“Basic White Girl Tattoo”
Why do so many people get the same tattoos? I mean seriously you probably know a few people who have the same exact tattoo or the same design.You have probably heard them call “the basic white girl tattoos.” Which is apparently a cooler way of saying something that is trendy or in style.People often say they get a tattoo as a reflection of themselves or the tattoo has some kind of specific meaning to that person. If that is the case then how does one design hold meaning for so many people?
When you look at the tattoos that are very popular, they do not all hold the same meaning. For some people they get an infinity tattoo with their siblings as a way of saying we will always be together. Others might get the same tattoo of an infinity symbol and put the person they are dating name in it. (Side note: don’t ever do that, that shits permanent). If you are trying to be unique and different and “tell your own story” don’t pick a tattoo you found on Pinterest.
If every tattoo has a meaning then what is the meaning of the “trendy” tattoos that you see everyone getting? I’ve already mentioned the infinity symbol but there are others. The semi colon tattoo, world map, the feather with the birds coming out of it, and mountains. If there is any trend tattoo that I could get on board with, it’s the semi colon tattoo. The idea behind it is “A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.” I get it there is a specific meaning behind it and it does affect a large range of people. But the others don’t have a overall meaning behind them, so why does everyone get them?
I moved out to the west coast for college and I noticed how many people had mountain tattoos. Literally they all look like the same mountain design. That’s it, just mountains. So I get it you live near mountains and you like them so you put them on your body. I can admit even I have a mountain tattoo, but the point is try to make it different. We spend so much time trying to make ourselves unique but then put something permanent on our bodies that math so many other people. So here’s some advice on how to get that tattoo you want without getting the same tattoo everyone gets.
- Make it different
This seems like an obvious one but seriously make it different. You can keep whatever your idea is. You want mountains? Get mountains. You want a colon tattoo? Get a colon tattoo. Make it your own design or add things that make it more personal to you. You can even ask your tattoo artist to help you out that’s literally their job.
2) Pick something different
Just pick something completely different. If you can’t find a way to make it your own pick something completely different to represent the same idea. These not just one design to represent an idea. The meaning also doesn’t need to be super obvious to everyone but it needs to be personal to you.
3) Don’t look for ideas online
When you go an look at photos of other people’s tattoos to look for ideas you’re more likely to pick a tattoo that’s part of a trend or one that has been done before. A good way to find your tattoo is to come up with the idea behind the tattoo. It helps you to think of what you can use to represent that idea.
Be unique and don’t go with the latest trend for your tattoo. There are many designs to portray your idea in your tattoo you don’t need to copy what everyone else is doing. You also don’t have to make the meaning of your tattoo obvious to everyone, you are the only one who needs to know the meaning. As a last piece of advice DON’T TATTOO SOMEONES NAME ON YOUR BODY. Its not cute. Its not endearing. Its permanent!
Sources
“Have you seen anyone with a semicolon tattoo? Here’s what it’s about.” Upworthy. N.p., 07 July 2015. Web. 02 June 2017.
“Infinity Tattoos.” Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2017.