Local Tattoo artist Storm Bertone creates a new tattoo for local Hammond resident Passion Miller. Once this artistic creation is completed, Miller will be able to carry her new tattoo with her for the rest of her life. The Lion’s Roar / William Schmidt
 

College is where most individuals often get their first taste of freedom, and many choose to get a tattoo as a symbol of liberation from parental control. 

Professional, personalized tattoos retain memories and can stand as a symbol of triumph over struggle. However, there are many factors that must be considered before getting a tattoo. It is a lifelong graphic meant to be carried on your body until death. Such a permanent decision must be made carefully. 

“Make sure your tattoo is what you want, and you are putting a picture on you and not words,” said Mike “Tiger” Schroeder, owner of Hammond City Tattoo Company and professional tattoo artist of 26 years. “If you get any type of picture, it could have a thousand meanings throughout life, especially for the person getting it.” 

Sometimes though, the straightforwardness of words is why people gravitate toward lettering over illustrations. 

“I’ve always loved tattoos; for me, it’s another form of expression,” said junior photography major Jessica Firmin. “Mine is on my ribs. It’s easy to cover, and it’s more personal to me. I didn’t get it for anyone but me. I have ‘Ars Gratia Artis’ and some color and line work under it. It translates to ‘Art for Art’s sake.’ That’s always stuck with me as an artist, to create purely for the act of creating.” 

Other people may get a tattoo based on their personal beliefs and values, which is another reason why some tattoo-wearers gravitate toward quotes.

“It ties in with my beliefs and values. I got it from the Great Commission. [In Hebrew] it says ‘I am always with you,’” said senior social studies education major Cody Wilson. “It also says it in Psalms 73:23 with pretty much the same words. Those are two things that I hold close to my heart that really keep me going. I wouldn’t get a tattoo for [just] any reason. It is important to me and has value.” 

Once a decision has been made to get a tattoo, a few ins and outs should be known before choosing the correct facility to get inked in. 

“Make sure the place they walk into is clean. Look around, check the place out, make sure it is not dark and the people are not seedy with everyone sitting around smoking pot,” said Schroeder. “Number two is to always check for portfolios.”

People who are not professionals may try to give tattoos. These people can be avoided by simply looking over portfolios. 

“Make sure the pictures are consistent in a portfolio, because people in this business called ‘scratchers’ or ‘kitchen magicians’ will tattoo out of their house and steal other tattoo artists’ portfolios or go online and take them and make them look picture-like and stick them in their portfolio,” said Schroeder.

In finding the right tattoo shop, make sure you are also able to talk with the artist. 

“Most shops should give free consultations and sit down and come to some type of consensus on your piece,” said Schroeder. “Tattoo artists shouldn’t be in a rush. We sit down, and if consultations take five minutes, that’s fine. If they take 45 minutes, that’s fine. This is going on you for life. You should make sure that everything is in place.”

The free consultation is the right time to ensure you are getting your body art done by the right artist for you.

“Sit down with the artist. Make sure you like the artist,” said Schroeder. “You are not obligated to be tattooed by that artist. If you are not comfortable with them, ask to see another tattoo artist’s portfolio or ask to see the manager so you can set up a consultation for another artist. It doesn’t have to be that artist you are talking to. We have five artists on staff, and they have five unique ways of looking at things.”

All tattoo shops should have a sterile environment for getting bodywork down. For example, Hammond City Tattoo Company has an autoclave that is used to sterilize and bag everything. Everything in their shop is used only once.

According to Schroeder, when you are about to get a tattoo, you should make sure “that you see the artist open up a sterile pouch with a sterilized tube in it with a new needle coming out of a sterile pouch. If not, run out the door.”  

With personal decisions and a sterile environment, both the tattoo artist and those receiving the tattoo can have a fun time resulting in a life long meaning and memory made through ink. This was exactly what several Southeastern football players did two years ago. 

“They all got the Lion logo put onto them,” said Schroeder. “That was interesting. A bunch of big guys sitting around. They were up in here, and they were big, too, so they took up the entire store. That was crazy.”

Many other factors play a part in making the right decision for a tattoo. Both time and research should be taken into consideration.