Have you ever really truly regretted something that you have inflicted upon yourself? Felt the pain of having no way to undo the wrong you've caused yourself and wished to God that you hadn't made that stupid decision? Looked in the mirror, staring at your reflection attempting to remember how things were before you inflicted such stupidity upon yourself? I can promise you that if you've not experienced that deep sense of regret then it's a feeling that you really don't want to experience at all.
At A Glance Author Anonymous Contact anonymous When N/A When I first mentioned to my parents that I wanted to get a tattoo when I "grew up" they weren't worried, I was barely 12 years of age and they trusted that my brothers influence would wear off and as I matured I would decide to leave my body as it was. Needless to say that as the years passed my interest into body modifications increased and within 5 years I had already been pierced approximately 15 times and had the plans ready for my first tattoo.
I made my first tattoo appointment on my 18th birthday, it was only a small butterfly tattoo but I thought it was lovely, everything I had wanted was depicted by this small piece of flash, I had done as so many other before me had and I'd chosen it from a book full of hundreds of designs. I personally don't see as this is a problem, there is the obvious risk of walking around with a tattoo that someone else has but so long as that piece of ink has personal meaning to you does it really matter if someone else has the same design which means something different, if anything at all to them?
Even though it was flash that I was having I did some research into the artist, he was well known in the local area, he had tattooed my brother several times each time the work was exquisite and I was certain that I want him to do the tattoo for me, so it's him that I made the appointment with and it was him that eventually tattooed me and started my addiction to ink.
As time passed I started to design my own tattoo, a large arm piece was to be my second tattoo. When I returned to the studio to book my appointment with the same artist who had tattooed me before I was out of luck, his appointment book was full and he was fully booked for a year. Instead of waiting I opted to go with a different artist, this is where I want to emphasize to people that you REALLY do need to research people.
Sheer, bloody mindedness and mental stupidity!
I knew that the artist was good at his job, but I failed to look at a portfolio for him and as a result over a year later I am out of love with the tattoo. Although it is a lovely design and it's everything I wanted, I simply don't like it. Because I hadn't looked at the artists portfolio, I didn't know that he had little experience with fantasy art and that he wasn't capable of achieving the quality needed, there are imperfections with the design, lines don't meet, sections have scarred, colours are patchy and don't blend. The main focal point is such a mess that it is unrecognisable for what it is and the only option I have at this current moment in time is to cover the design with clothing, even venturing out at times with a bandana fastened around my arm to cover the worst of the design.
Once again over a year passed and I decided to return to the studio with my 3rd design, this time a Guardian Angel. I loved the design and I had taken to time to live with the design to make myself certain that I really wanted. I attempted once again to make an appointment with my original artist but due to the amazing quality of his work he was in high demand and again was fully booked. I wasn't sure quite what to do, so I asked the other artists, the guy who had made me hate my second tattoo if he would take a look at the design and re-work it for me so that I could see if I liked what he did with it. I was doing this by way of a test, thinking that if he could give me a version of the design drawn by him on paper that I approved then there wouldn't be a problem for him transferring the design to my skin.
BIG MISTAKE!
The design that he presented to me two weeks later was great, an improvement on what I had originally presented to him and so, giving him a second chance I made my appointment, went through with letting him tattoo me a second time and when he showed me the final design in a mirror I was perfectly happy with all that he had done. That was until my mother took a photo so that I could see the damage, the facial features were a mess, my so called Angel looked like the had a chronic case of acne, her nose consisted of 3 dots, her hair made her look like she had been plugged into an electric socked and in general her "beautiful" face was ugly. Admittedly the damage is only minor and after consulting another artist I've been told that the work is reparable but the design obviously won't be as I wanted.
I feel like I have been a total fool. My first tattoo experience was amazing, I'd done everything as I should have, I'd researched the studio and checked out the artists portfolio and seen people with completed designs that he had done, but I had taken for granted that because the first artists work was great, his partner would be equally as good and I know now that I was seriously wrong in my judgment.
Before you go steaming ahead and think that what I'm writing here doesn't concern you then stop. Step back and think; in your lifetime, no matter how long or short it may have been up until now, how many things have you done to yourself that you didn't think about thoroughly? How many times have you pushed aside what your brain has said to you because you're impatient and if you can't have what you want now then you refuse to wait for what's right?
There is a very simple moral to my story, and although I know that many people will ignore it I would like to hope that someone will stop and wait and listen just for a moment. A tattoo is a permanent modification to your body, you cannot simply remove it like a piercing and be left with a minor scar and so you really do need to make sure that when you are preparing to be tattooed you find an artist who's work you have seen, someone who is skilled and can achieve the standards that your body deserves. Just do your research and don't take anything for granted, not now and not ever. You have to live with it the rest of your life so get it right first time and don't make the mistake of being left with something that you'll always regret.