Tattoos
(updated) 04.04.05

I have two tats. One right above the other on my left shoulder/upper arm. One is a series of stylized Chinese characters that says "Shawn" "artist" "painter". The other is a tribal phoenix. I have plans for at least two more.

As of March 4, 2005, I have four tats total. I added a tribal style dragon to my right shoulder and the kanji for Love to the back of my neck. My wife has the same kanji on hers. We got them as our souvenirs to San Francisco a few years back. Also, recently I found a new and deeper appreciation for tattoos, especially on women. But I'll expand on that another day. Anyhoo...

I wanted to get that out of the way, to fully state my bias, so you know where I'm coming from. But I was at Ozzfest yesterday, here I saw more tats than I've ever seen in one place. It was ridiculous. I really think tattoos are becoming TOO in style.

We're talking about permanent artwork/designs/crap on your body here. And I'm seeing them on younger and younger people. And it made me think about what in the hell these kids are thinking.

... I think tats are cool... sometimes. I do see some tats with a "cool" status round them. And I really dig chicks with well-designed, well placed tats. One of my favorite-est people has a swirly kind of tribal thing going on on her lower back. Is it cliché? I guess it's becoming so. But probably because it's also really beautiful. Even my parents, who HATE the one tat I have on me (yes, I said ONE, they still don't know about the other) thought her tat was pretty. So it's not that I don't like them... obviously.

But when Guido Guy has a "Staten Island Rail Pass" on his arm (that's what someone called the barbed wire tattoo around the upper arm), because it "looks cool"... I don't dig it.

When the otherwise cute chick has a big ass dream catcher on her stomach around her bellybutton, knowing that when she gets pregnant, it's going to stretch to be the size of a beach ball... I don't dig it.

When 17-year-old idiot has his girlfriend's name inked on his chest... I think he's a fuckin' retard.

Are these people REALLY thinking this through? I know I sound like my dad, but... they're really going to regret this.

My ex-girlfriend INSISTED on having my initial inked under her bellybutton when she had the 13-point sun I designed inked above it. I PLEADED with her not to get it done. "What if we break up?" "We never will," she assured me... over and over again. So now, I wonder what her fiancée thinks bout my initial being on her body.

Rule number 1: never get someone's named inked on you... it's a lot more permanent than your relationship with that person.

Like I said, I dig tats. But not a tat that exists just so someone can get a tat. I've talked more people out of getting inked than I've talked INTO getting inked. I've had this conversation at lest 20 times...

quote:

---

Them: "I wanna get a tattoo."
Me: "Really? What are you going to get done?"
Them: "I'm not sure yet."
Me: "Then don't get one."
Them: "Why not?"
Me: "If you have to ask, you haven't thought about this nearly enough."

---

And it's true. It is SO fucking ridiculous to ant to have SOMETHING made a permanent part of your body, but not know what that SOMETHING is. That's fucking ridiculous. WHY are you getting one then? Cause they're cool? Cause your roommate just got one? Cause the guy on MTV has Them? Fuck that.
I think it's time to get inked when you're absolutely sure that whatever you're getting is symbolic of a major part of you. Your favorite cartoon character does NOT count. And I don't know anyone who's life involves flaming skulls with snakes coming out of the eye sockets.

If I need to defend my tats, it's really simple. I'm deep into Chinese philosophy, especially Taoism... that's why the Chinese characters... and the phoenix really... one of the animals representing the forces of yin and yang, the other being the dragon, which I plan for my other shoulder. The characters are my name, and what I am. And in a way, I already regret it a bit... I don't paint nearly as much as I used to, or want to. I think I'd be happier with the tat if it was just my name and "artist". I'll never NOT be an artist. It's what I am.

The thing is, I know I'll regret the tats one day. I already do a little bit... not enough to not get the others I plan for. But I'm sure at some point in time, I'll end up regretting the decision to get the tats. And this is about something I REALLY believe in and care about. I can't imagine what these kids are going to think about a 4 inch tall Tasmanian Devil on their chest when they, oh... say... don't like cartoons anymore?

The freaks at Ozzfest made Me really think about it. I see a mom with a half-shaved head and a tat on the side, with her little son, and I start thinking. I see a 16-year-old with a dragonfly covering his entire back, and I start thinking. I see people with really silly designs, done in bold colors (by the way... colors WILL fade), covering entire limbs, and I start thinking.

So when it comes to tats, I give the same advice to everyone... if there is something that is such a huge part of you inside that you want to make it a part of you outside for the rest of your life, then by all means, go for it. But don't get a tat just to get a tat. You WILL regret it.