When I was little, my aunt and uncle would come and visit on Christmas. Unlike the majority of my family, they lived locally so sometimes it was a small and peaceful visit. At least that was the plan. My aunt and uncle are bikers, and they have tattoos from head to toe. My aunt smokes like a freight train and is about the most rambunctious person you could have the honor of meeting. Needless to say, they are some of my favorite people on this earth.

My aunt and uncle are the first people I can recall seeing that had tattoos. I was instantly amazed at all the vibrant colors and pictures that they had permanently etched into their skin. My question, unlike most, was not why. But what. Show me your tattoos, tell me the meaning behind them, what they are, why you got them, etc. I could admire their ink for hours at a time.

Despite the fact that they are simultaneously the nicest people on the planet (my huge, intimidating uncle with his soft demeanor and kind words, and my aunt with her boisterous laugh and always willing to lend a helping hand) because they are covered in tattoos they are constantly being judged and looked at differently. Personally, I have never understood this way of thinking. Judging people because they have a different style than you is one of the most close-minded things a person can do.

I am 20 years young and much to my parent’s chagrin I have three tattoos. I absolutely love my tattoos; they speak about my personality that a person would not see at first glance and I wear them with pride. I remember my grandfather trying to wipe my first one off with a wet paper towel and my dad shaking his head. Clearly, this didn’t stop me from getting two more (sorry mom and dad).

This life is about living for you. You owe no one an explanation for your own actions, so get out there and do what you want. I personally will never get a tattoo I don’t think on for at least a year. But if you want to get a ninja turtle on your left ass cheek just for the hell of it, then go for it. Get it. People wear their art and express themselves in different ways. I think tattoos can be absolutely beautiful. They are a unique expression that you wear throughout your life, a commitment that so many people are too scared to make. That’s why people who love their tattoos are some of the most interesting and open-minded people you could meet.

Whether you like to wear your art or look at it hanging on a wall, art is art. What is beautiful about it is there are so many different ways to admire and make art. No matter which way you decide on, art is art, and it gives this sometimes black and white world a splash of color.