Tattoo Terms

I thought it would be cool to see if the tattoo industry had its own slang. What was I thinking, of course it does! The first sight I found has compiled a list from a community message board it runs. It's at http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatfaq/a/tat_slang.htm here are some of my faves:

Carving: is line carved out on the skin (sounds painful)
Grinding: grind out some tribal
Kicking it into third: gaining speed on a fill
Knowing You're getting a Tattoo: getting one on the underside of you arm
Wrastler: a fainting customer who gets back up and fights
B-Back - the customer who says, "I gotta run to the ATM, I'll be back" right at closing time and never returns.
Cadaver - customer who refuses to talk to the artist during the entire process.

And, my favorite...

The Look - The tell-all smile when the customer first sees their new tattoo

Ink Spot's first tattoo is coming soon!

I'm very excited, because on Thursday, I will be documenting my first tattoo! My friend, Rachel, has decided to get her first one, and has agreed to let me videotape it for this blog. I really think it will be interesting to see the emotional process through this, and I'll be there from start to finish. I already know what she'll be getting, but I'll talk to her through each stage, and let her reveal her choices around what she picked, and what it symbolizes. Can't wait, this should definitely be interesting!

Tattoo Virgin

Yes, it's true. I'm a tattoo virgin. I don't have any tattoos. So, why would I take the time to create a blog about them? In a nutshell: pure fascination. The whole concept is so intriguing to me. I know, tattoos are a very common thing, and it sounds like I just realized what they are. When I think about the process, though, it's crazy. A person is choosing to have an artist permanently draw an image on their body. From what I've seen, there are quite a few talented tattoo artists in the world. I've seen many human palettes with some truly amazing work to prove it. I have also seen some not so great tattoos, many being "at home" creations. What a mistake.

I think the thing that interests me the most is the stories behind tattoos. Every tattoo has one, even if it was just a drunken, spring break dare that will haunt you every time you look in the mirror. Or, it's the touching memorial to a lost loved one. Whatever the meaning, I'm excited to share these tales here. And who knows...maybe one day, I'll check off an item on my "bucket" list, and get one of my own.

Morgan