Skin In The Game 2


Belly Tattoo - The Out Of My Mind BlogIt’s a quiet Sunday afternoon until your child or grandchild drops the t-bomb. “I’m getting a tattoo,” he or she says.

What is your proper response?

First of all, do not roll your eyes. That sends a definite signal which, to an 18- to 29-year old brain, translates into full speed ahead. Second, disabuse yourself of the notion that you have raised a deviant, criminal or a future Marine. Chances are, you have raised an art connoisseur.

“Tattoos aren’t as much of a rebellious thing anymore.” That’s the encouraging news from Jason Thomas, body modification artist and co-owner of Holistic Tattoo in North Hollywood, California. “There’s so much real art out there, tattooing is more about art collecting.”

How can you vote against enlightenment? Of course, we found ours in college, not in a full-body paint job with a shelf life longer than the Ice Age.

Holistic Tattoo sits in what is known as the NoHo Arts District. There are dozens of theaters, comedy stores, acting studios and art galleries within a few minutes’ walk. Thomas considers his shop, his staff and his work part of the arts scene.

“There are tattoo artists,” he said, emphasizing that last word, “who are booked two years in advance. Their regular clients fly in from half way around the world. You can get work done by these internationally-known artists and keep that work with you for the rest of your life.”

If you’re like me, your first thought is to dig into your savings and stake your kids to a nice Chagall or a Warhol, something they can put on the wall, move around and, in 20 years, take down if they no longer like it.

Why are we here if not to go into debt for the good of our offspring?

“When you buy a painting and put it on your wall, it’s very cool, but tattooing is an experience. It’s not like commissioning an artist and not knowing any of the time, dedication, technique or skill that goes into the work. Getting a tattoo is enlightening.”

How can you vote against enlightenment? Of course, we found ours in college, not in a full-body paint job with a shelf life longer than the Ice Age.

But, here’s the surprise. Any responsible tattoo artist is on your side.

“When I tattoo someone, I am essentially changing that person’s life forever,” Thomas said. “So I’ll tell somebody about a piece they shouldn’t get. Like Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility.”

Thomas’s advice? Ease into tattoos the way one would ease into, well, a Spiderman costume.

“A tattoo immediately changes somebody’s perception of you. If a girl just out of high school wants to get hearts tattooed on her knuckles I will definitely tell her to reconsider. That art can prevent her from getting a job or getting into certain schools. Getting a neck tattoo, getting a hand tattoo, I think that’s for people who are already heavily tattooed and have undergone little bits of scrutiny.”

Nevertheless, we’ve all heard the stories. A little partying. A little group think. And then it’s, “…but everybody got one.”

Thomas nodded in agreement. “Tattoos should never be a spur of the moment decision. The artist should have the time to design your tattoo and let you spend a day looking at it and deciding if like it or if you want to make changes. Only then, after you’ve had those conversations, will a good tattoo artist start to work.”

Jason Thomas has more to say about tattoos, including safety tips and proper removal. Read his comments in the April, 2016 OOMM Newsletter. Become a charter subscriber to receive your copy.

Thomas won’t tattoo party animals, either.

“I’ll ask people, ‘How many drinks have you had?’ I don’t want their inhibitions to be super low. ‘No, I really want it. She broke my heart. Screw her.’ I’ve heard horror stories about people tattooing something like that on someone’s face. That’s defiling them. If someone appears intoxicated I’ll invite him or her to come back in in three or four hours. Nobody should have that ‘Dude, where’s my car?’ moment,” he said.

Thomas suggested that, instead of fighting with your kids you set an example. After all, future retiree President Obama said that if his daughters got tattoos, he and his wife would do the same.

“I get a lot of retirees coming in for their first tattoos or their first piercings because their careers wouldn’t have it or their spouses wouldn’t approve. And now, it’s an empowerment. They get to reclaim their bodies.”

And we have an advantage over our kids and grandkids.

If, in the future, we don’t like our tattoos mother nature will remove them for us.

(Thanks to one of my favorite Starbucks baristas, Jordan Seay, for suggesting this story.)

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Jason Thomas, Tattoo Artist - The Out Of My Mind Blog

Courtesy of Jason Thomas

Jason Thomas, Body Modification Artist and Co-Owner of Holistic Tattoo, has been in the body art industry for over 10 years. His time in the industry has not only led Thomas to master all forms of body piercing but also to master creating black and gray and color tattoos using a variety of styles and techniques. Thomas also performs heavier modifications such as scarification, branding, transdermal implants as well as bifurcation and lobe reconstruction. He considers himself a perfectionist who loves his job of making the world a prettier place one patch of skin at a time.

 

Mind Doodle…

The simple and classic red star that identifies Macy’s was taken from a tattoo on the forearm of company founder R. H. Macy. He got his ink while working as—what else—a sailor on whaling vessels. If Macy never got that tattoo would the store ‘s logo have been a hairy patch of skin?


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