Permanence. A concept seemingly understood, but almost unknown in our world. The earth is ever changing and so is nature, making us inevitably subject to change. Our hair, clothes, bodies, personality, interests, hobbies, career path, school, car, friend groups and ideas, all come and go in waves of trends and age. With each passing year we are learning and growing, maturing into the people we were destined to be. People come in and out of our lives to teach us lessons and some, if we are lucky, even decide to stay.

But in a world where things can be changed in a blink of an eye, there are a few constants. One of them being tattoos.

Now I know people have their opinions from centuries-old stigmas, and ideas of the “types” of people that choose to get inked, but for just a minute push those away. Because maybe the next time you go to judge a book by its cover, you’ll understand there are pages of life and memories collected within that novel of a person.

Today’s day in age, the occurrence of someone having a tattoo is much more common place. Tattoos have found themselves sewn into the mainstream, especially with Millennials. Which brings about one of the very obvious differences in today’s age gap between generations. In some work places, people are expected to still cover up for fear of seeming dirty or unprofessional. But believe it or not, my tattoos don't impair my skills and ability to perform the necessary tasks while I am working. What many people don’t realize is that the tattoos people are getting now are so much more safe and are done under state regulations. Artists are no longer etching designs from inside dirty prison cells. I know my tattoo artists and plenty others all have to go through a Blood borne Pathogens Safety course before ever getting close to a needle.

My biggest rule (I even have to remind myself of) is to NEVER -and I mean never- pass judgement on another person’s tattoo. I mean for one, it’s not my body and I’m not being forced to walk around with it and two, this is a work of art they decided to permanently affix to their body. Who am I to say anything? As cliché or tacky it might be, I just keep my mouth shut, because while it might look like something stupid to me, it might carry great weight to the person donning it. Also, I don’t think I would appreciate if anyone saw my tattoos and thought, “Oh, that looks so (enter negative/judge-y comment here).” Because believe it or not I put great energy into designing and thinking out what I would choose to have on me forever.

Most people’s tattoos have a strong significant meaning, usually tied to a memory. Tattoos offer people a sense of identity. Whether it be the memory of a person or a pet, or the memory of getting through a rough patch in their life. These permanent etchings are not for you, the viewer. They are for the person who went through whatever it was in their life that they thought they couldn’t make it through and has that tattoo there to physically remind them of who they are and why they became the person they are. In some ways, it’s a sort of grounding mechanism. If you think about it, our body is just that- “ours”. I am not my body. I am a soul that lives in my body until my time here is done. The ink in my skin simply reflects unto my body what my soul has had to endure.

See these illustrations are more than just a pretty design, or thought-provoking quote, these are the glimpses into a person’s life shown in their skin. Some are tiny, some are big, some have color, and some are black and white. Some tattoos are intricate, and extravagant works of art. They are as unique as the person with them.

I always heard the saying, “My body is a temple, so why not decorate the walls?” and it brought about the perfect imagery to me when people asked why I decided to get tattooed. Think of an art museum, where you stroll through the corridors of different paintings or statues, usually depicting some sort of battle or important person. The same goes with people that decide to get tattoos. These tattoos can be just that- a work of art, depicting an important person, place, or event that the person finds to have great worth.

“My tattoos remind me of who I am when I start to feel my identity getting blurred in the thick of life. They root me when I start to lose myself. They’re about memorializing something so important it needs to be engraved on my skin.” –Zara Barrie.