People and their first tattoo

People and their first tattoo

I served in the U.S. army and protected my country. This eagle a symbol of freedom and great power will now protect me. It gives me the strength to persevere through hardship.

I ve always liked the peace symbol; I feel that it represents my personality. One day I hope to go into the Peace Corps and do some good. This tattoo was a promise to myself that I will always live by the values tattooed on my wrist: strength, hope, love, and peace. And I have. This is how I chose and will always choose to carry myself.

Owls symbolize wisdom. This cute little guy perched on my left shoulder will always remind me to make wise choices. I got him at a very difficult time in my life and ever since, I feel that he watches over me and protects me in my times of need and tribulation.

This tattoo represents symbols of great meaning to me: the Creative Commons logo, by attribution, and share alike. Thanks to the Creative Commons initiative, I was able connect with others and learn from others. In turn, I plan to contribute back this growing network that inspired me.

I am from Michigan and proud of it! This state and my family are my home. No matter where life takes me, I will always remember where I came from. They will always be with me to give me strength.

Take the world nice and easy and the world will take you the same. This Gaelic quote represents words to live by and how I choose to live: believing in karma. I first heard it four years ago in Ireland and had it tattooed on me as a reminder of my culture and heritage. Whenever I see this tattoo, I feel that my ancestors are watching over me.

Death has always fascinated me. It is the only unknown left in this world and the skull is a symbol of this uncertainty. The letters D, M, K are my initials, my sister s, and my best friend s. I do not know when the Grim Reaper will come for me, but I live for them.

The anchor on my wrist is a symbol of hope. Hope for the better. Hope for the best. Hope that the future will always be bright. It reminds be to be optimistic. Whenever I feel hopeless, I look at my wrist.

I was named after my father: Cedric. This tattoo reminds me that he is with me wherever I go. He calls me Ceddy bear. No matter where I am or how old I am, I will always be my father s Ceddy bear.

I ve been so fortunate and lucky in my life that I feel I have my very own guardian angel watching over me. My angel wings are a tribute to her. They remind me that she is always protecting me.

People and their first tattoos : Behind every tattoo is a story inscribed with ink on skin. This photo essay is an attempt to capture, through a series of photographs and captions, the relationship people have with their first work of body art. In the opening paragraph of his book The Meaning of Things written with Rochberg-Halton in 1981, Csikszentmihalyi wrote that the human self [is] to a large extent a reflection of things with which he interacts (p. 1). It comes to follow that a piece of permanent body art ought to reflect a very unforgettable interaction with a very memorable thing (to use Csikszentmihalyi s term). In fact, all the tattoos I took pictures of told a story: either a story of what was, a story of what is, or a story of what will be. In an attempt to understand that story the relationship between the people I photographed and their first tattoo I echoed Csikszentmihalyi s words that signs or symbols represent something (p. 20) and asked them: Well, what does it mean? What does the symbol permanently etched on your body in indelible ink represent? After listening to their responses, it became apparent that each of their tattoos fell into one or more of Csikszentmihalyi s four categories of symbols: 1. Symbols that mediate conflicts within the self like Robyn s owl tattoo that she got during a difficult time in her life and Derek s skull tattoo that helps him make sense the uncertainty of death. 2. Signs that express qualities of the self like Morgan s peace tattoo that highlights her values or Theresa s Gaelic quote tattoo that showcases her belief in karma or Alexandra s anchor tattoo that reminds her to be hopeful and Robyn s owl tattoo that reminds her to be wise. 3. Objects as signs of status like Charlie s eagle tattoo that tells the story of his days in the U.S. army 4. Objects as symbols of social integration like Leigh s tattoo that represents her membership to the Creative Commons network and Eric s

Michigan and last name initial tattoo that tells everyone where he s from. I then asked: "Why did you decide to get a tattoo?" All the people I photographed gave the same answer: for strength. They all said they wanted to remember their stories and the strength that blossomed as a result: The strength to carry on. Angela wanted to have a reminder of her guardian angel. Cedrisha wanted a token of her father to be with her always. Robyn wanted the owl s protection. Charlie wanted the eagle s power and perseverance. Thus, the tattoos can be thought of "objectified forms" (p. 173) of the psychic energies that Csikszentmihalyi wrote about. Many of the people I talked with said that whenever they looked at their tattoo it gave them the strength they needed to overcome or soldier on through whatever hardship they were facing. They were concentrating [their] attention to make things happen (p. 5). Csikszentmihalyi would say that their tattoo became a repository of psychic energy accessed by attending to it. The psychic energy in turn yielded strength to help them realize some intention (p. 5): To carry on; to remember. In fact, a channeling of psychic energy [is needed] in order to realize the transaction most effectively (p. 187, 188). Arguably, Csikszentmihalyi could even say that the process of getting a tattoo is a process of cultivation. Cultivation is a process of interpretation and selfcontrol motivated by goals rather than by origins (p. 4). All the people I interviewed had a story interpreted into a work of body art which the purpose of serving as a symbol of a memorable experience: Life acted on them, they interpreted that experience into a symbol, and in turn, the symbol became a focal point for psychic energy to help them direct their lives with strength and shape their identities. This is reminiscent of Csikszentmihalyi when he wrote that as humanity began to develop this procedure of making certain things represent others, the symbols themselves were creating human beings who, in turn, could reflect on their surroundings and accordingly could change their own conduct (p. 21). In fact, when looking at or thinking about their tattoos, the people interviewed said that they would not only remember the reasons behind them but also think about how the tattoo itself helped change them and

shape [their] life course (p. 188). In Csikszentmihalyi s terms, they went beyond simple recognition of the symbol and actually perceived meaning from it. Perception involves an active, critical receptivity to the objects so that its qualities may modify previously formed habits (p. 181). Therefore, tattoos as artistic objects are fulfilling their inherent role since the purpose of artistic objects is to express feelings and ideas and to stimulate new perceptions through their own qualities (p. 183). These new perceptions light the path towards the goals held to be ultimate by individuals (p. 188). Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Rochbert-Halton, E. (1981). The meaning of things: Domestic symbols and the self. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait. Everything is a diary. Chuck Palahniuk