Artistic Design and Collaboration

Since I was young, I was always taught to view tattoos as something that ends up being regrettable and casts you in the light of a rebel. There was no other way of looking at it, especially considering my uncle was someone who often got in trouble with the law and had tattoos covering his entire body. If anything, that served as “a reminder” not to get a tattoo of my own.

But as I’ve grown to see the world in a different light, I’m realizing more and more how tattoos are nothing but a means of expressing yourself. And if anything, more and more people are beginning to get at least one tattoo, to the point that they’re in the mainstream more than a mark of the rebellious.

So, in the past year I’ve told myself that I would home in on an idea that resonates with me and would work quite well as a tattoo. While I’m a pretty indecisive person and like to change my mind all the time, I think I’ve zeroed in on a design that I thought up based on one of my favorite musicians’ songs. In fact, I’ve even sat down with some thin slats from cardboard boxes and constantly drawn different designs with a sharpie. While I’m no artist in the slightest, this has given me a way to map out what I do like and what I don’t like about certain shapes and lines and themes and layouts.

I won’t actually be the one to design my own tattoo, of course. I think leaving that up to the tattoo artist themself is actually far more beneficial for me getting the tattoo since this leaves the creative direction in the hands of an actual artist. And really, all the great tattoo artists out there actually prefer this so that they can feel more comfortable and confident in the design as it comes along. If they feel like they’re doing a stencil of someone else’s design, it’s not as fun or engaging for them, and they won’t be nearly as proud of their work.

So, my sessions with pieces of cardboard boxes is merely to get a concept in mind. The more I rule out what I dislike and keep close the things I like, the more I can describe the design to a potential artist (or even show them concept ideas). For most artists, this probably is exactly what they want to hear and see while still being able to take their own shot at the concept.