# Ive been meaning to get a tattoo



## Zoltta (Feb 7, 2009)

for the past 4 years but i can NEVER figure out what i want to get. I dont just want some random fucking coolness of a crazy dragon or something thats irrelevant to anything about me. Im all about meaning as well as symmetry in some cases. Only problem is, there are plenty of things that have meaning to me but cant really be put into graphical terms. I think i want my first tattoo (and second) to be on my forearms but nothing springs to mind. For example, alot of military guys get military tats when they get out. Thats obviously something meaningful and something most people wont regret, serving your country. My biggest concern is getting something i will regret a month down the road. 

So i ask, how do you guys decide on these tattoos you get and how long does it take you to decide THATS the one you want to have on your body for the rest of your life


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## Slamp (Feb 7, 2009)

I have lots of friends with tattoos, and what i find to be interesting is how different their approach to getting one is.
Some of them are like you, thinking alot about it and wanting to have something meaningful that they wont regret,
and some of them i have literally seen spend all of 5 minutes to decide upon one, using the "regret what you have done, not what you didn't do" approach.
I thought about getting a tattoo for a long time too and could never decide, then i got the opportunity to get one for free.... 
which certainly helped speed up my thinking process

So i guess it's all about how you choose to view the significance of a tattoo.


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## Labrie (Feb 7, 2009)

My tats are all for the artwork itself before the meaning..almost like a nice painting. I make my choice based on the artists talent and the work he/she does, which is why I think it's very important to make sure you choose the right artist. Personally, I find tattoo's are becoming too much of a commemoration for a death or a birth, that sort of thing. But I guess that draws the line between a collector and everyone else.

Like I said, tattoo artists are just that...artists! They like to create, not copy. So while it's probably a good thing to have a meaning behind a tattoo, I like to just throws ideas out and let the artist do his/her thing with it.


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## SnowfaLL (Feb 20, 2009)

The way I am feeling, is once I am positive about what I want, when it hits me, I will get it. No need to rush and get something you may regret in the future.

If you are unsure about what to get at the moment, do some soul searching, and figure it out. I have a general idea of what I want and where (my avatar there on the left, on my back, but I havent figured out how i want it done) but I have no problem waiting afew years until I am sure about it.

What do you want to represent? Why do you want to represent it? What meaning does this image/art have to you and can you deal with having it on your body the rest of your life? Thats some stuff to think about. Someone i know got like.. a nintendo controller tattoo'd to his wrists... Im not judging, but haha when hes 35-40, hmm I dunno.


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## JeffFromMtl (Feb 25, 2009)

When people talk to me about tattoos, they always seem to bring up regret. While I may not feel the same way about them in the future, my tattoos are something I will never regret. I just see it as a) a piece of art - we all know that good art is ageless and timeless, or b) a reminder of who I was and what I valued, cherished and loved enough to have permanently put into my skin at a certain point in my life. 

As for making decisions on tattoos, sometimes you just know what you want and other times, you really have to think about it for a while - at that point, it's usually best to just bring your main idea/concept (what you want it to mean or symbolise, and what kind of imagery you want to use to convey it) to your artist (choose carefully!), and they'll work their magic - it'll usually end up looking a lot better than anything you would have drawn/ come up with yourself. Just make sure you're not completely clueless about what you want when you go into the shop, cuz that'll just piss 'em off.


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## hairychris (Feb 25, 2009)

I have a combination of decent work, and completely stupid stuff.

For me, each tattoo is part of something that was happening at the time (most of my stupid work was done when I was having real problems with depression, for instance), but they all fall within a certain aesthetic - in other words, the stupid stuff has it's place, the other stuff has it's place too. I have a basic overall plan for positioning, but other then that I'm flexible. Oh, and haven't had any work done in years! I have a part done cover-up that I really need to finish at some stage but I've spent all my cash on guitars.

My work's on calves, upper arms, chest and back. They don't show in long trousers and T shirt. I got my first about 14 years ago, and haven't regretted anything yet. It's also all custom work, no flash, so with any luck there won't be too many other people who've had the same bad ideas as me.

Personally I try to dissuade people from getting tattooed. Unless you're sure what you want, and where, there's too much chance to screw up. If you do decide you want something, make sure you know what the design will be and think about it - for months, preferrably. If you haven't changed your mind find the best artist you can and go for it.


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## budda (Feb 26, 2009)

Zoltta said:


> for the past 4 years but i can NEVER figure out what i want to get. I dont just want some random fucking coolness of a crazy dragon or something thats irrelevant to anything about me. Im all about meaning as well as symmetry in some cases. Only problem is, there are plenty of things that have meaning to me but cant really be put into graphical terms. I think i want my first tattoo (and second) to be on my forearms but nothing springs to mind. For example, alot of military guys get military tats when they get out. Thats obviously something meaningful and something most people wont regret, serving your country. My biggest concern is getting something i will regret a month down the road.
> 
> So i ask, how do you guys decide on these tattoos you get and how long does it take you to decide THATS the one you want to have on your body for the rest of your life



I think i actually spent 3 weeks between tattoos deciding on the next one, after getting the first one.

That said, all of my tattoos have meaning - 3 of them are blatantly obvious of what that meaning is, but the leg sleeve... not so much lol.

I started on my legs because I know that if and when i start something on my shoulder, I'll probably want to push it further. Everything I get must be hidden in a T-shirt and jeans - so far so good!

The big amount of ink on my right leg is my little "ode to home" as well as an art piece. I wanted an art piece, and I wanted it to have some meaning. All of my tattoos were meant to have some meaning but predominantly be art - I feel that I've gotten what I want out of them.

To most people, my tattoos may not look very articistic, but I don't think too many people give them a good serious look. Art does not need to be super complex and full of lines and all that fun stuff to still be really good art. that said, I want an even more complex piece then I already have, which gets the "holy crap that looks epic" response.

Do I regret my tattoos? No. Will I regret them? Not as far as I can see. They all have meaning, they are all very well done, and I can hide them in what I normally wear - it doesnt take effort for me to cover up my ink.

Today I scheduled my next sitting for more work on my leg sleeve


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