On February 07, 2022 there was an article published in The Times with title:
“Seeing tattoos makes me feel physically sick” by Melanie Philips
And we can all asume what the general reaction of the tattoo world was.
First I have to put out that I haven’t read the whole article. One (main) reason is that I would have to pay for the full version. Second is the provocation of title and description. No matter what is inside the article, it was meant to provoke a group of people. To again separate and make differences amongst us, differences that in reality do not matter at all. And this is how this world is becoming gradually bitter and hard.
Best thing I am still learning and it will be one of the best accomplishments in my life is knowing how to do nothing for someone. How to be there but do nothing, because I know there are too many situations where there is nothing for me to do. Situations where by doing something I do worse. Situations in which if I would illusionary help, the solution would just be postponed. It is inevitable for each and one of us to do what we have to do on our own. But don’t generalise all doings. There are doings that can be done and doings that have to not be done – and there is tremendous art in figuring out the difference between those two.
This is what tattooing taught me and I will forever cherish this media that brought me to that – but I am well aware that if not this (tattooing), it would be something else. And the same goes for everything in our lives. There are no special happenings, doings or people in reality, it is just what we need them to be for us at those moments. Again, it does not mean that those people are irrelevant, just pointing out the power of everything is in our minds. Because it goes both ways, what they are for us, we are for them. ONE LOVE.
And the same goes in case of tattooing. For a tattoo to be able to exist you need a tattoo maker and receiver. Magic can happen only, if you know how to take this media and transform it into knowledge. Otherwise it gave us nothing, just another image on the body.
And transformation is complete when you are not in need of anything anymore. When you are able to go through life with or without tattoos. It is insane to think that a tattoo (or anything else of the body!!) has any value for who you are as an existence. This only means that you don’t understand the purpose of the body. Important fact, just to make sure you don’t understand this the wrong way – also people who don’t have tattoos in most cases don’t understand the purpose of their body.
From the bigger perspective of human beings, the whole purpose of the body is to go beyond it. And to be able to do that you have to experience it, ALL OF IT. For this to be able to happen we were given different media. We as humans experience it in different forms: fashion, art, haircuts, food, sport, journalism, wedding planner, major, president, mechanical engineer, priest,… ALL the occupations and doings that we have created – even killer, bagger, rapist,…
And some humans decide for their media to be a tattoo (making it or receiving it).
Body is a transport system, just like a train that takes you from A to B. Transport system for that “I” that lives inside of us. This “I” is not our mind, it was there even before you were aware of your mind. I am talking about the “I” that made you cry for the first time when you were born. There is something in you that knows about your existence way before you are aware of yourself. Something that tells you to kick in the mothers belly, so that you make sure she knows you are there! And being able to know that we still don’t know anything about that “I” is the whole meaning of existence of your body and everything that comes with this world. That is why we need to earn our knowledge, so we are able to use all the media that is given to us, to maybe one day, as humans, finally come to understand THE “I”. For now it is still “IT”
So to connect it directly with what the lady said – “Ubiquity of body art is born out of an existential crisis of humanity in the post-religious world” – on some level I do agree with her.
Yes, she has a point. If we don’t get anything that would bring us closer to transformation, then tattooing is just a thing of fashion. It is just a thing of rebellion without a purpose. It is just meaningless spending of money, time, energy, pain,… If at the end you are not the one wearing a tattoo, but the tattoo is wearing you – then yes – you just made a religion out of tattoo and you defend the existence of it by anyone who doesn’t approve of it. – like this lady that wrote an article.
We as humans have existential crises, but the missing point of this lady is that there is a crisis in all kinds of fields, not just tattooing. Everything of this world can be (and in too many cases is) misused – sex, tattoos, art, food, fashion, cars, pets,… until you don’t transform the energy of this material world to the point of not needing you will stay in constant circle of existential crisis. You will make religion out of everything you are able to see. You will make your love partner the God that you can’t imagine living without! You want to be a slave!
But for now
As long as you feel the need to judge anything different than what you believe in is enough proof that there is still something you don’t get. But don’t feel bad now, judge if you need to. Judge the shit out of things – let it be – until you are sick of it. Everyone has the limit, go beyond the limit to free yourself of it. We have to be able to read and hear all the opinions of the world. It is nothing at the end, only if you on some level agree with them they don’t mean nothing. I know it is hard to accept that you actually subconsciously agree with something you do not agree with – but you give it a value on some level, otherwise it wouldn’t affect you on any level – it would just be another thing of this world made out of matter – lets go beyond – lets transform human – if you want you can call it evolution.
da.da 