Jeepers Creepers Meepers

When I was hanging out at Slave, waiting for Brett to get off work or Rion to have a free moment to grab a smoke, I would stand and flip through the flash art. They had their share of plump demonesses in nurse outfits, koi, flippy little dolphins, kanji, suns, moons, etc, etc. This is the stuff that people with no experience look through to get ideas. I'm one of those - that tat on the back of my neck is combo of two different pieces of flash I saw in a book when Missy and I went to this dinky little hole in the wall in the University District right after we moved to Seattle. I would flip the over-sized pages and stare blankly, having already perused it about a dozen times already.

With all of that time at the shop behind me, I have two perspectives I'd like to share. One is that there is, and always has been, a traditional way with tattoo art. Specific symbols and patterns have had meaning in aboriginal cultures throughout the South Pacific. That carried over when sailors began bringing the tradition back to the states. Now, things like koi, or swallows, or stars, or numerous other typified images have a history of meaning and reference in the "tattoo world", and so of course it shows up in flash.

The other thought that I'd like to share is that I still think flash is really lame. For many people, flash is all there will ever be in the tattoo realm. Like a certain step-daughter's mother, who has seven small tats, probably all flash. It takes no creativity to pick out a design, and who knows how many other people have EXACTLY the same thing. Yeah, the first one is probably gonna be flash no matter who you are. Unless you've waited a long time to get one. I'm at a point now where I want larger pieces that are a deeper reflection of my personality and identity. I want pieces done by successful artists who happen to be find themselves best expressed through tattoo. I don't want something that any old person off the street could have.

If I could have a coherent conclusion, it would be this: the reasons to get a tattoo are varied and dependent entirely on the individual getting them. Flash or not, it should be a thing of beauty in the eye of the beholder. There are merits to original ideas, and there are merits to being a part of tradition. Whatever the reason, choose wisely and carefully, and never regret the choice.