Sunday, July 09, 2006

tattoos.

so, i have wanted to get a few tattoos for quite some time now, but sadly corporate america is holding me back. i hate the fact that it is SO difficult to find a decent job if you have tattoos. i think this is ridiculous- i mean, as long as the tattoo isnt offensive then i dont see a problem with having them in the workplace. same goes for body piercings. how is okay to have your ears pierced but not your lip? ear piercings have ALWAYS freaked me out way more than lip, eyebrow, nose, etc- who determines whats "normal"???
anyway, ive been longing for some tattoos for awhile now, like i said. i want a few on my arms, most people say i'll regret it, but how can somebody regret carrying around beautiful art everywhere they go, hassle free? i think it would be great.
after the wedding i have plans to leave this waitressing job at chili's. i just cant stand it. i dont know WHAT im going to do instead, maybe i will just have to suck it up for awhile till i get my screenprinting going. i dont know yet.
anyway, what are your thoughts on tattoos? tattoos in the work place? i know most of you have one or two, im sure of it. maybe even 3 or 4. have you noticed a change in the way people treat you in public, if your tattoo can be seen by them? i noticed a HUGE change in the way people treated me when i dyed my hair red. everyone was so nice to me, so cheery and kind (im talking about strangers). i did not like having red hair, so i dyed it black (which is also what i had before the red) and i noticed a change in behavior real quick- its almost like they look down on me for having black hair. this hasnt been a problem since i transfered to a new chili's, i think its a demographics thing or whatever its called. but it bugged me so much at the time, and still does.
oh well its late and i should be sleeping. tomorrow i plan on posting some of my top favorite things, everything from blogs to artists. i hope that it turns out to be an inspirational post.

6 comments:

lisa solomon said...

i don't have any tattoos b/c i'm too chicken :)

but i hate that people care so much.

i'm really lucky. i can have my hair look however i want and it doesn't effect my job - but i think that's b/c i'm in art. i bet if i was in math i might get a look or two....

you should do what makes YOU feel good.

looking forward to your "what inspires me" post!

Anonymous said...

i think if you want the tattoos, you should totally get them! maybe start high up on your arm so you can cover them if you need to? you shouldn't have to, but people can be really stupid and judgemental. i would hire you no matter how you look. :)

katiecarman said...

well, i live in new york city, mecca of 'weird' in the world, so this may not be universal but I am heavily tattooed (lost count now how many...) and have had a corporate-ish job for almost 5 years now with little to zero problems.

When I first started working, I covered them up. I wasn't sure how my boss would react and i didnt want whatever misconceptions he might've had to get in the way of the work I was doing. I wanted to prove myself first & foremost, that I could do the job and do it well :-)

once we got to know eachother more and get more comfortable i started relaxing the 'cardigan sweater at work' rule. he was more surprised and inquisitive than upset or anything, which was good. but yeah, if it's artwork that's not offensive then they shouldn't give a rat's ass, as long as you do the job you're hired to and don't let your tattoo appts interfere with work :-)

I know it's easier said than done, but any place that won't hire you because of something like that isn't worth it, unless there is some way you can work around it without compromising yourself.

Do what you need and what you want! You can always invest in some nice long sleeve cardigans if it ever does become a problem.

Anonymous said...

I have several tattoos and have not noticed any tattoo discrimination. But I'm sure it happens. Not as much now as it used to, I think tattoos have become way more socially acceptable.


It really depends on the type of work you do, and the people you work with. You can never tell who is going to treat you differently or who isn't going to care.

I noticed that when my hair was really short, I got treated much more rudely, than now, when my hair is longer.

As long as you don't plan to be an underwear model or actor, you should be fine. Start somewhere hidden, upper arm, upper back, thigh, etc. or plan on having to wear cardigans as Katie recommended.

Also if you plan on getting tattoos do some research on the design and artist. Seriously. All mine were impulsive and I don't regret them, I just wish I had planned a little better. I have a Wonder Woman armband [taken directly from the comic book] and I get a lot of people asking if it is WWF [no!] or weezer [double no!].

I wouldn't sweat it; good luck in choosing a design.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

be bold. i held back for years and it has not inhibited a thing for me.

nico said...

my cousin caroline (yay shes comin to visit in august) she got two tats on her forearms when she was a teen/young adult to ensure herself never to work in a corporate job haha! thats dedication to the true DIY spirit...

erin your posts rock i love the screened/stenciled tags and way to go on the front page sales boost! ♥ed reading the camping story too- sucky bout dem tree wreckers ;; but oh wells just about all you can do sometimes ey... congratulations on your engagement btw!