"I Don't Know What I Want."

"I want a tattoo but I don't know what I want."

I hear this phrase all the time. From friends. From family. From strangers. From customers. To this dilemma I usually ask "If you don't know then who does?".

Sometimes they respond with a soft chuckle and shrugged shoulders, most often it's a clumsy, stammering reason as to why they don't know or they start telling me about their first thoughts which usually end up being something like a dolphin or a heart with wings. Or maybe even a winged dolphin flying through a heart. Something not exactly original that they have probably seen before and liked and now they just know they want a tattoo and since it was good enough for whoever had it before, then it's good enough for them.

Now, I certainly understand that, sometimes, for the frequent tattoo collector, there are moments where you just get a hankering for some ink. The feeling you have after you get a good tattoo is one you want again and again. The reason why tattoos are addictive is the need for that feeling. And if you're thinking " It's the pain", think again. It's because vanity is the devil's favorite sin. It's the sense of accomplishment you feel about having to sit through such an ordeal so that you can have a pretty picture for you and the world to notice. I don't care how private or humble a person you are. For the first week, at least, if you're not showing your new tattoo to the world you're taking special notice of it every time you look in your own mirror.

But for those who have yet to get that feeling because they don't know what they want, there may be a way to find out.

Organized religions tell us that man (or woman. Feminists back off!) inevitably asks him/herself three questions: WHO AM I? WHERE DID I COME FROM? WHERE AM I GOING? These three questions that you ask yourself to find internal peace can also be applied to determine what you might like for your external piece. (Get it? Get it? Ah-ha! Yeah!) Let's start with:

WHO AM I? Well? This could be anything that you feel defines you. The love of your life, be it human or animal. Your chosen profession that you're damn good at. A life changing experience that made you who you are today, such as becoming a parent or a spiritual awakening. A patriot to your country. Even whatever might represent the personality you are famous for. You might not spend day and night thinking about who you are, but if you did you would probably find that you are a lot of things. And many of them can be translated into a kick ass tattoo!

WHERE DID I COME FROM? Earth? Your friends might find that debatable, but ok. And you may be American but you also may have family roots you are proud of. Irish, Italian, Polish. Even German if you can bring yourself to admit it. It could also be your home state or the street where you grew up. If you have a history, weather it be experienced first hand or through the blood line it can probably be illustrated in a kick ass tattoo!

WHERE AM I GOING? Gonna go to Heaven? Not so fast, you! This question does not have to be limited to the afterlife or any physical, geographic location. You may have many goals that you have set for yourself and sometimes your chosen body art can be a reminder of those things you want to achieve. There are lots images in this world that can symbolize a stronger moral or mental destination that can be made into a - you guessed it - a really nice tattoo.

If you want a tattoo but don't know what you want in a tattoo then spend some time thinking about what you want out of life, or what you've already gotten out of it. I'm sure there's something in there that can be turned into a tattoo you can be proud of.

Of course, a winged dolphin could be really cool, too.