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Woman with tattoos holding a mug
Woman with tattoos holding a mug
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SBU | Life

Tattoos And Piercings: Putting Art On Your Body

Alexandra Iannarelli Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Tattoos, a permanent design imprinted on a person’s skin, are becoming more common as days progress. Although piercings aren’t necessarily permanent, they’re still a part of you and what differentiates you from others and creates your own identity. 

On my 18th birthday, I had the choice of either getting a new piercing or getting my very first tattoo. I decided on getting two piercings in my ears, and I don’t regret one thing. Yes, the piercings I have are not too out of this world, but they still give me an identity that I can call my own. 

Many others would have opted for the tattoo and don’t get me wrong, it is on my bucket list of things to do, but I love my piercings. I believe that I needed to put more thought into my first tattoo, so I decided to go with the easier and less stressful option. 

Tattoos can come in all shapes and sizes. Maybe you want “I love you” in your grandmother’s fragile handwriting, or the pawprint of your sweet dog, or even a picture of your favorite cartoon character. No matter what, the tattoo you select plays a role in distinguishing your traits and character from other people. 

Whatever someone fancies, you can put it onto your body. With piercings, you have a wide range of options to choose from. There are crazy and abstract ones, that I myself didn’t know even existed, that create a sense of identity to the person beholding them. Though some may seem absurd to others, to the person they belong to, they can have deep meanings to them. 

For example, a simple nose piercing may look typical but could have a strong message to someone. That small piercing may be the thing to pull someone out of their comfort zone and give them that boost of confidence they needed. Piercings are a very popular way for people to express themselves and separate themselves from the crowd. 

In the end, it’s your decision what goes on your body or what piercings you’re going to get. Whatever you end up choosing will be something that ends up depicting your identity and what makes you, you. As costly as it may be, it’ll all be worth it in the end. These expenses are presenting what expresses your feelings and personality. Your body is a museum, displaying the artwork of your identity. 

Alexandra Iannarelli

SBU '29

Alexandra Iannarelli is in her second year with Her Campus! She is a sophomore at St. Bonaventure and is majoring in public health, minoring in health science, and is in the occupational therapy masters program! Alex will be writing weekly articles about anything in her life or even silly things happening around campus.

So far she has been involved in Her Campus, of course, and SBU Power Yoga. Beyond the clubs she is in, Alex also works on campus as a math tutor and loves to help and teach people.

In high school, Alex played volleyball, ran and did hurdles for the track team, and for about 9 years was a competitive cheerleader! Although quiet at times she is pretty outgoing and loves trying new things when the opportunity arises. Traveling is her favorite and she hopes to travel the world one day! Little things about Alex include her love for collecting records! She has multiple genres of music in her collection and she hopes to continue to expand said collection. Another little hobby of hers is going to the gym and doing yoga. Alex is into yoga, pilates, and she has been going to the gym for a little over two years now. She has been known to be somewhat of a health-nut, in her dorm there are protein bars galore and many other typical healthy snacks. She can't wait to continue her years in Her Campus sharing her stories.