Art, in all mediums, plays a part in everyone’s life and is especially important to me as an individual. Almost everyone I know goes to the movies on a regular basis, listens to music everyday, and is not opposed to absorbing a well painted art piece in a museum. Another medium in which art can express itself is on one’s body in the form of a tattoo. I for one have some ink on my skin and will soon be getting my second in the coming weeks. Some people appreciate them, others don’t as much, and some are completely against them. However, just like every other form of art or self expression, the input of other people is totally irrelevant.

When one gets ready in the morning and decides what they want to wear for the rest of the day, I hope that people don’t look themselves in the mirror and think, “I hope the other people at school approve of my outfit.” I understand that one can change the way they dress fairly easily. With a few hundred bucks and a trip to the mall, one can change their entire wardrobe, and thus the way they present themself.

Tattoos, on the other hand, are something that takes a lot more trouble to get rid of, but to me hold the same exact weight of self expression. When one gets a tattoo, they’re showing the world who they are, but in a more permanent way than sporting a new outfit. In that same way, I don’t think it’s fair for someone to say they don’t approve of your tattoo. To me, that person is basically saying “I do not approve of how you are expressing yourself.” And that is utterly unacceptable for me.

Just like if you make a song or an art piece, for someone to say that your form of self expression is wrong is not OK. Just like many other things in life that are not OK, often times people still do them. If someone ever comes up to you and says they don’t like how you present yourself, you have the choice to completely disregard their ignorant opinion. Personally, I never take one’s opinion seriously when they clearly show they have no idea what they’re talking about. Again, it’s who you are, and if someone can’t appreciate you showing who you are, then they’re not worthy of being in your life in the first place.

A question people always ask when you’re thinking about getting a tattoo is “Are you sure? That’s going to be on your body for the rest of your life” or “Are you really going to like that when you’re seventy?” These questions are good things to ask yourself before getting something that will permanently be on your body, but if you’re absolutely certain what you want, you should definitely go for it.

People will often bring up future jobs and how getting a tattoo might impact your chances of getting a future job. If you are thinking about getting into a career that a tat might hurt your chances, then I wouldn’t, or at least get one in a less open spot on your body. In my opinion, and I do not know everything about the adult world, but I feel that as the years go on, people are becoming more tolerant of people with tattoos. Obviously a face tattoo will not increase your chances of landing a job as a corporate lawyer, but I feel that a few tattoos on your arms or other visible places won’t hurt you in today’s world.

At the end of the day, how you want to express yourself is up to you, and what anyone else has to say shouldn’t matter. You should be comfortable with who you are and I hope you’re never afraid to show it. Life has meaning because of things that give it purpose, and one of those things is art. Never be afraid to express art in whichever way suits you best. You should never be afraid of what others have to say, at the end of the day life ends and starts with you. So do what you want, get a tattoo, make a song, a film, a painting. Do everything you possibly can in one lifetime and don’t let others hold you back.