In some people's eyes, tattoos are a sign of convicted felons, intimidating biker dudes or any other number of hurtful stereotypes. To others, tattoos are a way to make one feel better about themselves, works of art, and even a form of self-expression.

I'm here to break the stigma.

Yes, all types of people have tattoos: the good, the bad, the young, the old, the scary, but what others do not understand or try to understand is why. People get tattooed for countless reasons. Me, I got my first my tattoo to help myself. Now I know that sounds silly, but I suffered from some very serious self-esteem problems. Art has always been an outlet for me. Getting a tattoo was a new start for me that became, I hate to say, a slight obsession. After my first tattoo, a lovely quote that reads "the shadows prove the sunshine," I could finally look in the mirror and see something better than what I had seen in the past. A beautiful image on a body I hated quickly changed my perspective.

I became such a regular at my local tattoo shop Addicted to Ink that there should have been a rewards card for me (although at that point I needed no incentive to keep adding to my blank but quickly filling canvas of a body). With every addition, I fell deeper in love with this incredible form of art. Being tattooed is such an adrenaline rush and, after sitting for either five minutes or four hours, you have an incredible depiction of a memory, inspiring words to turn to at a tough time, or something as powerful as a cancer ribbon to acknowledge a loved one who fought a battle hard and then won. It is such a thrilling experience that nothing compares to.

Two years later and a bunch more tattoos, I look at myself as a work or art still in progress. The ink that covers my body is something that is truly special to me, and in a world so full of people wanting to fit in, my tattoos let me stand out. Each image represents a chapter in my life depicted by the happy outcome. They are unique to me and my experiences and no one can take that away from me with mean words or harsh judgement.

So the next time that the topic of tattoos comes up at the dinner table, in the car or over coffee at Starbucks, take a step back and think, is there a reason my child, friend, boss, coworker, etc. wants to permanently ink their body because they want to "fit in" or is it because they want to express themselves in a way unique to them as an individual? Assume the later. Think before judging. Erase the stigma against tattoos.