Tattoos are like Marmite

Tattoos are like Marmite. You either love them or hate them. They divide opinion. Everyone has a view. You’ll rarely meet someone who’s indifferent to them.

 

The pain scares me.

The adrenaline excites me.

I could never decide what design to have and where on my body to have it.

I love working out what design to have next.

I hate the idea of people staring at me in the street.

I love the idea of being a bit different.

A tattoo is a disfigurement.

A tattoo is body art.

 

Susan: I have 11 now, mainly on my arms & I don’t regret any of them & got my first one about 18 years ago. They all have meaning, only my 1st was ‘out of a book’. Some are song lyrics, 1 is in memory of my Grandad, I have a semicolon to remind me my story isn’t over, another to celebrate 25 years of marriage & others because I like them. I see them as works of art & am looking forward to booking my next one!

 

People hide behind their tattoos.

People express themselves through their tattoos.

Tattoos damage the body God has given me.

Tattoos enhance the body God has given me.

Tattoos are a waste of money.

Tattoos are priceless.

I worry that I would regret it over time.

I love that it will always remind me of a particular time.

 

Debbie: Always thought they look really nice on other people but wouldn’t ever have one myself….That was until our first Grandson was stillborn and lots of our family members decided to have a tattoo in his memory. I have his name and a star on my left wrist and I love it but I’d never have another. It will be my one and only.x

 

People have tattoos because it’s the trendy thing to do.

I have tattoos to express my individuality.

I’m scared I would be judged for my tattoos.

Anyone who judges me for my tattoos is not worth knowing anyway.

When I’m old, having a tattoo would look ridiculous.

When I’m old, my tattoos will remind me of a life well lived.

I hate the permanence of a tattoo.

I love the permanence of a tattoo.

 

Karen: I have two! A cat on my ankle that I got to celebrate being an independent adult when I turned 18, and a dragon on my back that I got to celebrate the publication of Beneath Starlight. I think the only reason I would get a tattoo is to celebrate a milestone or achievement – there’s a particular piano piece that if I master it, I’ve promised myself matching clef tattoos on my wrists. It’s a big if.

 

Love it or hate it, tattooing has been practised all over the world for centuries and is here to stay. Stemming from a human desire to decorate and individualise our bodies, each tattoo is as individual as the body it is tattooed onto. Each tattoo is chosen for a reason. You don’t have to like it, but seeking to understand and respect the individual’s choice is surely key. Behind every tattoo is a fabulous story waiting to be told…