In this world, art is such an important factor for self- expression. Art is a way to show how you’re feeling at that given moment, and even release some of the pent- up emotion you’ve been holding in. Self-expression is a huge deal when it comes to being a women. It can be as simple as coloring your hair, changing up your wardrobe, or even getting a tattoo. To me, when I think of self expression the first thing that comes to mind is art. Tattooing is the perfect way to express who you are as a person and to also empower yourself. I have four tattoos on my body that all have a meaningful story behind them. My tattoos are an important part of me and I don’t think I would be who I am without them, because for me getting a tattoo is something I do when I go through something tough, or can even symbolize how I felt at that given time. What I do when I get a tattoo is put a beautiful piece of art on my body that symbolizes something that meant so much to me. This piece of art may suggest a hard time in my life, or it may suggest a beautiful time in my life, but it always will represent an important moment.I’ve had negative and positive feedback about my tattoos. I don’t think much about the negative feedback because I am who I am, and those people know nothing about my tattoos and what they mean. My biggest tattoo is my back piece, it’s a crescent moon covered in roses. It’s absolutely beautiful, I got this particular tattoo because at a point in my life I was very happy with myself. I had fought with some depression prior to that tattoo, and I was finally feeling happy with being me again, by feeling comfortable in my own skin. The moon symbolizes putting the darkness behind me (given it’s on my back, so it’s behind me). There is this big idea of tattoos being deplorable or unfit for anyone given the fact that they are permanent and it can also be associated with criminal injustice, and some might not understand the idea behind them or the meaning behind the individual. The fact of the matter is that they are to express you as a person and make you feel more like yourself. My tattoos symbolize me as a person, who I am, and who I’m becoming. Tattoos are a right of passage and a way to express yourself. Us women need to feel empowered, and if tattoos make us feel empowered then tattoos are what we’ll get.