by Kevin Walworth

Created on: May 31, 2010

After you choose where to get your tattoo, what you choose to put on your body is paramount when contemplating this adventure. Although tattoo removal and cover ups can sometimes be an option, is best to go into a tattoo with the knowledge that this piece of art shall adorn your body until the day you die. What to get and where to get it are the questions to answer.

What Will I Never Outgrow?

It is important when preparing to choose a tattoo that you come up with a design or symbol that you will not outgrow over time. This is going to be completely personal to each individual. To some people a Jimi Hendrix tattoo they got when they were 18 might not continue to have meaning when they are a Mother of three children and going to soccer games everyday…then again it might!

Some symbols are more pertinent to certain times in our lives; like a musician we love at a certain age. Other symbols are more pertinent to life itself and are not based on certain periods of our lives. For example, an image of the sun might be more of a life symbol than a time sensitive one. When choosing a tattoo, imagine yourself in 10 years and then 20 years and try and choose a symbol or design that you think will always ring true to you.

 Where To Put My New Tattoo?

When choosing a tattoo, placement is integral in the process. Each part of the body has it own relationship to both flow of the tattoo and exposure. In relationship to flow, a very small tattoo on the center of your back might look out of place. The same tattoo on your shoulder blade might look more at home. Your tattoo artist can help you find the correct placement. If you want a tattoo in the middle of your back – you might be getting a big one.

Maybe the most important question in this process is where to put the tattoo. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do I want to able to see my tattoo without having to look in a mirror? Do I want my tattoo to be seen all the time by everybody? Do I want my tattoo to only be seen by certain people? Will the placement of my tattoo have any undesired effect on my career or social life? These questions can help you decide if a discrete butt tattoo is for you, or a bold arm sleeve.

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