I have always found tattoos beautiful, and works of art. I actually really like art. Most people don’t know that about me. I am not sure what it is about me that makes people think I don’t appreciate art, but I do. The idea of finding that one piece of art that you want to carry with you for the rest of your life and having it placed upon your skin is just a cool idea. I have looked for the tattoo I have wanted for years. A couple times I thought I had found the one I wanted, and then after much thought and consideration decided against it. A few months ago I started thinking about the idea of getting words for a tattoo. Words have power, and if done right can be made into something really cool looking. Once i decided I wanted a phrase as my tattoo I started looking around for what I wanted. Now it wasn’t an active search, and I was not spending very much time on it, but I was looking around. I thought about many of my favorite quotes, but dismissed them for several different reasons.
A few days ago I came across the perfect phrase! When I read it I was blown away at how much it spoke to me, and how much I wanted to live by those words. I even have it taped up on my wall in y office now. I would want an artist to play with the words to create a design I would like to have, but the words are perfect.
Here is the problem. I am Mormon, and in my religion we are counseled not to get tattoos. The reasoning behind this are many, but the bottom line is your shouldn’t get tattoos in my religion. Just a few weeks ago one of the leaders of my church was here, and I had the opportunity to hear him speak. Straight out of his mouth he said “Dont get Tattoos!” But I want one, and always have!
I have been having a hard time with this, and to some I know may find this stupid and petty, but for me its been a struggle to deal with the fact that I want a tattoo, and my religious duty side saying that I should follow the counsel of a leader and church I believe in.
Jason, I would still have the phrase done into a piece of artwork and then have it framed to hang on the wall. That way you can see it all the time, but it is not a tatoo. Just a thought. I love you!!! MOM
Personally I believe that the most beautiful creation ever…and I mean ever (I mean this tops some killer bikes, sports cars, and anything else) is the human body.
Now I also think I’ve seen some incredible tattoos, some that are simply stunning. I’ve also seen work that graffiti artists have done that is incredible, But no matter how good the artist, they’ve never been able to surpass the beauty of the canvas that they are painted on.
I mean why do you paint a canvas on the first place…cause you might be an artist and you can make it look better…
To me…to tattoo your body is essentially like having a graffiti artist paint Notre Dame, Buckingham Palace, The Pyramids, The Met, or The Washington Monument, it might be incredible art, but it won’t equal what it’s been written on.
Obviously this phrase means something with you and you’d like to carry it around with you. I have a bracelet that I wear that has meaning to me. You’ve seen everyone with LIVESTRONG? Get something like that. At least this way, the lettering won’t get all wrinkly…and when you find a phrase you like better you can switch it out…
PS My friend felt strongly about his italian heritage, and decided to have the italian flag tattoo’d on his shoulder. We would tease Tony and call him mexican, especially when he was trying to pick up on some girls. Of course he’d deny he was mexican. But we would point out two facts that swayed the girls to belive we were telling the truth…1) His last name was pinto…as in the type of bean in a burrito….and for the case closer 2)The tattoo on his shoulder…you see the artist tattoo’d the Italian flag…backwards…
In the “pro” column:
1) Generally, buildings aren’t decorated on the outside because exposure to the elements wash it off over time. Buildings are often decorated in areas that last. Mormon temples are decorated with text (some more than others), many with sculpture (Moroni), many with stained glass, and most with architectural flair like engraving. Notre Dame does have painting on the walls inside (where it is safer from the elements). The reasons these buildings aren’t painted on the outside don’t really apply to tatoo art…
Therefore, the tatoo/building graffiti doesn’t really hold with temples. Also, many buildings are improved with frescoes. In drier climates, that can be inside and outside. Taoist temples are a good Asian example.
2) Also, maybe if you sufficiently fat and ugly, a really good tatoo would help 😉
3) There are many good reasons why Mormon theology distinguishes between the divinity and reliability to counsel vs. doctrine. That’s an epic topic on it’s own, but you wouldn’t be the first person to carefully decide a particular piece of counsel is not necessarily applicable.
In the “con” column:
1) While I am generally pro-tatoo as a concept, I note my enthusiasm for athestics generally doesn’t last more than a few years. Tatoos do. Most end up in the ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’ category.
2) Tatoos look horrible on old people.
3) Air-brushed conversion vans. Very popular, many people loved them, and they now they are looked at as a tragicomic trainwreck from the 70s. Most people end up looking at their tatoos like this.
4) Tatoo removal is a booming business. Wonder why that is? 😉
5) Unless you get the text tatooed on your forehead, you aren’t going to see it as much as if it was on your wall, yet all the unique drawbacks of tatoo-age still apply.