Have you ever considered a tattoo? Do you have a tattoo?

As a 20-year-old female, I now have a total of 6 tattoos in my bodily artistic collection. When I can, I add to it, but I'm extremely happy with the pieces that I have now.

To me, tattoos are pieces of artwork that can express meanings of stories, events, people, animals, the list never actually ends. I already have ideas for more ink.

To me, tattoos don't necessarily need to have meaning. Once I got my first few, I started to look around me and notice how many people have tattoos, even if they're miniscule. The ratio was immensely majority ruled.

Before I ever considered getting tattoos, I'd see them as disgusting, improper, unprofessional, and just plain stupid. And then that changed. I don't think anyone needs to have a reason for every tattoo that they have. It's the same thing as making a canvas for your bedroom, dorm, or apartment home. You make the pieces of artwork because you want to display it on your wall, right?

That same logic goes for people who want art on their skin. It's permanent, but it can just be beautiful without a reason.

They can display bits and pieces of someone's life, or they can be there because someone wants them there. Art is already portrayed in so many different aesthetics; so why must they all have meaning behind them? They mustn't. All 6 of mine do since my life has been a roller coaster journey.

These are their meanings, in the order of their occurrence.

1. Semi-Colon Heart

My semi-colon was my first tattoo. I originally only wanted the semi-colon all on its own but decided to complete it with half of a heart. The meaning of a semi-colon is to signify that a sentence could have ended but kept on going. Suicide awareness is something I believe should attract a lot of attention and is a very important social issue in the 21st century. As anxiety and depression become more of a problem for younger people, this seemed appropriate for me. The half of a heart signifies self-love, so standing next to a semi-colon, it makes a point that people should love themselves before loving others.

2. Faith, Hope, and Love

My cross-heart beat-heart tattoo on my side represents faith, hope, and love. Something that not only is recited during wedding vows, this tattoo represents my faith in Protestant Christianity, my hope for myself and for my future and the love I carry for the ones I care for.

3. Cross

My small but dignified cross on my ankle represents walking in the line of faith. With a cross on my ankle, I am always walking with God and having Him next to me helps for me to tackle my anxiety in a much more powerful way. I live through my faith in this way.

4. Paw prints

My paw prints tattoo on my right arm shows my undying love for dogs. Animals are more important to me than most humans (whoops), and their well-being is very important to me. Dogs are my life-long best friends, so I figured I'd keep them with me at all times.

5. Lotus Flower

The lotus flower on my left ankle has a lot more deep meaning to me than most of my other tattoos. A lotus flower normally grows through mud, and they're beautiful flowers when fully bloomed. To me, I think that I should have the ability to see people for the person that they are on the inside underneath their wreckage or rubbish that they've been put through or are being put through. It's so important to me for others to see me for who I am on the inside because that person is a different person than how I am perceived from the outside.

6. Butterfly

My butterfly tattoo holds the most significance to me over all of my others. A butterfly represents a new beginning when they come out of their cocoon. This tattoo made sense primarily because I have passed loved ones that I don't ever want to forget, and a butterfly is normally so beautiful and full of youth, making it a perfect representation of my loved ones being reborn and flying in the sky with the rest of the angels.

Maybe you're inspired to get a tattoo. Because of what I've been through, my pieces of artwork on my skin tell stories. Tell yours in your own special way.