Head to toe

I grew up in a bit of a ‘different’ family environment than most people. My dad was a hardcore punk back in the 70s. He had tattoos before they became cool. My mother was never really someone who was interested in tattoos for herself, but she absolutely adored the rockabilly style. She constantly looked like she was something out of the 50s. Her hair was dyed red and always styled like a rockabilly girl, and she loved wearing those wide A-line dresses. They raised me to like a similar style to them, so it is no surprise that I grew to be someone who is more on the alternative side of things. My parents were always encouraging me to appreciate art and to dabble in music. I guess my love for music came from the fact my dad has played in bands my whole life. Parent-teacher day would always be hilarious to me as everyone would be shocked to see my parents. They didn’t look like the typical ‘parent’, and that’s what made them cool.

Years on, I am honestly covered head to toe with tattoos. I have a highly recommended traditional tattooist that does all my tattoos. She is an expert and has an amazing skill for producing eye-catching art. I have people stop me in the street to complement the work she’s done. One thing I am finding over the years, however, is that people seem to be less intimidated by tattoos than they once were. Tattoos have definitely become more normalised over the years. It used to be something for thugs, but it seems like most people have at least one tattoo now.

I love a day in the tattoo shop. Brisbane has many tattoo enthusiasts, and we all like to gather in certain shops to get impromptu tattoos. It’s like a real sense of community. Admittedly, there are some people who are a bit elitist, but I just ignore those people. Tattoos are meant to be something fun and cool, not a competition.