The Canvas of Identity: How Tattoos Define and Express Personal Stories and Beliefs

Since prehistoric times, tattoos have been an influential medium through which people have expressed themselves and their belief systems. After all, there is no better way to tell your story than with an intricate design that can be loved for a lifetime.

Tattoos can define and express personal stories in many different ways, too. No two tattoo designs are the same, and even the ways tattoos are applied can differ wildly between customs and cultures. A beginner tattoo kit can really help find the perfect design for you.

Learn more about the beautiful canvas of identity that tattoos can provide, and how they can define and express you in your entirety, below.

Life Events

Oftentimes, people choose meaningful quotes, symbols, and imagery to represent different stages in their life, or significant life events.

In this way, tattoos can be a visual representation of everything you have ever gone through! From weddings, birthdays, deaths, and personal achievements to challenges you have overcome or ways you feel you have grown as a person, tattooed imagery can be remarkably effective in transmitting these tales to others.

Cultural Roots

The design of a tattoo, and the way it is applied – like the distinctive Tā moko of the Māori people of New Zealand – can be inextricable from your cultural roots, and therefore express your heritage simply by existing on your skin!

Certain patterns, designs and symbols found in tattoos can be unique to a specific cultural context, also much like the Tā moko mentioned above.

Spiritual Symbols

Spiritual beliefs are closely held by many, which is why spiritual symbols tattooed on the skin can be a powerful tool for defining and conveying your personal beliefs to the world. Spiritual symbols can range from images of deities to quotes from texts that hold sentimental value for you.

Unique Designs

Ultimately, tattoos do such a good job of defining and expressing personal stories because they’re so unique. Even tattoos of the same design have that unique touch imbued into them by the artist’s technique – no two pieces will be the same. In sum, tattoos are as unique as you are!

However, not everyone wants to take the risk of tattooing their skin. It can be an intimidating process, even though for many, it is a rewarding one.

So, you might instead consider tattoo-inspired t-shirts that tell the unique story of you. Broken Society ethically manufactures garments with beautiful tattoo-style designs, created by talented artists, that you can wear as proudly as you would any tattoo.

Community Ties

As we mentioned above, tattoos can forge a lasting cultural tie between you and your heritage. In the same way, tattoos can also foster a sense of community, and can tie you closer to your loved ones than almost anything else. Shared symbols, motifs, phrases, and emblems are a strong, unifying force – especially when they’re permanently tattooed upon your skin!

Humans are social creatures, and to this end, tattoos have often served to make community groups identifiable to one another.

Relationships

Looking to a narrower and more personal sense of community, many tattoo lovers worldwide have gotten inked to represent a relationship dearest to them – most commonly a spouse, but sometimes a best friend or family member, too.

Certainly, most of the time, our personal stories are shaped by the people closest to us. Tattoos reflect that!

Making your connection with someone else a permanent imprint on your skin is something incomparably special, and this is an eternal testament to the meaningful relationships in your life.

Empowerment and Pride

Tattoos don’t always have to express your personal stories and beliefs in an explicit way. Sometimes, tattoos are simply a way to feel empowered about yourself – to feel strong, or attractive, or even just cool!

Some people tattoo themselves as a way to redefine traditional beauty standards, and to take power over their own bodies. Other times, people tattoo themselves to feel proud of how far they’ve come in life, or to feel decorated and unique.

A lot of the time, tattoos are about pride, too. By that, we mean pride in your identity, your personality, and everything that makes you who you are!

When it’s hard to express yourself in daily life, or you want others to know about important parts of your identity that aren’t visible outright, tattoos are here to lend a hand.

So, don’t be afraid to feel empowered in yourself, your skin, and your style, whether that’s through the purchase of more ink, or colourful tattoo-inspired t-shirts that take your favourite tattoos a step further.

Your Journey

We can’t finish this article without emphasising once more just how tattoos can elaborate on your personal journey in an instant. Symbolic images can speak a thousand words, and for many of us, there is no more effective way to convey the ups and downs of life without speaking, than with tattoos.