A New Era of Self Expression

Kat Von D, a famous tattoo artist, did a photo shoot about a year ago to feature a new make up designed to cover up tattoos. It showed a photo of her before, with all of her beautiful tattoos - and a photo after, when she had covered the visible tattoos in this make up. Thing is, BOTH photos are still of her. Whether her tattoos are visible or not, her personality is not marked by the art she decides to display on her body.

My first essay in my Eng. 122 class was titled "Marked Bodies Essays." The entire chapter 10 in my English book has articles supporting the art from of tattooing and piercing. The main theme in every one of them is that self expression through this way of art is a choice made by the person sporting the tattoo or piercing. While writing my essay about memorial tattoos, I wrote the line "It is a choice offered to customers to make their body a canvas and showcase the many great pieces of a person’s soul that exterior beauty alone can’t capture."

Alright blogger world, today I peirced my lip. For years I've wanted to, and when I was younger I'd put new toe rings around my lip to see what it would look like. I am in the process of planning new tattoo's I will someday get that include my dad's memorial, Ryan's memorial, and a cross with the words "The Lord is My Strength." That's what I have so far, and the ones I already have are meaningful and had lots of thought put into them. The thing I want to stress is this - I feel beautiful, my body is mine to decide how I express myself, and I am still Arianne. Nothing about me changes now or ever just because I am one of those people who enjoy tattoos and piercings. My work ethic, goals, life plans, etc. have not changed just because I have a new addition to my skin.

I hope that the people I love will continue to love and support me as I add to the art that I have carefully decided to bear on my skin, because no matter what changes on the outside - isn't it the inside that really matters?? If that doesn't change, is it really fair to pass judgement?

This is a new era, and times are evolving and changing with every day that comes to us. Every day tattoos and peircings are becomming more and more accepted...and the girl you know happens to be one of those women who express myself freely through tattoos & peircings.