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Monday, July 28, 2014
Reader Pics: Shemika
Hello, Good Ink, Bad Ink readers. It is high time we hear from some more of you, and today, we have ink pics from reader Shemika. The pictures below are the intellectual property of Shemika. Check out what she said about her ink in the comments of the post http://goodinkbadink.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-societal-impact-of-laser-tattoo.html.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Reader Post: "Micah's mom"
This reader post comes from "Micah's mom." Thanks for contributing, "Micah's mom"! The paragraph below, as well as the tattoo picture in this post, are the intellectual property of "Micah's mom."
I got my tattoo when I was 19, just after my freshman year at college. I had been struggling with my faith when I finished high school and had chosen to go to an out of state Christian university mainly to just get out my state and as far from home as my parents would let me go. Even though it wasn't my first choice, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only did I make some amazing friends and have a great time, I also rediscovered my faith. Actually I think it became my own for the first time instead of me relying on someone else's. I wanted to do something permanent to symbolize that and have a physical reminder of where I've been and what it all means. So I got a Celtic cross.
I got my tattoo when I was 19, just after my freshman year at college. I had been struggling with my faith when I finished high school and had chosen to go to an out of state Christian university mainly to just get out my state and as far from home as my parents would let me go. Even though it wasn't my first choice, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only did I make some amazing friends and have a great time, I also rediscovered my faith. Actually I think it became my own for the first time instead of me relying on someone else's. I wanted to do something permanent to symbolize that and have a physical reminder of where I've been and what it all means. So I got a Celtic cross.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Reader Post: Kate
Today we have another great reader post, this time from a reader named Kate. Thanks for contributing, Kate! The paragraph below, as well as the tattoo picture in this post, are the intellectual property of Kate:
From the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted a tattoo. I didn't know what of though. I tossed around several ideas over several different years without ever making the commitment. In 2009, I made a huge life change. I moved 2,000 miles away from home to a place where I knew no one, to work with a group of women outside of everything that was comfortable to my existence. Major life changes happened, and I fell in love with the place I moved--the mountains of Montana. I have never felt so connected to a physical location or connected with a place on a spiritual level either. I did not know how long I would stay in Montana, but I wanted to mark my growth, my experiences, my new perspective in a tangible, long term way. And that is how I ended up deciding it was finally time for a tattoo, and I finally found a tattoo subject I want to have on my skin for the rest of my life. So, I now have the mountains of Montana along with the state flower on my ankle. Every time I see it, I remember that I am a strong woman, that change is good, that I can take a leap of faith and make it, and I say thanks for the beauty of Montana and my experiences since 2009.
From the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted a tattoo. I didn't know what of though. I tossed around several ideas over several different years without ever making the commitment. In 2009, I made a huge life change. I moved 2,000 miles away from home to a place where I knew no one, to work with a group of women outside of everything that was comfortable to my existence. Major life changes happened, and I fell in love with the place I moved--the mountains of Montana. I have never felt so connected to a physical location or connected with a place on a spiritual level either. I did not know how long I would stay in Montana, but I wanted to mark my growth, my experiences, my new perspective in a tangible, long term way. And that is how I ended up deciding it was finally time for a tattoo, and I finally found a tattoo subject I want to have on my skin for the rest of my life. So, I now have the mountains of Montana along with the state flower on my ankle. Every time I see it, I remember that I am a strong woman, that change is good, that I can take a leap of faith and make it, and I say thanks for the beauty of Montana and my experiences since 2009.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Reader Post by the Incredible Nate Mask
Listen up, Good Ink, Bad Ink readers. I am excited to showcase our first guest poster, the talented Nate Mask. He happens to be my cousin, and I am proud to claim him. Check out his website at http://natemask.wix.com/poetry for a taste of his poetry, and show him some love in the comments, won't you? His guest post and pics are below. Both the post and pics are the intellectual property of Nate Mask:
I got my first tattoo when I was 18 years old, my freshman year at DePaul University. I wanted the “Comedy and Tragedy” masks on my chest, but I realized that it was something that would be engraved on my body for the rest of my life, so it needed to be just right. I didn’t want to wake up one day and regret it.
I spent months looking at pictures, researching tattoo shops, deciding the exact size and placement, until I decided I had it figured out. Two of my roommates and I took a trip to The Tattoo Factory in Chicago. It was extremely clean and well lit (not like the dark dirty tattoo parlors they always have in the movies), and the artist was very helpful. I ended up paying $100, which, at that point, may have been the most money I had ever spent on any one item in my life. But I walked out with a sense of pride that I didn’t have before; I felt like I had made a statement. Whether it was one of independence, toughness, individuality- I’m not sure- but I had made one.
This tattoo has several different meanings to me. Firstly, my last name is Mask, so there’s a bit of double entendre there. I did theater and acting in high school, and performing has always been a passion of mine. And I have always thought that the symbol of “Comedy and Tragedy” was a meaningful one. They represent the balance of life. When times are good, struggle is always waiting around a corner somewhere, and when times are tough there is always a silver lining to be found. I made sure that on my version, the smiling face was in the forefront because I tend to deal with my pain through comedy, and also as a reminder that there is always something worth smiling about; a lesson that I think is easily overlooked.
Soon after getting my masks, I had already decided what my second tattoo was going to be. In the middle of his song, “Only God Can Judge Me,” Tupac says, “That which does not kill me, can only make me stronger.” This has always been something that I told myself of when things were tough. I knew that I wanted it as a permanent reminder. However, tattoos are not cheap, so it was a while before I was able to make it happen. There were a few times I almost got it done, but the places I went had higher prices than I anticipated. I again wanted it on my chest, (and I don’t have a large chest) so with the number of words, and the size I wanted them, it was out of my price range.
I found myself at a point in life when I was really struggling. I was almost 21, and had been living in Atlanta for a little under a year- I hated school, I didn't have many friends, I was working a shitty job at a Quiznos on Georgia Tech’s campus that didn't close until 3am on the weekends, getting frequent migraines, and I was battling depression. I needed that reminder. I needed to know that these things would not defeat me. I ended up going to Liberty Tattoo on Ponce de Leon Ave, a much smaller place than Tattoo Factory in Chicago, but very clean, very helpful, and very friendly. We paraphrased the quote a bit to make it easier to deal with, so it became, “What does not kill me, can only make me stronger.”(For the record, this was before the Kelly Clarkson song came out- a reminder that you never know what may happen in the future that could change your tattoo’s meaning to others).
I have lost count of the times where, on tough days, I have gotten out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and been reminded, “I ain’t dead yet. I can get through this.”
As of right now, I have just the two tattoos. There are two more I would like to get (but then there’s that whole money thing again), but I couldn’t really see myself ever having more than four or five. I think my tattoos say a lot about me. They add to my story. And, if nothing else, they distract from the fact that I have an incredibly skinny chest.
I got my first tattoo when I was 18 years old, my freshman year at DePaul University. I wanted the “Comedy and Tragedy” masks on my chest, but I realized that it was something that would be engraved on my body for the rest of my life, so it needed to be just right. I didn’t want to wake up one day and regret it.
I spent months looking at pictures, researching tattoo shops, deciding the exact size and placement, until I decided I had it figured out. Two of my roommates and I took a trip to The Tattoo Factory in Chicago. It was extremely clean and well lit (not like the dark dirty tattoo parlors they always have in the movies), and the artist was very helpful. I ended up paying $100, which, at that point, may have been the most money I had ever spent on any one item in my life. But I walked out with a sense of pride that I didn’t have before; I felt like I had made a statement. Whether it was one of independence, toughness, individuality- I’m not sure- but I had made one.
This tattoo has several different meanings to me. Firstly, my last name is Mask, so there’s a bit of double entendre there. I did theater and acting in high school, and performing has always been a passion of mine. And I have always thought that the symbol of “Comedy and Tragedy” was a meaningful one. They represent the balance of life. When times are good, struggle is always waiting around a corner somewhere, and when times are tough there is always a silver lining to be found. I made sure that on my version, the smiling face was in the forefront because I tend to deal with my pain through comedy, and also as a reminder that there is always something worth smiling about; a lesson that I think is easily overlooked.
Soon after getting my masks, I had already decided what my second tattoo was going to be. In the middle of his song, “Only God Can Judge Me,” Tupac says, “That which does not kill me, can only make me stronger.” This has always been something that I told myself of when things were tough. I knew that I wanted it as a permanent reminder. However, tattoos are not cheap, so it was a while before I was able to make it happen. There were a few times I almost got it done, but the places I went had higher prices than I anticipated. I again wanted it on my chest, (and I don’t have a large chest) so with the number of words, and the size I wanted them, it was out of my price range.
I found myself at a point in life when I was really struggling. I was almost 21, and had been living in Atlanta for a little under a year- I hated school, I didn't have many friends, I was working a shitty job at a Quiznos on Georgia Tech’s campus that didn't close until 3am on the weekends, getting frequent migraines, and I was battling depression. I needed that reminder. I needed to know that these things would not defeat me. I ended up going to Liberty Tattoo on Ponce de Leon Ave, a much smaller place than Tattoo Factory in Chicago, but very clean, very helpful, and very friendly. We paraphrased the quote a bit to make it easier to deal with, so it became, “What does not kill me, can only make me stronger.”(For the record, this was before the Kelly Clarkson song came out- a reminder that you never know what may happen in the future that could change your tattoo’s meaning to others).
I have lost count of the times where, on tough days, I have gotten out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and been reminded, “I ain’t dead yet. I can get through this.”
As of right now, I have just the two tattoos. There are two more I would like to get (but then there’s that whole money thing again), but I couldn’t really see myself ever having more than four or five. I think my tattoos say a lot about me. They add to my story. And, if nothing else, they distract from the fact that I have an incredibly skinny chest.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Reader Posts: Coming Soon!
Good evening, Good Ink, Bad Ink readers!
Several of you have expressed interest in sharing pictures and thoughts about your tattoos. Well, our first reader posts are in the works! Stay tuned to see and read about the ink that readers are sporting, and remember, you can contribute a post, too. Just reply if interested.
Peace,
Casey
Several of you have expressed interest in sharing pictures and thoughts about your tattoos. Well, our first reader posts are in the works! Stay tuned to see and read about the ink that readers are sporting, and remember, you can contribute a post, too. Just reply if interested.
Peace,
Casey
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Societal Impact of Laser Tattoo Removal
I have a lot of friends with great tattoos, so I know that having
a tattoo can start meaningful conversations, call to mind treasured parts of our
past, and help us move forward. However, I also have friends who regret their
tattoos, and I have seen how having an epidermis full of bad decisions and bad
memories can have a negative societal impact, both professionally and
personally.
While some employers won’t blink twice at a tattooed job
applicant, employers in many fields gravitate toward a certain “look,” a look
that excludes visible body art. Have you ever heard of a celebrated law firm
hiring employees with knuckle tattoos? Yeah, me neither. The sad truth is, if
you walk into a business interview showing multiple tattoos, you may be judged
as “unprofessional” before you ever open your mouth.
Of course, potential employment setbacks are only one facet
of the societal impact of tattoos. Who wants his or her significant other walking
around with the tattooed name of an ex-spouse or partner? Likewise, who wants a
self-esteem blow every time he or she looks in the mirror and views that one
tattoo nightmare that looks nothing like it was supposed to?
While tattoos can be beautiful, meaningful, and liberating, some
tattoos can clearly have a negative societal impact. This is why I have been
researching laser tattoo removal. The procedure can erase problematic tattoos, thereby
erasing the problematic societal impact.
Until recently, I didn’t know much about laser tattoo
removal, and I learned a lot from the New Look Houston website located at www.newlookhouston.com. I found a nice
FAQ page about laser tattoo removal and an in-depth “Tattoo Removal Guide” (www.newlookhouston.com/TattooRemoval.html).
Refreshingly, the guide is not a sales pitch. It is just helpful reading
material, including information about types of tattoo ink, differences in
lasers, medical components of laser tattoo removal, and tips for getting and
removing tattoos. I enjoyed learning a little more about the tattooing process
and about how a tattoo is removed. I also learned that the scarring seen a
decade ago with laser tattoo removal is no longer common.
Overall, tattoos can be a glorious expression of the past,
present, and future. However, if people feel their tattoos are holding them
back, laser tattoo removal provides the opportunity to return to a clean
slate. If only there were more
opportunities like that in life!
Peace,
Casey Mask
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Welcome!
Hey, everyone. Thanks for visiting my blog! This is a place to discuss tattoos and culture. I hope for it to be a place of open discussion and story-sharing. Guest posts are welcome. Just contact me for details.
Peace,
Casey
Peace,
Casey
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