Since the beginning of time, people with tattoos have been asked the same question again and again. What does it mean? We’re told that a tattoo has to mean something if we are to put it on our body, or else it is regarded as something superfluous. But is that really true?
My answer is no. Tattoos have been around for centuries, used by cultures around the world to tell stories, differentiate tribes, and to decorate the body in artwork. The technique for tattooing has evolved over the years from single needles to machines and the art form has made strides toward acceptance in the mainstream world. But for some reason, there is a stigma that a tattoo has to have meaning.
Sometimes a tattoo can have a really deep and personal meaning. It can mark an event, person, or period of time that changed the person’s life and marking that on their skin through art is a beautiful process. But a tattoo can be just for the art or because someone liked the way it looked. A tattoo can talk for itself through skilled technique and mastered talent, becoming a more permanent mark of beauty on our bodies. It’s all up to the person getting the tattoo, because in the end it’s their body and people won’t be able to tell the difference between a tattoo that means the world or a tattoo that is a gorgeous work of art.