Tattooed People: Different Lives

By Stefanie November 24, 2007

According to Wikipedia, 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo. I personally have 4. I know many people here in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky who also have tattoos. I think you can tell a lot about a person by seeing their tattoos. I asked several people to tell me about their tattoos by asking 10 questions that I am asked often about my own tattoos.

Why did you get your tattoo?

People get their tattoos for many different reasons. Jessica says, “I got my tattoo because I was 18 and it was my RIGHT! It seemed important to do.”. Leo’s answer is similar: “I got my tattoo because I was always told that I would never live through my 18^th birthday. So the night of my 18^th birthday, I went to get my tattoo.”.

Others get their tattoos as a memorial to those passed, like Jami; her latest tattoo was a memorial tattoo. J believes in a legacy, which is the representation of something through a mark in time, which is why he gets his tattoos. Nathan and Ryan wanted body art that represented them. Tiffany got one of her tattoos because she saw herself in the design, which was a nude fairy with black and blue hair.

Tiara chose her first tattoo because of her love for dance, and her second tattoo is a play off of her name; it’s a tiara. Kevin says his tattoo was spur of the moment, while Parmita says she gave hers a lot of thought before getting it. Jeremy has three tattoos, and he got each one for a different reason. Agnese got her tattoos for her daughter.

Erin got two of her tattoos based on her heritage. Sara says she got her tattoos because she’s a rebel, and that she thinks that body art is one of the most magnificent ways to express yourself.

How did you decide that the design you have is what you wanted?

Tattoos are different and unique from each other. People choose their designs for reasons as different as the tattoos themselves. Nathan chose his design because he was inspired by a tattoo that musician Davey Havoc (of the band AFI) has. Davey Havoc has a fiery heart on his chest, and that inspired Nathan to draw up his own fiery heart.

Ryan chose his because “It’s a scorpion, which is my zodiac sign.”. Jessica decided on the word ‘Dreamer’ in a nice font with designs around it. Jami thought about her memorial tattoo for awhile, until it all fell into place.

Tiffany’s favorite tattoo of hers was spontaneous, it’s a rose on the top of her foot. J says: “If you aren’t impulsive, and live life without regret, then decide on what you want. A week or two later, think whether or not you want it, and if you still do, then get it, ’cause you’re going to want it for a while.”.

Tiara chose her tattoos to celebrate life. Parmita chose her tattoo because “It just feels like something I won’t regret getting.”. Kevin chose his because he fell in love with the album art from the band The Used’s second album. Erin decided on her triskele knot and 4-leaf-clover tattoos because of her Irish heritage, and her star tattoos because they are her favorite shape. Leo got his 4-leaf-clover tattoo because of his Irish heritage as well.

Jeremy picked his three tattoos all for different reasons. The most meaningful one, a kokopelli, is for his mother, who wanted a kokopelli tattoo herself but can’t get tattoos because of a nerve disorder.

What is the meaning of your tattoo?

Each of my tattoos has a particular meaning that is special to me. So I figured that everyone else’s tattoos must have special meanings to them as well. Nathan says: “My tattoo is a symbol of spirit. All that I do in life I remind myself to do it with all my effort and to never half-ass a job or project.”.

Jessica says she got her tattoo because “I have big dreams for myself and everyone is rooting for me to fail.” and also cites the significance of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. (The lyric “You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”) Jami’s tattoo has a star on it for each person who has passed away in her life, with 6 stars in all. It stands to remind her of those who have passed on in her life.

Ryan’s meaning behind his tattoo is that he wanted something tribal, so he chose his zodiac sign in a tribal design. J’s tattoos all mean something different to him. His Red Hot Chili Peppers logo is because the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers helped him a lot in his life. He also has a tattoo that is the album art of the band Rancid, to remind him of his youth and people who have always been there for him. The city scene on his left arm represents what he stands for, which is living well and being good to people.

Parmita always knew that she wanted something to do with a star, and the lotus represents her Indian heritage because it is a holy flower. Jeremy says: “I got my fleur-de-lis tattoo to symbolize Louisville, because it’s all I’ve ever known.”.

Tiara has a kanji on her foot that means “to dance”, because she’s been dancing since a young age. She also has a tiara on her waistline that symbolizes not only her name, but the fact that she’s always been the ‘princess’ of her family.

Kevin’s take on his body art, is that “No matter what, I always hang my heart out on a limb.”. Dustin has a straight edge tattoo, which symbolizes his personal beliefs. Agnese has angel wings, that represent her daughter.

Sara has a palm tree tattoo, which is her own personal escape from hard times, and a reminder of how much her family means to her. Leo’s tattoo reminds him of his best friend, his mom. Two of Erin’s tattoos symbolize her Irish heritage. Her 4-leaf-clover matches her brother’s, and their mom plans on getting one to match theirs.

How did you decide on the placement?

Placement of tattoos is crucial. You can get a tattoo anywhere, but people have different reasons for getting their tattoos where they get them. Ryan’s father and uncle told him to get his tattoo in a ‘business friendly’ location, and realized that they were probably right, and got it on his upper back. Jessica, Erin, and Nathan got their tattoos where they did because they could be shown off or hidden. Jessica’s is on her lower back, Erin’s is on her ankle, and Nathan’s is on his chest.

The placement of J’s Red Hot Chili Peppers logo tattoo was his left wrist, because the lead singer of the band’s same tattoo is on his right wrist. Jami chose the placement of her latest tattoo because it fit right underneath an existing tattoo. Parmita wanted a unique placement, so she got hers on the right side of her lower back.

Agnese also chose hers because it was unique: “I figured no one else had angel wings on their lower back.”. Kevin chose to put his tattoo where it is because it’s concealed. Sara’s placement for her palm tree tattoo was pure randomness.

Tiara says: “I decided that the dance kanji should be on my foot, specifically my left foot because that is the foot you put all of your weight on when turning.”. She chose the placement for her tiara tattoo also based on dance because it is easily hidden.

Jeremy wanted his first tattoo, a fleur-de-lis, in a painful place to discourage himself from getting a lot of tattoos. “It didn’t work,” he says. Leo’s tattoo’s placement has a deep meaning, because it is in the same place where his father stood on him during their last fight.

What was your tattooing experience like?

Tattoo parlors vary from parlor to parlor. You can have a very good experience, or a very bad experience. Most of our interviewee’s had good experiences. Jessica says her experience was mixed between good and bad. She can still remember what song was playing. She says it was bad because of the position she had to sit in.

Nathan says his tattoo was “Hands down, the worst pain of my life.”. His tattoo took 2 and a half hours to complete, and the artist was very nice and understanding. Ryan says his tattoo didn’t hurt at all, it was just uncomfortable. J says his first tattoo experience was bad, because the artist had no idea of what he was doing. Jami says her experience was “Pleasant, minus the actual pain. The artist was very sympathetic to my situation.”. Tiffany says that her tattoos didn’t bother her until she got the one on her foot, which hurt terribly! Tiara says that the tattoo on her foot hurt bad also.

Kevin’s experience was nice, the parlor was clean and it was a quick tattoo. He says that the artist did a good job of making sure that he was comfortable. Parmita says that her tattoo was not as bad as she thought it would be, but it was still painful.

Leo had an interesting experience. He says he felt like it was awkward because the tattoo artist was dancing behind him! Agnese says that her experience was great, and that she loves to get tattoos. Sara says her experience was great as well, and that the tattoo shop is like her second home now.

Would you ever consider getting more tattoos, based on your experience and satisfaction with prior tattoos?

A bad experience can make you not want to get anymore tattoos. A good experience could get you addicted to tattoos! Nathan and Tiffany both agree that tattoos are addictive. Nathan says he wants more, but lacks the money. Tiffany makes an good point when she says: “One day when I’m 75 years old and I’m going to catch a glimpse of my naked fairy on my back, or peek at my foot to see my rose and remember all the life experiences I’ve been through. That’s going to be a great thing to look back on.”.

Jessica, Jeremy, Dustin, Leo, Sara and Erin all say that they are going to get more tattoos. Ryan says he’d consider getting more, but has no idea of what he’d get. Jami says: “I already have 11 tattoos!”.

Parmita doesn’t see herself as getting another tattoo for a long time, if ever. Tiara says: “There would have to be something to happen that was significant enough to make me want to permanently mark on my body.”. Kevin says he’d love to get more tattoos, if he could afford them! I agree with him.

Are you happy/satisfied with your tattoos? Why or why not?

You might have a tattoo, but do you like it now? Things can change from the time you get your tattoo to the present, but most people I interviewed love their tattoos. Leo says: “If I didn’t like them, I wouldn’t have them!”.

Jeremy and Dustin both are very satisfied with their tattoos. Jami says she loves her latest tattoo, because it has the most meaning out of all of her tattoos. Tiffany loves her tattoos as well, they have all turned out just the way she wanted them to. Nathan says: “I can’t imagine me without it, because it’s a part of me now.”.

Jessica tells me that she wishes she would have spent more time deciding what she wanted, because sometimes people don’t understand it. Although she says it’s special to her and that’s all that matters. Ryan says: “Yes, I think it’s hot.”. He feels that the artist did an excellent job on it.

Erin loves all of her tattoos because each one has its own meaning. J is satisfied with why he got his tattoos, and doesn’t feel like they are a burden or a regret. Tiara wishes she would have gotten her tiara done bolder.

If you could change anything about your tattoos, what would it be?

Most of my interviewees wouldn’t change a thing about their tattoos. Erin, Agnese, Jeremy, Dustin and Ryan all wouldn’t change anything. Jessica wishes she would’ve gotten a shooting star around hers, rather than the designs she has. Nathan would shape his up more, and color it in better. Fading occurred on his tattoo because of scabbing and bleeding.

J says he would have gotten his Red Hot Chili Peppers tattoo done at a different shop. Jami wouldn’t change a thing about hers either, but just hopes she doesn’t have to add anymore stars!

Tiffany would change the placement on her fairy, and would have went to a different tattoo artist for the heart tattoos on her hips, because they are not symmetrical. Leo would make his Eddie Guerrero tribute tattoo bigger, while Sara would make her palm tree tattoo smaller. Kevin wishes that he would’ve gotten his in color, as opposed to black and gray.

What do your parents think of your tattoos?

Parents can have different opinions on tattoos. They either love it or hate it. Either way, they get used to them being there. For example, Jessica’s mom was upset that she wasn’t asked to come along when she got it.

Nathan’s parents still don’t know about his tattoo. Ryan’s dad liked his tattoo, but his mom still doesn’t know about it, even after him having it for a year. J doesn’t care what his parents think, but he’s never asked or tried to show them his tattoos. Tiffany’s mother shook her head when she saw them, and Tiffany’s dad said she’d regret them. She disagrees.

Jami’s mother (now deceased) loved her tattoos. Kevin has had his tattoo for 3 years, and his parents still don’t know about it.

Parmita’s parents also still don’t know about her tattoo, and she believes that they would be fairly upset if they did see it. Leo says his mother cried when she saw his first tattoo, because she understood what it meant.

Jeremy’s mother cried when she saw his kokopelli tattoo. Erin’s mother was disappointed in her first tattoo because it wasn’t in color, and her dad just shook his head. Sara says her tattoos had to grow on her parents before they could say that they liked them.

Do you regret anything or any of your tattoos?

I don’t regret anything about my tattoos, but I wondered who all did. Because if you do regret any of your tattoos, you’re pretty much out of luck because tattoos are permanent. Parmita says: “I don’t regret getting my tattoo, but maybe I should have waited until I officially moved out of the house so I don’t have to keep hiding it.”.

Jeremy, Dustin, Erin, and Jessica don’t regret anything. Ryan feels that he will never regret his because it’s such a part of him now. Nathan and J both regret the artists they chose for their first tattoo. Jami has one that needs to be covered up because of an incorrect element in it. Sara regrets one of her tattoos, and is trying to think of cover-up tattoos for it.

So, in conclusion, everyone with tattoos is a completely different person. You can’t just lump everyone into categories of people with tattoos and people without tattoos. I hope you enjoyed this insight into the worlds of people with tattoos!

Jami's tattoo (Donald Purvis of Asgard Ink) Jeremy's Kokopelli (Vinnie at Twisted Images)