot my password and didn't log on for a while, but I am happy to finally catch up on where this thread has been, haha! Love some of the photos and thoughts posted.
I have what I think is a killer idea for another piece, but I am stalled on getting it because I can't think of a place to put it that I feel good & excited about. #lame
Yall are so fun. Love this forum.

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing.
Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art.
So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight).
Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :)
Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too.
Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.

I like the way you think!

First, apologies to @IAmMattLewis for the thread hijack!
For three years, I lived in Old Town Alexandria, but at the north end, close to Del Ray. Both are great little neighborhoods. I just moved into the district proper over the summer. If you're ever back in town and want to check in on Del Ray, let me know! Maybe some Dairy Godmother action? Though I guess it's getting too cold for ice cream, huh? Whomp whomp...

Nice! The Portrait Gallery is my favorite Smithsonian.
Definitely show that panther head, too! Hope you had a good experience and I'm sure it looks awesome!

I like the way you think!

After stuffing our faces at Taqueria Poblano. I think LST get togethers are necessary.

First, apologies to @IAmMattLewis for the thread hijack!
For three years, I lived in Old Town Alexandria, but at the north end, close to Del Ray. Both are great little neighborhoods. I just moved into the district proper over the summer. If you're ever back in town and want to check in on Del Ray, let me know! Maybe some Dairy Godmother action? Though I guess it's getting too cold for ice cream, huh? Whomp whomp...

I'm about 2 hours away now (Harrisonburg). I go into DC pretty regularly, not nearly enough however! I miss my old neighborhood (Del Ray).

I wish I worked that close! Are you still in the DC / NOVA area?

Ah, when I worked in DC, I walked to the Smithsonian (mostly the Hirschhorn) almost daily on my lunch breaks. I miss being that close to good stuff.

Nice! The Portrait Gallery is my favorite Smithsonian.
Definitely show that panther head, too! Hope you had a good experience and I'm sure it looks awesome!

Looks like you're in luck! ;)

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing.
Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art.
So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight).
Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :)
Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too.
Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.

For those who are not necessarily going for full-body coverage, do you ever think about the overall look you have as a tattooed person?
Like I imagine many people here, I am an appreciator of aesthetics, and when I consider getting new work done, I think long and hard about where to put it and how it will change the way my body looks in clothes, out of clothes, in swim suits, etc. It might be slightly different for females since we tend to have more variety in the clothes we wear (different cuts, lengths, dresses, etc.), but I do wonder... Do you pay a lot of attention to keeping your work balanced on your body? Do you take into consideration places on your body where you don't plan to ever get work? I guess one approach would be to prioritize the design, and pick the place on your body where that design fits best. Another approach would be to think about where you'd like to have tattoos, and pick designs you like that would flow well in those spaces.
This post is partially inspired by this thread about negative space with tattoos.
I am a huge fan of negative space and have spent a lot of time thinking about the best way and location to place substantial tattoos on my body, with space in between them. Some people might say this is overthinking it, but I can't help it, ha. I've considered putting most of my work on my left arm and right leg, leaving the opposites mostly clear. I've also considered mainly tattooing my torso and leaving my limbs mostly clear. When you think about it, following each of those two patterns would make for a really different overall look.
Maybe as a still-kinda-newbie to this world, I do think about this stuff too much, but I'm still curious as to others' thoughts :)

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing.
Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art.
So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight).
Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :)
Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too.
Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing.
Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art.
So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight).
Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :)
Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too.
Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing.
Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art.
So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight).
Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :)
Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too.
Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.