How to:Pick a Tattoo

How to pick a Tattoo and live the rest of your life not regretting it. 

So picking a tattoo can be a difficult decision, I know it all too well... when I was 17 my I told my parents I wanted to get a tattoo and my mam gave me some great advice. She said:  

"Mary Kate, you can do what you want, but you have to be able to live with it forever!"

I guess that advice stuck with me, because I didn't decide on a tattoo design for over a year, and it took me until my nineteenth birthday to finally get inked.  A small design on my inside left ankle. Simple, cute, girly and meaningful.  All the things I wanted for my first tattoo. 

Here's a few pics of my little baba of a tattoo :) 

Okay, soooo  its a bit plain, and its not perfect but I still LOVE. And its tiny anyway!! It's very meaningful to me. The design is two quavers with wings, to symbolise music and how it makes me feel free. Yeah yeah soppy I know, but music has been a huge part of me all my life, it calms me and really means a lot to me, so I thought this tattoo symbolised that perfectly. 

It also means so much to me, because my two best friends from secondary school paid for my tattoo for my birthday present, so in a way I'll always have something to remind me of them.  

Because of the meaning behind this tattoo, and it's size and placement, I'm not too upset that it's not perfect quality, and I know even though it's not perfect I'm never gonna not want it because of the meaning behind it and because of how much I love it. 

Anyways, enough of me running off on a tangent, this is how I decided on a tattoo, it's placement, and how I'm sure I'll love it forever. 

How to pick a tattoo: 

I thought, and thought, and thought, and then thought some more about something that's really important to me.

Once I decided I wanted something to do with music I began trawling through the internet for hours on end for something I really,really liked.

In the beginning I had tonnes of ideas, and I wasn't sure what I liked the most. I had to think of a plan.

I printed out pictures of tattoo ideas I liked, I drew tattoo ideas that I liked (as best I could) and stuck them up all around my room and places I'd see them regularly. I also kept copies of them on my phone and looked at them regularly. (If you've a friend who's a really good artist get them to help!)

I eventually got sick of looking at some of them, and realised, that if I got sick of looking at them on a wall, then I'd get sick of looking at them on my own skin, and that's a tad more difficult to get rid of. (laser removal.... OUCH!!)

It took a while, but the only image I couldn't forget about was the winged quavers, so I knew this was the one. 

Then I began to think about where I wanted it.  I wanted somewhere that can be easily seen when I want it to be seen, but hidden when I want it to be hidden. 

I thought maybe my ribs, or my hip, but no.. too sore for first tattoo. I eventually decided on the inside of my ankle after seeing a photo of someone who had a tattoo in the same place and I really liked it. 

Then was to draw a sketch of the tattoo in place on my ankle (NOT EASY!!) to see if I was sure I liked it... and yeah, I loved it, and that was me decided. 

Picking where to go for me was easy at the time, somewhere cheap (poor student problems) but my advice now is to NEVER do that, the cheapest places, usually aren't the best! If you're looking for quality, you're gonna wanna pay more for it.  

Now in fairness I was lucky that mine turned out as good as it did, but really shop around and look for a good deal, and a good artist. Don't just go for who you're friends all say is great! Don't be a sheep!

Soooooooo, if you find the PERFECT design, a GREAT tattoo artist and a REASONABLE price, if you follow these steps and listen to my advice I'm pretty sure you can find a tattoo that you'll love forever, and I hope you love yours as much as I love mine. 

Remember tattoos are art, and everyone views art differently so what one person loves, one person might hate! Don't be a tattoo snob!

Until the next time!

Muchos love, 

MK xo