Reflection time. What do you personally think about individuals with tattoos at first glance? What are your thoughts about their families, work ethic, hopes/dreams? Are they honest? Trustworthy? Be incredibly honest with yourself. After all, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
The man pictured above is model Stephen James. His tough exterior typically seen in his photos is complimented by his soft-spoken interior. He describes himself as very shy and has been attempting to gain more confidence through his modeling experiences.
Stephen is pictured above modeling for a swimsuit designer, something that would not have been possible years ago. Stephen shared his past troubles landing jobs in the modeling industry due to his inked-up skin, and proceeded to explain how it has gotten way easier in the modeling industry due to the acceptance of tattoos widening.
However, as the acceptance rate rises in certain professions, it is still seen as a make-or-break factor in many job fields to have tattoos covering your skin. And this fact seriously perplexes me because, in my humble opinion, judging someone based on the tattoos on their skin is almost the equivalent to judging someone due to their skin color as a whole.
Generally, those with tattoos are believed to be taken less seriously by those in the workplace. Many employers will not hire applicants simply based on the preconceived notion that those with tattoos are less professional than those without.
Tattoos are a beautiful form of expression, and I have a small one on my back dedicated to my grandfather. I plan on getting more; however I am more into small and simple designs as opposed to full sleeves. But if we are being honest, that opinion mainly stems from the fact that I plan on working in schools with young children one day. With a job like that, I know I have to have my tattoos be covered in order to get hired in many places. While I completely understand the issue of inappropriate designs in visible locations, I don't really see the harm in visible tattoos. Nor do I believe that having them makes you a "delinquent" of any sorts.
Tattoos are one of the many things that our generation is known for, and they're one of the things that this world is probably just going to need to get used to. Times are changing and with that comes a different acceptance level for certain things that were once considered out of the question. I think it's much more valuable to take the time to learn about the stories behind inked skin than to automatically judge it.
