Tattoos are a timeless trend that were mostly looked down on in American society. Even in the early 2000s, our society still held prejudices against tattoos and while some people were getting them on their own, no one would say they approved.
Tattoos have certainly been scrutinized in the past but today this permanent accessory has now become an edgy way of individual expression. According to Jo Craven McGinty, of The Wall Street Journal, 47% of American millennial's have at least one tattoo.
Allison Griffith, 21, was inspired by one of Rupi Kaur's poems, reading "and here you are living, despite it all." Underneath the poem is a drawing of a girl, wrapping her arms around herself. Allison shared, "I had my best friend of 8 years redraw the woman to look like me." (See article photo).
She got it during her last semester at college and Allison says, "It's just a really nice thing to look down at that reminds me of how much I've been through, but how beautiful, strong and at peace I am now."
You never know what someone's tattoo means or the emotion behind it until you ask. This body art is a conversation starter, a way to find out interesting things about others, or even just something to be kept private. A hidden masterpiece for their eyes only, to remind them of something very special.
Kerragan Garab, 22, got a small plus sign (+) tattooed on her wrist. "I had recently gone through a really tough break up and I was experiencing depression and anxiety for the first time in my life." Kerragan shared, "Luckily, I had also just rushed and gotten initiated into Kappa Delta and that had such a positive impact on me.
"I wanted something to remind me that my life is good and that I have good people around me all the time, and the plus sign is a perfect representation of that for me." Kerragan says, "Every time I see it I smile and people ask me about it all the time so telling them my little tattoo story makes it all the more special."
More and more people like Allison and Kerragan are writing their stories, experiences and self-love reminders on the one place they can never lose it; themselves.
As tattoos grow in popularity they are gaining acceptance in the workplace. There are still some employers with rules against visible tattoos and professions that frown on the trend, even though there are no explicit bans.
From the looks of it, in the years to come tattoos will be accepted in all environments, as millennials take over higher-ranking positions in the workforce and become the older generation.
For critics who don't have tattoos or judge people who do, tattoos aren't a sign of rebellion like they were once thought of. People young and old get tattoos for all different reasons and tell stories through their ink.
"I am a canvas of my experiences, my story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach." - Kat Von D
