Posted on Jan 27, 2017
Tattoos and Generation Z: Part 3 [RACHEL]
Tattoos and Generation Z is all about the opinions and beliefs of humans born in the 90's and 00's. They all carry their own story, embody different statuses, and are inspired by new-age influences. ...
Tattoos and Generation Z is all about the opinions and beliefs of humans born in the 90's and 00's. They all carry their own story, embody different statuses, and are inspired by new-age influences. This 6 part series is meant to provide different perceptions surrounding the art of tattooing. Does the generation you were born in reflect your opinion on tattooing?
PART 3: RACHEL @rachelboere
Introduction
Rachel, a creative industry student, has a passion for the outdoors & exudes a free-spirited personality. Though she has no real tattoos of her own, there’s no promise things will stay that way!
Do you remember the first time you heard of the idea of tattoos?
"I first heard about the concept of tattoos when I was in elementary school. You know, when you’re in Grade 6 or 7, and you have that one person in class whose older sibling has a tattoo. At the time, it seems so foreign and rebellious, you’re suddenly in awe of this absurd idea of having something permanently to your body."
Growing up with curiosity, but also huge uncertainty.
"Growing up tattoos were not very common, unless someone had one for sentimental reasons, and were often frowned upon. This could have been due to where I grew up, but it made tattoos seem as though they were a distant fantasy.
Early on in high school, my curiosity about tattoos began to be fill with potential ideas and designs. Yet it still felt unattainable as the question of commitment always seemed to spring to mind; ‘do I really want to commit to this?’
Later on tattoos became more of a reality as my peers began getting inked. Mainly for the sake of being able to declare they have a tattoo, from what it seemed, rather than artistic expression. Since moving to the heart of Toronto, tattoos, and the entire tattoo culture, have become a way bigger part of my life. They’re becoming more prominent in all walks of life and their artistry is valued more now than ever, while their presence has become less of a shock to society."
Tatted in Toronto - working towards unified acceptance.
"In Toronto, society is both very accepting and interested in tattoos. In my opinion, Toronto is one of the most accepting communities for tattoos and tattoo culture, this could be said about most major progressive cities across the globe. What makes Toronto different is that it thrives on multiculturalism and welcomes diversity, so it only makes sense that the people within this environment reflect this. I may be slightly biased as I live in downtown and work in the arts and cultural industry, but I’ve seen wide variety of professionals with visible tattoos both in and out of the workplace. Which, even in the early 2000s, might not have been so openly accepted."
In your personal opinion, what is society’s perception of people with tattoos now and where do you think it’s heading?
"As acceptance rises, the question is no longer ‘what does your tattoo mean?’ but rather focusing on the artist or the artistic design. I think this idea has grown in parallel to the importance and awareness of body acceptance and body ownership, thus where I see it continuing to grow in the future. I think as people, both women and men, we slowly grow to appreciate and take ownership of our bodies. We will grow to use our bodies as a canvas and tattoos as a medium of self-expression and artistic value."
