Tattoos; controversial or a trend? Nowadays more and more people are getting tattoos. For the owners of the little pieces of art a way to express themselves, but for others a reason to judge those who decide to decorate their bodies in a permanent way.

I got many tattoos myself and I have already experienced mixed reactions. Some blamed me for getting a tattoo just for the sake of having one, or they just blamed me for not thinking straight and that I would regret it. But who are they to judge someone they apparently don’t really know? So what if I just wanted to get a tattoo, express myself. There would be nothing wrong with that. But more importantly, in my case every one of my tattoos represents something way more important to me than just a picture. More than just a simple decoration on my skin. I decided what my tattoos would look like after many months of pondering. There is a story behind my tattoos maybe not everybody will or can understand.  But most importantly to me it is and will be a strong reminder just to keep living the life I want to be and to accept the past.

I myself am really happy with how they came out. I knew they represented something special to me. I have changed a lot in the last few years, tried to move on, accept the past and the bad experiences that crossed my path. The tattoos represents this change; it was finally time to break out of that cocoon, spread my wings and start enjoying my life. Carpe diem. Besides the literal meaning, seize the day, it also serves as a strong reminder to myself to keep on going, to enjoy life while I can. Life is too short and there is no time to waste.

My tattoos for me is a way to deal with the past and it serves as permanent reminder on what to do (and not to do) in the present and future. I know it also serves as a great conversation starter, but that was not why I got them. I see my tattoos as self-therapy and something positive. I know there are still a lot of people in the world who feel completely different about tattoos. I know that quite a few among you see it as a taboo to decorate your body with something permanent like a tattoo. But I strongly hope we can at least accept each other for what we are even if you don’t agree. After all, having a tattoo doesn’t make you a criminal, only the decisions you make in life do. And I seriously hope my tattoos will help me make the right decisions in the present and future. But more importantly that it will help me not forgetting where I came from, what I have been through and where I am right now. I am about to start a new chapter of my life with hopefully a lot more chapters still to write in the future.