If you’re curious about getting your first tattoo and you feel unsure about getting it done, know that it is okay to feel that way. Tattoos should take a lot of consideration, being that they are a permanent thing, and they are quite the lengthy process to get done. From fellow Highline students themselves, this article will share some advice from fellow Highline students on how their experiences went and what their opinions are on tattoos. 

Former Highline student, Niko Manjares, has a whole forearm tattoo of a foo lion and a tiger for his first tattoo done by the artist James Dixon (@jamesdixon42 on Instagram). Tattoos take a lot of time to get done to ensure the quality of the art piece and the care taken to do it. Niko had to have two sessions – both two and a half hours each to get his forearm done. 

“Make sure you give clear instructions to your tattoo artist so they know exactly what you want, or go to a tattoo consultation with them first,” Niko advises. Tattoos are permanent works of art inked into your skin so knowing exactly what you want is vital to getting your tattoo in the first place. It’ll be an expensive and painful experience which needs a lot of personal thought. 

However, it’s a beautiful and meaningful thing to have, which makes it all worth it in the end. For Niko, he dedicates the tiger to his dad and the lion reminds him of his grandparents who had statues of foo lions outside of their house. His tattoo will be a forever reminder of his family and of his culture. 

For Mason, another student, he says, “I think it’s silly to take tattoos so seriously. You never know how long you’ll live for. If you like something a lot, think it expresses you, or even if you just think it’s funny. I think It’s worth getting a tattoo of it.” 

Mason gives us insight on how tattoos have all sorts of different meanings for different people. It can be a symbol of their culture, a reference to their favorite movie character, or simply a piece of art that looks cool to them. Tattoos represent a piece of a person and of their personality and can be a form of expression. 

Mason has a tattoo of the word “Fun” above his knee, meaning fun-knee (funny). “For my entire life, my knee will now always be the funniest joke I know that I can tell to anyone,” said Mason. This tattoo will forever be a little inside joke for him to share with others, showing how tattoos can even be useful to drop a joke every now and then. 

So if you are considering getting a tattoo yourself, think about what it meant for Mason and Niko, and maybe one day, what it’ll mean to you. No matter how silly or how meaningless a piece may seem, it’ll always be significant to the person.