I have a few cautions about getting tattoos. Erik probably thinks I am against tattoos/unusual piercings/dreadlocks because I’m a square/poweruser/prosumer. I’m not intrinsically against body modification, and I think it has value because of its permanence. Here are a few things I would suggest you think about:
I. Practically speaking, how will the tattoo effect your employability? The inside of the wrist is a fairly visible location for a tattoo; if you get it on your left wrist you could cover it with a watch, but if it is high on your right wrist it might be visible to anyone you shake hands with, and shaking hands will occur at every interview you have. I chose to place my branding in a location that I can cover simply by wearing long pants; I think that most employers would look unfavorably upon the branding, and that most would look unfavorably upon your tattoo. For you, this is more of an issue than for me, since you might end up making your living doing modeling. Yeah, they can always Photoshop it out if they don’t like it, but then again, they can always hire someone else and save themselves the trouble. I would consult with your agent.
II. Like it or not, people will notice your tattoo and ask you questions about it. In some ways this is nice; it can be a good way to meet people. Often, if person X wants to meet person Y, person X will think of something he can say to person Y as an icebreaker. “Where did you get that?” or “what does that mean?” or “I’m thinking of getting a tattoo; did it hurt?” can be good openers. You will give the women who want your hot bod an easy excuse to start a conversation with you. I get comments on my branding from time to time. One of the most common is “What frat are you in?”, since Greek letters and brandings are both associated with fraternities. You should think about what you will say when people ask about your tattoo, because it WILL happen forever after. If you get a steering wheel, someday someone will ask you if you are a racecar driver. I guarantee it.
III. Who are you getting the tattoo for? If it is for yourself, as a sort of reminder, then you might want to get it in a less visible location so it can be “yours” primarily. Tattoos in visible locations are usually seen as making some sort of statement. I liked Helen’s tattoo (on the back of her neck, normally covered by her hair) because it was something that was “hers” primarily, and became “mine” in a sense because she showed it to me. If you get a tattoo on your wrist it will be more of a “statement” than a “secret” you can share with those you choose.
IV. Obviously, tattoos are meant to be permanent. Since you a bit of a connoisseur of different psychological states, I would recommend you be especially sure about the tattoo before getting it.
V. A steering-wheel is a very concrete image. Personally, I like more abstract designs. I could have branded myself with the word “change”, or the letter “C”, or so-on. Instead I chose the Greek letter delta because it has been used to indicate change for centuries, and has been used in calculus notation since Newton. It is possible that you and I will live to see steering wheels disappear, and to see cars controlled by other means, or become self-driven, or so-on. Suppose that your father, when he was your age, had decided he wanted a tattoo to represent his love of music. A record-player might have seemed like a good choice, but nowadays there are people who have never seen a record-player. Another nice thing about getting something abstract is that you can tell different stories about it. My delta branding means something a bit different to me today than it did the day I branded myself. An abstract design gives you the freedom to re-interpret your tattoo and tell different stories about it to the many people who will ask you about it.
2. The mind is a damn funny thing.
3. I find it interesting that we both have anxiety issues but that in your case they have not led to an interest in traveling. I am travel-obsessed; every time I move, I feel like I am escaping some part of my past and hope to have a good life wherever it is I end up moving. Then, in a few months, things turn shitty, I get restless again, I move somewhere else, and the cycle repeats. I got restless at Overlake, felt like I was escaping to Stanford, got restless at Stanford, felt like I was escaping to Ely, got restless in Ely, felt like I was escaping to the UW, got restless in Queen Anne, felt like I was escaping to Thousand Oaks (where Amgen is), got restless in Thousand Oaks, felt like I was escaping to Stanford again. Now I’m restless, and in a month I’ll graduate and escape again. Job to job, rented room to rented room, university to university, it’s all escape for me, and all perfectly futile. At least I’ve learned to travel light.
4/5. Good luck man. I think your involvement in modeling is similar to my involvement in writing and photography. You’re not counting on making your living as a model, and I’m not counting on making mine as an artist, but they are nice options to have. You’re somewhat further along in that you’ve actually gotten paid for modeling; it’s more than a hobby, less than a job. So far, my writing and photography are merely hobbies.
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