Cleo Wattenström
Part of my passion extends into the artistic world and this includes art on a canvas and body art. Despite the growing interest in making professional choices in the field of art, the stigma continues when it comes to piercings, tattoos and ink. While both men and women suffer the same prejudices, women tend to suffer a higher percentage of prejudices because tattoos have been associated with deviant behavior, unfemininity and promiscuity.
In my previous blog posting, I approached some Malaysian women (some I did not know personally) who shared the same passion for ink and told them nothing but to give me a story. I set no further expectations or guidelines because I truly wanted them to tell it the way it is. Obviously Contrary to the negative stigma, I found these women intelligent, deep and reflective. Each of them possessed a unique life story and why their tattoos mattered to them. They were women who had an appreciation for books and literature, enjoyed music and art, career oriented women who are confident and most importantly self-aware.
You see, only the brave are inked. It is an excruciating process, something that requires commitment and discipline and very rarely, do people with tattoos regret anything. To them, everything life presents projects learning and growth.
While I hope for a greater acceptance for the art on its own and the elimination of the negative perceptions that come along with it especially in the professional world, I do understand the fine line that exist when you represent the company you work for against self-representation.
Freedom is in everything but so are choices. Practice making smart decisions because we live in a community; a rather opinionated one that is diverse. While we may possess the necessary skills to understand and accept, others may not. Your best bet? Do the ink-appropriate.
Pilgrimages of a Typewritist 