tattoo philosophies, mine and yours

while my personal tattoo philosophy is constantly evolving, these are some of the aspects of tattoos and tattooing i currently find fascinating and useful. 

tattoos as a living art collection~

an element of contemporary tattooing that is particularly exciting to me is the explosion of different art styles. take any form of visual art and there is probably someone translating that style to skin. this creates a stunning diversity of work to choose from and a seemingly infinite pool of artist to discover. the emphasis on choosing from a tattooer's flash allows them to explore and develop their artistic interests and style into a stream of constantly evolving tattoo offerings. this process allows for immense artistic freedom.

the collector of flash tattoos is both art collector and living canvas. 

tattoos as body autonomy~

for most people it is an intense time to be alive. faced with contemporary realities of racial violence, homophobia, transphobia, late-stage capitalism, the stripping of reproductive rights, big tech (etc.), all amid the backdrop of looming environmental collapse, tattoos are a small but powerful way in which individuals are able to control their own bodies. perhaps the energy of personal empowerment that accompanies receiving a tattoo can grow and expanded beyond the individual into a sense of collective power in these complex and frightening times.

tattoos as temporal reminders~

tattoo skeptics often say something along the lines of, "tattoos are so permanent, aren't you worried you're not going to like it in the future?"  this conception of tattoos as permanent has always amused me. the way i see it, tattoos are one of the least permanent art forms, visual or otherwise. tattoos only last as long as your body is living. this could be 70-80 years or less. even an image made on an etch a sketch has the potential to outlast any tattoo so long as it remains sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. thanks to the internet, embarrassing teenage party pictures or text messages you wish you never sent will outlast any tattoo you'll ever receive.  

i like this temporal aspect of tattoos. it reminds me that my physical body and thus my time on this earth are temporary and precious. 

and to address the questions of the tattoo skeptics, i think there's going to be bigger problems on my mind in 70 years than how my old and wrinkly tattoos look. (see previous section)

tattoos as a personal journey~

every tattoo is created at a particular moment in time that will never be repeated. maybe that moment was glorious or maybe it was rather dark. either way, a tattoo memorializes who we are at the time it is received. while carrying these visual reminders of our past is not always pleasant, it can be a means of understanding and hopefully accepting who we've been and the journey we're on.     

tattoos as healing~

for some people, tattoos are a way to feel at home in their own bodies. maybe there is a part of one's body they have struggled to accept and, by placing a tattoo there, they catalyze a transformation of self-acceptance. or maybe someone receives a tattoo after a particularly challenging time in their life, imbuing the tattoo with a sense of their own strength and resilience. for anyone whose body is marginalized, or really anyone with a body, there is potential for tattoos to be a source of healing energy. 

tattoos as collaboration~

the act of giving a tattoo is not separate from the act of receiving it. without the collaboration of another, a tattoo artist cannot make their art. for this reason, it is always an honor and a privilege to come together with somebody, friend or stranger, in the act of making/receiving a tattoo. to me, a good tattoo session is as much about sharing an experience and creating a positive vibe as it is about the end result. creating an image on a living, breathing body is profoundly different than creating one on a piece of paper or on a screen and this difference is another part of what makes tattoos special and fascinating.