It is art. Every tattoo has a meaning that is more than just something skin deep.

-Anon.

 

“Hey, I think I’m gonna get a tattoo this weekend. You wanna come with?”
“WHAAAAAAATTT? IT’S GOING TO BE ON YOUR BODY PERMANENTLY, ARE YOU STUPID? “

Courageous? Yes.
Committed? Yes.
Proud? HELL YES.
But, Stupid? No.

Okay… there maybe a few exceptions. But that’s alright. It’s still a fun story to share.

Yes, it’s on your body for life and you’re pretty much stuck with it. But why don’t we take a moment, and try to apprehend why people take this huge leap to mark their skin permanently.

Just how old this art-form is, we’ll never know.

Twenty-five years ago, tattoos were actually quite common… on sailors, prison inmates, and members of tough motorcycle gangs. If you looked at accountants, pro ping-pong players, or shoe salesmen, though, it would have been pretty rare to find some ink. So what happened?

The first-known tattoo – of a moustache – was discovered on a South American mummy from 6,000 B.C. It was a cosmetic tattoo, believed to have been done to entice his wife further.

But, the 1991 discovery of a pre-historic man in the Alps, revealed a whole new perspective to the story. Carbon dating would prove that he was mummified almost 5,300 years ago. Apart from being discovered with a number of primitive tools, the most fruitful outcome of this expedition was his tattoos. His tattoos, that covered him from head to toe, were found to have been lined up to acupuncture points on the body and were dark from repeated applications – some of which were on parts that he couldn’t have been able to reach on his own.  Tattooing for medicinal purposes – dating back to ages and ages ago. Fascinating, isn’t it?

So, tattooing isn’t a new-found practice and tattoos have not always been about beautifying the human body; they have been passed on for generations and have been used for diverse reasons by different communities across the globe.

Tattoo-lovers, today, are a proud lot. They have consciously taken the decision to mark their skin and would proudly declare that they are what they are. To me, it’s a projection of a strong sense of identity that they have no intention of hiding. They are not scared of public opinion and would love to let others know what they believe in. And good for them!

Over the centuries, instead of becoming an extinct practice, tattoos have gained popularity — which only goes to prove that the art-form has stood the test of time and is here to stay. Thanks to pop-culture and social media, over the past few years, the walls dividing artists and tattoo fans have been reduced to mere rubbles, and now act as reminders of history.

While critics still lurk around the edges, waiting to point fingers at a tatted-arm or an inked-wrist, there are some others that have become and are becoming a lot more accepting of these practices. What was once considered self-mutilatory behaviour and a psychiatric problem has now become almost normative behaviour.

WHAT DOES YOUR TATTOO MEAN?

Millennials today get inked for a wide variety of reasons. To keep a memory permanent, or to mark a milestone; to honour a loved one or to pay respect to a tradition or culture; to identify with a cult/culture/organisation or quite simply to embellish this beautiful body that they’ve been gifted with… the reasons are endless, and to each, their own.

“An inked skin to me is a canvas that has some stories to tell, until the day you submerge into the soil.”

– BHAVANA SN

• TO HONOR / SHOW RESPECT FOR A LOVED ONE.
  A  good friend got a tattoo as a token of love and respect for her mum, and she told me, ” …when I look at my tattoo it tells me that this is what I’m living for.”Humans are sentimental beings that crave attention, affection and that deep connection with one another. Either it’s a dedication to a loved one or a tribute to a respected personality, people get tattoos to mark the presence or impact of certain others in their lives.
• TO CREATE AN IDENTITY FOR ONESELF.
  Growing up in a rapidly changing and challenging world, most young people have struggled at some point or another with figuring out who they might be. Tattoos, recent research suggests, don’t just express identity: They help define it.It is a modern-day coat-of-arms that help cement some part of ourselves in this rapidly moving era, constantly reminding one of who they are and what they’re striving for.
• TO KEEP A MEMORY PERMANENT OR TO MARK A MILESTONE.
  To build anchors that would help bring stability to who you are today, and where you want to be.
• TO BEAUTIFY THE BODY WITH A DISTINCTIVE WORK OF ART.
  

  “I have a lot of tattoos. I probably have over 100 tattoos. I don’t know. It’s just a mural… a collage.”
  -TYGA

No matter what far corner of the globe you’re from, tattoos are a way to wear your life story on your skin. A blend of creativity and fashion, tattoos are no longer just about identity and territory. They are looked at as means to express beliefs, memories and the phase one is going through in life.

Gone are the days when tattoos were spotted only on mean, gang-members with sigils branded on their chests, or done in shady garages located in dark alleys. Whether you like it or not, they are growing in popularity. And, the long-term fear of being “marked for life” is being tempered by tattoo removal technology and people getting used to seeing tattoos. Whatever your feelings are about tattoos, one thing is for sure: There’s definitely more than meets the eye.

So, if you really want to go get that tattoo, go ahead and don’t bother about other’s opinions. This is your blank slate and your story to tell. But make sure to put in the thought and effort that it deserves.

If this article helped clear some of the doubts that were clouding your mind, or if there’s something else that you’d like me to talk about, let me know in the comments below.

Yours truly,
The Blank Slate.