Life is too Short, Get the Tattoo.

A quarter of the UK have made the decision to mark themselves for life with a tattoo, showing to the world their personality in a permanent way.

A lot is often said of people with tattoos, of “you might not like that in 30 years”, or “it doesn’t mean anything so why get it”.

Yes, tattoos are a big commitment, they are on your body forever (unless you shell out thousands to get them removed), and if they are not for you they are not for you, I’m not saying you have to get one just because I think they’re cool.

I just want to talk about my experiences, and something I love, which is getting a cool piece of art, about something I like.

To me, tattoos don’t have to have a clear meaning, and as long as you know it, that's all that matters.

As a 22-year-old film nerd that loves superheroes and sci–fi, getting a life-long reminder of what I love, how they make me feel and who I want to be was a no brainer.

Having tattoos of Superman, Captain America, Spiderman and more was done for a few reasons.

First of all, the films they are in hold a very special place in my heart, growing up with icons of cinema was very formulative.

From Henry Cavill and Christopher Reeve playing an indestructible Kryptonian, Chris Evans portraying a leader and sacrificial figure, to Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland and Shameik Moore bringing the wall-crawling hero to life, this was everything I wanted to

be.

Getting these tattoos was, as I say, done because I think they’re cool, but also to remind me of the person I want to be, how I want to live my life, and to always keep going when times are tough.

My tattoos don't outright say that, in that it is a figure of a superhero, but I know what it means.

The same can be said for my music tattoos, I have lyrics from artists that I like, which out of context can read a bit odd, but I know what they mean.

Finally, one of my favourites: my Manchester United piece.

Growing up a football fan, I always knew I wanted something to do with my beloved club, but felt the badge wasn’t for me, and my parents forbade me from getting any devils (thanks mum and dad that is solid advice).

So, I chose to get the coordinates of Old Trafford. Again, out of context, a bunch of numbers just on a leg may look strange, but I know what they mean, and therefore the context of what the tattoo means is clear to me.

The actual process of getting the tattoo I think can be meaningful also, what you and the artist talked about, what music played, how it felt and what people said after getting it done.

This I feel adds meaning to a piece as well, but again this can be a very private thing as only you remember.

All in all, what I am trying to get at, is that when getting a tattoo, you don't need to worry about whether people are going to “get it”, not everyone is.

You shouldn’t always worry about “well what if no-one knows what it means”, because that does not matter, tattoos are a beautiful way to express individuality, and part of that comesfrom not everyone “getting it”.

They don't have to.

They are yours.

Life is too short, get the tattoo.