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Thread: Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

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    Senior Member Jenna's Avatar
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    Default Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I want to get another tattoo (it would be my 4th, the other 3 are really small in discreet places). Some people already ask me what one of my tattoos means & I don't have any explanation as to what it's background is or whatever, it was just a spur of the moment, free tat. Another one is my sign on my toe, so that has sort of some meaning, right? I know some people get tats that have meaning, or are tributes to a person or thing, but can one get a tat without having any meaning behind it?

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    Featured Member cash's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    sure.... if thats what you like and think that you can live with it for the rest of your life then go right ahead ...if it not gonna harm you or anyone else in any way
    us: us: us: devil in disguise....

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    God/dess GoldCoastGirl's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I personally feel that tattoos should have meaning ESPECIALLY a meaning that will last a life-time. Yes, you can get them removed these days and even cover them up with make-up however both are a hassle... and if the person put some thought behind the tattoo then they wouldn't have to hide it with make-up or get rid of it.

    Hence the reason that when I do have my tattoos done.. each one of them will have a meaning that won't change for the rest of my life.

    These are just my opinions. I just don't believe in getting a tattoo "just because"... it feels like a waste. Also, you can't be guaranteed you will like it when you are 40 or 60.. if you know what I mean ???


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    Member LolitaBabyDoll's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Tattoos should undoubtedly have meaning. They are something that should be very special and very unique to the person. I have 3 tattoos- one of a chain of purple flowers framing my mom's name, one of my favorite word (the one that describes me best) "Insatiable" and then my motto, "Mantente Firme" ("Stay strong" in Spanish). I will probably have these tattoos for life, but every time I look at them I do not regret them in the least, because they are a part of who I am.
    Pies- para qué los quiero, Si tengo alas para volar?... Feet what do I want them for, If I have wings to fly? - Frida Kahlo

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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    In my opinion tattoos should definetly have meaning and thought put into them, cause you dont wanna have some cartoony looking thing when your 50 or 60 and have to explain. Sure its your tattoo and your body, but remember that every new person that sees it is gunna ask about it and your going to have to answer, so you might as well feel good about it when you explain. I designed my own tattoo with a tribal and the national flower of my heritage. I plan on gettting words above it when i can think of sumthing that i wont get over. I wish I had a motto like Lolita =).

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    Member IBKitty's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Silly Yelle! If you are going to get one for just because...'Where are going to put it?...What will it be of?'...You must know at least the answers to these two questions, and if you do know, then there WILL be a reason to get one. I mean you are not going to go in to the tattoo shop and say 'Put something on my skin.' They are going to ask what you want, what ever you pick is most likely going to be something you like or have interest in... obviously you aren't going to put a turkey on your body if you don't like turkeys... (just an example).
    Getting a tattoo, is an experience to one's individuality, yet addicting, you have to think about the future, if you want one that bad, really think about yourself and think what symbolizes you as 'you'.
    *Remember I will still draw it for you*
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    Veteran Member Deanna's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I currently have 3 tats... my lastest is a cover-up because I made the mistake of getting a spur of the moment tat and soon hated it. It took a long time to design a tat to cover it, thankfully it is something that i love. It has meaning to me and covered the old one VERY well. Although most people can not see the old tat under this one I can and unfortunately always will. I will never ever get another one just because.

    here's a pic of my cover-up


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    God/dess DancerWealth's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I agree with the meaning concept, all I can advise you though is to be careful of what the meaning actually means to you. I saw a program on Discovery or PBS some time ago...not sure which, about tattoos. It was talking about the proceedure, the styles, the removal process etc. One thing they talked extensively about was the removal process, which was twice as expensive at the tatoo itself, four times more painful, and usually took multiple visits to get rid of. They talked about why people get them removed and they had an interesting story about it.

    One woman they interviewed was in a horrible car accident when she was younger and her best friend died in the accident. As a memory to her, she had an angel tattooed on her arm with her friend's name. Not five years later, she was having it removed. The reason was because every time someone saw it or it came up in conversation, the inevitable question arose, "What does it mean"? She then had to go through this terrible account of the car accident, her friend's death, etc. She had to conjure up bad memories every time someone asked about her tattoo. The point was that at the time, it seemed like a good idea and had lots of meaning behind it. Years later, she regretted ever getting it for the same reasons. Just food for thought.

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    Banned Blade's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Should there be meanings behind tattoos? Yes. Is it neccessary? No.
    A tattoo is something that (at least to me) should be taken more seriously than giving up your virginity. It is (either hidden or visible) a mark that SHOULD be with you for the rest of your life. I'm pretty heavily tattooed and all of my tattoos have a meaning to them (they represent celtic and medevial magick), even my suicidal tendencies tat (which more represents my state of being at that point in my life than the band). Right now I am in the process of blending them into one huge tat that will represent the eternal struggle between good and evil magicks, and look major kick ass!
    It really isn't neccessary to have a reason/symbolism/meaning behind the tattoo but I think it makes it much more personal if it means something other than I had a few hundred dollars to blow and this is what I got.

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    Veteran Member Topaz's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    there's a meaning behind every tat that i have except the one around my ankle...that one is for decoration...

    but i do agree with Blade...a tattoo shouldn't be a spur of the moment thing...i've gotten piercings spur of the moment...only to take them out after a few months (i've retired more piercings than most women have)...i've pondered a tat design for at least a few months...even if it's a design on the wall of a tattoo shop...before getting it...tattoos are forever...or they're very expensive to remove...

    so even if you get one purely for decoration...ask yourself..."can i see myself with this when i'm 90"...that should help you avoid any regrets later...

    Why do some people still have to fight...to get the same opportunities...that are given to others??...

    Look out for self...because noone else will...AND
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    Reclusivness...is a good thing.

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    Banned Blade's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Topaz link=board=1;threadid=7164;start=msg81514#msg81514 date=1078584359


    but i do agree with Blade...
    Sorry to go O.T. but....Someone agrees with me!I think this is a first,lol and here it is on the internet for the world to see!To everyone who ever said this would never happen: NEENER NEENER NEENER!!

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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    My brother is a tattoo artist and I've seen it all first hand. if it is going to be etched into your skin forever...your skin is an actual canvas that reflects art personal to you it should mean something.

    If you do not get a tattoo with true meaning I guarantee you will be researching tattoo removal. And baby that hurts!

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    God/dess Malibu's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Yes.
    You are the envy
    of all parallel lines that
    dream of curves and convergence
    - Sara Bailey: Sieve of Words

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    smooth
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?


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    Featured Member TiNi's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    LOL smooth. I dont have one but if I do get one(which would be never) it would have meaning behind it.

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    Senior Member Jenna's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    William Hung, that fool is hilarious! I saw him on some late nite talkshow once. Good one smooth.

    And 4footfine, what you said totally made a great point... "if it is going to be etched into your skin forever...your skin is an actual canvas that reflects art personal to you it should mean something." Hmmm......

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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I would just say, "The meaning for it? How about, because I wanted it..." or you could say, "I thought this would be a great conversation starter for us..."...or if they are really persistant, you could just make up some story...

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    Veteran Member Daisa's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    I really think tattoos should be well thought out with personal meaning to the person that's having it inked onto their body permanently. I have only one, and I know it will mean just as much to me when I'm in my sixties, as it does right now.
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    God/dess Rhiannon's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Hahaha Smooth, you're too much! That little guy is hilarious.

    I don't have any tats, but, I don't really think that your choice should have to mean anything. I do think that it should be something you really want, and something you'll still want to look at when you're er.. older.

    If you like it, that's enough meaning right there.

    ~Rhi~ (Dashing off while singing "She bang, she bang, oh baby.. she move she move.. I go crazy.. cuz she move like a flower but she sting like a beeeeeee....")

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    God/dess GoldCoastGirl's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Blade is a D.j. link=board=1;threadid=7164;start=msg81421#msg81421 date=1078549805
    It really isn't neccessary to have a reason/symbolism/meaning behind the tattoo but I think it makes it much more personal if it means something other than I had a few hundred dollars to blow and this is what I got.
    You said it Blade!

    Hence the reason why each and every one of my tattoos that I'm going to eventually have done I will be able to 'live with' for the rest of my life. Even the one I will devote to my (late) mother.... unlike the account that DancerWealth brought up it isn't a terrible memory. I don't mind bringing it up as it was another part of my life where I truely learnt about death and how it is part of life as well as a part of my life that helped me become me. I learnt alot from my mother's death.

    The other tattoos will generally centre around me - A white horse head symbolising both my affinity with the horse, the spiritual/magickal significance of the colour white as well as the horse and lastly my chinese horoscope; a scorpio, taurus and libra symbol (melded into one symbol)... still working on that design; a butterfly because 'Vanessa' means butterfly plus along the same lines as the horse (affinity with butterflies, their spiritual/magickal meaning).. and then Garfield - not just because I love the comics but to represent my love of cats and to represent in another way all the feline companions that have come into and out of my life.

    Hows that for meaning? LOL! :o


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  21. #21
    Jay Zeno
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Some people get art for meaning, others get it because it looks pretty. I'd vote for "meaning," but it's your body.

    I have no objections whatsoever to tattoos, and some of them look nice, but I just don't get it, myself. There is almost nothing in my life, except for one thing that couldn't be predicted, that is consistent with my thoughts and dreams and likes and dislikes when I was 20. If there's been one constant, it's that things will change. So I just don't see the logic of permanent body alterations. But like I said, that's just me, and everyone else, go ahead and ink away.

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    Veteran Member wasfatboy's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    ok my 2 cents.....

    i want to get inkwork done but i havent found something i want for the rest of my life. i have been thinking and doing some research on a celtic braid type of tat. im norweigen/german and from what i have read celtic inkwork originated from viking styling. now heres my problem i cant draw to save my life but i do want one. are there any artists here that would like to give me ideas?

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    God/dess Susan-Va's Avatar
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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Tattoos should have meaning to you, no matter what that is. I've learned that even if something has meaning at some point it may change later on. My first tat from 10 years ago, loved it, a sun on my stomach, now I don't really care for it. My husband just did my second cover up of a small tattoo he did when we first got together, a cute dragon on my ankle. He covered up another one last year. I found that as I learned more about tattoos and the style that I like I wanted to change what I had.

    Deanna, nice work.

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    Default Re:Should there be meanings behind tattoos?

    Seems like everyone has a mixed view on tattoos (as they always will) and if they should mean something...but...instead of the artwork it should considered to be it's viewed as a "fad" or "a phase I went through".

    There is this girl I work with that I really like but everytime she gets rejected in life...work/personal...she scars herself with dark images that refelct her pain or mood...she is self mutulating basically, at the hand of an artist...do you think she'll look back and enjoy her tattoos? NO.

    Our bodies and skin should be celebrated! We can preserve, enhance and even decorate! But some choices are forever...or until we can get the laser removal appointment.

    VenusGoddess...I of course respect your opinion...but a tattoo that only represents a mood, a want or for conversation will not hold the value of one with true meaning. Example...shopping...you're in a mood, you need a quick fix...you shop...next day you hate what you bought. Maybe it doesn't even fit...not comfy...whatever. Feeling of guilt for your shopping trip...same effect.

    Doing anything "just because" never holds the satisfaction of something done with the right intention. The shopping example may not compare...just an example.


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