As I walked into the tattoo shop, I was immediately hit with a feeling of fear and intimidation. The black cement walls were lined with dark artwork and sharp piercing displays, and the dim lighting made the space feel even darker. I had never been to a tattoo shop before, and I didn’t know what to expect. I approached the counter and was greeted by a tattooist who asked me what I was looking for. I stuttered my response, my nerves getting the best of me.
He gave me a reassuring smile and began to show me different designs and styles. He was a traditional tattooist. Flash tattoos were what I was interested in, so he directed me to his colleague a few chairs over. I sat down on the chair and waited until the tattooist had finished with his previous customer’s work. As I looked around the shop, I began to feel more and more out of place. The clientele seemed to be a mix of bikers, punks, and alternative types, and I felt like I didn’t fit in with any of them. I wondered if I was making a mistake by even considering getting a tattoo.
But then, as I was flipping through a book of designs, I saw a drawing that caught my eye. It was a simple, minimalist design of a bird in flight. Of all the designs from what was supposedly the best tattoo shop Brisbane had, this one was my favourite. The flash tattooist came over to my chair, and after talking to me, he took my design and began to sketch it out on my arm. As he worked, the traditional tattooist chatted with me and put me at ease. He told me about his own tattoos and the stories behind them, and I began to feel like I was part of this tattoo community now, like I could feel a sense of pride over my new design. Walking out of the tattoo shop, I knew that it was just the beginning of my journey into the world of tattoos.