Your Body Is A Canvas

Tattooing is an amazing art form, and one that has been practiced since near the dawn of mankind. Skilled and steady hands have done awe inspiring work on the faces and bodies of Maori warriors. Drunk and stoned tattoo artists have crafted beautiful and complex pieces across the backs and down the arms of many of our celebrated rock, country, and sports stars. It’s an art form we can all embrace, with a few extra dollars to burn of course.

Now choosing an image, sketch or idea to permanently ink on your body can be difficult. Maybe you have agonized about what to get for years, maybe it’s only been minutes. Easy influencers could be that hot gal with the barbed wire around her bicep, or the beefcake with a Celtic cross stretching from shoulder to shoulder. Rather than think about it too much, just let the image come to you. Something simple, in the moment, and something you like.

Happy hour is a great time to brainstorm. Spend the afternoon in the sun with a few good friends, and ask them what they really think of you. Good friends may just toy with your emotions and dare you to venture outside your element. Great friends will tell you what you want to hear. Maybe you are strong-willed, persistent, and need to settle down for really long naps…meaning you need a bear on your shoulder. Maybe you seem to be first one also to the bottom of the bag of Doritos, or popcorn bowl, suggesting a pork-related character might be better suited for your shortlist. Like I say, ask your friends if you are weak in the head.

Happy hour also usually ends early. This is a good thing, because you can usually catch the best places while they are still open and not busy. The earlier you are, the cleaner the tools, and your tattoo artist isn’t bound to be tired and shaky. If you decided Tinkerbell was essential to disguise a small mole on your right ass cheek…it’s best you get the ink slinger before he too has a couple drinks…even if he says ‘it steadies my needling hand’.

If you miss out on these early evening opportunities in the tattoo parlor, and your level of inebriation still dictates you and your new Facebook friends need to cement that relationship, you still have options. The late night tattoo places certainly have qualified individuals working the tables, as you aren’t the first customer to have the impromptu tattoo thought. The backup plan is much less time sensitive. You likely have the tools handy at your local 24 hour convenience store. A felt marker to trace out what you want. The ink cartridge from your standard ball point pen and a straight pin (even a sharpened paperclip would do the trick). Work on inking a friend, then have them do the same to you. That’s what friends are for!

These are memories you will never forget, just be certain to sterilize the tip before puncturing that subdermal layer. You can’t be too safe nowadays.

Chris

Day 97 After A Few Friday Afternoon Beers With Coworkers Might Be the Best Time for a Tattoo