If you're asking yourself the question "should I get that tattoo", I have a simple question "Does the idea of getting this tattoo make you happy?"and if the answer is yes then my answer is yes, you should get it.
I say go get the tattoo. A lot of people are anxious about tattoos, especially if it's their first one. I completely understand because you're making a heavy commitment. That ink is going to be in your skin for the rest of your life unless you can afford the painful process of laser removal which doesn't always work. I have six tattoos of my own and I thought long and hard about each one. I was nervous for my first one too, but after that it's a piece of cake for me to sit in the chair and get work done. One of the main arguments I hear against being 20 and having tattoos is that I'm going to regret them when I'm older. If I have the slightest inkling of doubt about a tattoo, I don't get it.
As for me regretting my tattoos when I get older, I refuse to be bullied and picked on by older people who think they can tell me what to do with my body. If I want a dreamcatcher or an animated lion or movie quotes or memorial tattoos then I'm going to get them. The number one thing I see about tattoos is that you shouldn't get visible ones. Well, I'm already screwed on that front. I'm a huge advocate for tattoos and piercings in the workplace. Having a visible tattoo doesn't change how I do my job so I don't see why it should matter. I'm lucky enough that I work in a place that doesn't care about things like piercings, tattoos, and hair color. I guess my advice would be that if you want a tattoo in a certain place then the only thing that should stop you is if your tattoo artist says it's a bad idea.
You can always cover it up if you have to in order to keep your job. I know for a fact that my tattoos don't keep me from doing my job correctly and several of the people that I take care of actually like them. I can't wrap my head around the idea that people actually think that outward appearances affect the way someone does their job. I was raised in a tattooed family and I am grateful for that. I wasn't raised around the stigma that tattoos are bad and that you shouldn't have them. I advocate for tattoos because they are a beautiful form of artwork. Five different tattoo artists have taken the time out of their days to give me beautiful pieces of art that I will carry on my body even in death and I couldn't be more proud to carry them.
