If you have a tattoo or have ever thought about getting one, you have probably had somebody tell you, "You know those are permanent right?" Well obviously I do or I would not want to deal with the pain of getting it done. It is really funny hearing older people or even people my own age talk about tattoos as if you don't know what you are about to do to your body.

I probably have tattoos in two of the worst places to get a tattoo, on my wrist and on my side, but I would not change having them no matter how much they hurt. I see people with a huge tattoo in a painful part of their body and wonder how they got through that pain, but then I think that everybody has a different pain tolerance and that it might just not hurt them as much as it could be hurting me. Plus I am terrified of needles, so that does not help me calm down and not feel that pain.

I hate when people ask me what does this tattoo mean because 1. not every tattoo has to mean something, you could have just gotten it to get it, and 2. sometimes a tattoo can have such a personal meaning that people may not want to share. If they want to tell you then that is up to them, but if not, don't get mad when they don't want to tell you.

Tattoos are probably the best way to express yourself, but so many people are against it that it can discourage people from getting them. If people feel judged by their peers or their family, they can choose not to get them because they hate feeling like they are being talked about or judged, but if you truly want a tattoo, get one and don't care what others think about you or your tattoo after you get it. Also, DO NOT let others convince you to not get something that you truly care about and want because you are the one who will have to live with it inked onto your body not them!

Be free to express yourself! Be you! Make the best kind of art! Don't let others force you into being a blank canvas forever!