Funny, I woke up this morning not knowing what I was going to write… but I just wrote an email to a young woman I am pretty close to and I thought I would share it.
She’s trying to decide if she wants to get a new tattoo, and lately (because of my various tattoo’s), I’ve had quite a few friends who have been asking me similar questions. While I obviously cannot tell somebody whether or not they should permanently etch something into their body, there are some things that I think you should keep in mind.
So take a look, and then tell me what you think… what do you consider when thinking about a tattoo?
so i’ve been thinking a lot about your potential tattoo for the last couple of days. i didn’t want to say anything b/c i dont want to tell you what to do, you are very grown. but i’m really just not comfortable with lip tattoo’s and i felt like i’d be disingenuous if i didn’t tell you that.
i just think its way to reminiscent of the way in which slaves, holocaust victims, etc were branded. i mean what could you possibly put there besides initials or numbers? i know you dont think “everything has to be that deep,” but i do really think you should consider more seriously the symbolic and spiritual implications of the things you choose to permanently etch into your body. what kind of energy will it carry?
more seriously… i think you also really need to consider who you are in totality. how do the piercings, the lip tattoo, the back tattoo, etc.. fit into who you are and the kind of woman you want to be? what kind of friends will you bring into your life? what kind of potential lovers will you attract?
again… i’m not saying any of this stuff is wrong, or bad… i’m just concerned that you are not carefully thinking about these decisions and the kind of long-range implications they could have
(you could easily say… i will attract lovers and friends who don’t care about tattoo’s and piercings! and that would be completely reasonable).
you also want to think about what kind of career you want to have… its like my girls are always telling me… you want to always be thinking about keeping your personal brand consistent.
(after all… tattoo’s and piercings do carry a level of social stigma, which i’d be naive to think no longer exists).
when i think about decisions for things like tattoos, piercings, etc… i think about… how does this fit into who i am spiritually? how does this fit into the vision i have for the type of woman i am (and hope to become) and the type of people i want to attract into my life? and how does this propel my personal brand forward in a way that will help (or at least not damage) my life/career goals.
you are an adult now… and you do have a much greater responsibility to consider carefully every decision that you make.
hope this helps.
love,
alexandra
I wanted to include some pictures of my own tattoo’s… but my camera is broken. Anyway… share your thoughts!
peace.
a.
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i think you hit the nail on the head.
when getting a tattoo i think one should consider the life they want to live and the way they want to be viewed. the person you are at 21, 22, 23, 27, 29 (under 30) is not the person you will be at 51, 55, 57 (over 50) and though tattoos are not technically permanent, they can be removed, a tattoo should not be “etched” without considering the permanency.
like i said before, …how is that thing going to look at my age; when what was once a nice little flower carefully etched on a flat tummy slowly melts into something unimaginable hanging around your knees?, lol.
it’s just that as your mom, i see you as this perfect being, a gift from the divine. how can you add to a picasso, or sketch over the cistine chapel?