Getting a tattoo is one of those things that’s unexpectedly balanced by definition—impulsive yet thoughtful, nerve-wracking yet freeing, social yet personal, meaningful yet meaningless.
I did the most thorough research imaginable for nearly a month before eventually lugging my friend over to a small tattoo shop in Cambridge. They accepted walk-ins and the artist specialized in “fine line tattoo art,” which was closest to the design style I was looking into, so it seemed like the obvious choice. In my head, I battled between excitement and fear. I knew exactly what I wanted and had the facts to back myself up, but somehow still felt as if everything was happening far too quickly. After stumbling through paperwork and testing out sizing and placement with my tattoo artist, the process started, and through the stinging of the needle, I began to try and remember all of the feelings.
First things first: Whoever says tattoos don’t hurt is fully lying to you. I sat wincing and complaining to my friend, asking millions of unnecessary questions to the artist. The pain isn’t completely unbearable (if it were, literally NO ONE would get tattoos), but it definitely existed. Certain movements of the needle were worse than others, but keeping yourself relaxed and trusting the professionals is really the only way to combat the pain and anxieties. Ask questions! Diving headfirst into a foreign process, it’s only natural to not have all of the answers or feel doubt and nervousness. Your tattoo artist should make your environment feel safe, and walk you through the entire process. As well as this, don’t feel embarrassed to bring along some moral support! Having someone around to hold your hand, take your picture, and share your excitement is what makes your tattoo experience unique and memorable.
Each inking session is unique, and rightfully so, as each person coming in for a new design is unique too! There’s no right or wrong way to get a tattoo. Having artwork inked on your body forever is an extremely beautiful and intimate thing. There aren’t any guidelines for how the process should play out. There’s only you and what you want. They can have as much meaning as you’d like them to have, or could mean nothing at all. They could be elaborate and expensive or simple and silly— thought out for years on end or done in a drunken impulse. Tattoos will showcase your personality. Tattoos will tell your story. There’s absolutely no limits.
Quite possibly the greatest lesson I learned, however, came long after I left the shop, took off the plastic wrap, and waited for the skin to heal. For days, I’d stare at the ink on my arm, running my hand over the disappearing grooves. It was a delicate sprig of lavender, calm and beautiful, and belonging only to me (and I guess a little to one of my best friends, who was kind enough to design it). I’ve always been a very indecisive person- a people-pleaser above anything else. Getting a tattoo solidified the idea that it’s okay to make choices for yourself— and even better to flaunt them! Revealing to my family that not only had I gone on to make this choice, but that was happy with the results, was extremely difficult in itself. After it all passed, though, I felt so proud of myself for owning up to those decisions, and gained a newfound confidence in trusting my own instincts.
