Skin deep

Excuse me for being a fame whore here, but I just couldn't help myself...

Tattoos and body modification is my thing. I just plain bloody love it. Everything about it. Especially the pain of it.

Tattoos aren't for everybody, I get that, and I try the best I can to not rub my tattoos, or my views on them in people's faces. But as you can see, it's kinda hard not to, especially in the summer. Every single tattoo I have is on a part of the body that is visible. I don't hide them. I'm not ashamed of any of them and I never will be. They are a part of me and if people cannot accept that, then byeeee!!!

Sounds harsh yeah? Well how about the sheer amount of us inked folk who get turned down for jobs simply because we have (a) tattoo(s). How about the amount of abuse we have to put up with for choosing to have these beautiful works of art inked into our skin.

Tattoos are like marmite, you either love them or you hate them...

I'm a full on lover. Have been since as long back as I can remember and I got my first tattoo age 16. Granted, it's a tramp stamp (lower back tribal), but I still wouldn't have it covered, only added to. My tattoos tell a story and are memoirs about events that have happened in my life. I think them through, the big ones anyway, and know exactly what I want, where I want it and how I want it to look.

I have a total of 30 tattoos. I didn't keep a track as they were being done, someone just randomly asked me one day so I actually counted them all, and 30 was the number... What I suppose is the saddest thing of it all, is that I remember the order I had them in... Oh dear!

In addition to my beautiful art work, I've gone a little bit mad over the years with piercings and such. Until Christmas, I had my ears stretched up to 14mm (they still haven't shrunk back to normal size, and I doubt they ever will. I'm considering stretching them again as I miss them :() I've also had my lip pierced twice, tragus twice, tongue, nose 4 times, septum, belly button twice, nipple, upper ear and each ear lobe 4 times. I HATE getting piercings, but I just can't stop myself!

I've also worked in a tattoo studio, for about 9 months or so. I started out as the receptionist then slowly worked my way up to apprentice. I did three tattoos, one of which is on my mum (go cool momma!) but decided that tattooing for a living wasn't my thing, and I gave it all up to come to uni!

The debates about tattoos and body modifications has gone on for goodness knows how long. Many people perceive those who have tattoos to be thugs and hooligans. (In fact, a good friend of mine actually admitted that when she first saw my pictures on facebook, she thought I was a thug. The reality is that I'm far from being a thug. My tattoos are all girly pussy ass tattoos of flowers and angel wings and birds. I just do them on a bigger scale than most!) The reality is though is that there is only a small percentage of tattooed people who are thugs. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some right states, birds covered in shit tattoos looking as trashy as a dustbin. But for everyone you see like that, there is someone (like me, I hope) who is giving the tattoo industry a good name.

Artists like Kat Von D are out there showing the public that tattoos are not just for sailors and criminals. Kat is an incredibly beautiful woman (in my eyes anyway) and she is covered from head to toe in ink but still looks amazing. Megan Fox has tattoos, Angelina Jolie has tattoos. These women are the most beautiful women in the world and them having tattoos does not change a thing!

People often try and argue the point that when I'm 60 I'm going to be horrified at my tattoos and will want to hide them all, and that they will look a mess... Well...

One. No I won't. My tattoos are my autobiography. I've just chosen to write it on my skin rather than in a book.

Two. People need to realise just how many people in my age group have tattoos of some variety. Yeah some of us have had a lot. But when were all 60, we'll ALL have wrinkly tattoos. I certainly won't be alone.

Three. I have stories to tell my grandchildren. I literally have a story for each tattoo I have. I could sit for hours talking about the weird ass situations I've been in because of my tattoos and through working at a tattoo studio.

Four. Get a grip. Nobody is forcing you to get a tattoo so stop nagging at us. We're fucking adults and if we want to have ink put into our skin then we pissing well will. Alright?

The moment I won over my Mother in Law to be with my tattoos was one of the proudest moments of my life. I successfully turned a Christian woman who was dead set against body modification into a Christian woman who admitted that tattoos were actually pieces of artwork.

What a freaking achievement.

I would like to thank all of the wonderful tattoo artists who have blessed me with ink over the last 7 years. And also the not so wonderful and sometimes crazy fuckers. Who have still taught me a thing or two...