For as long as I can remember, I have been profoundly enchanted with tattoos. I always have wanted to get a back tattoo. Not like the little "tramp stamp" of 2 dolphins I already have. But like an entire piece of of carefully thought out and meaningful art on my back. I constantly get inspiration from and for them: case-in-point, during a recent conversation with a friend about the thought process that goes into getting a tattoo, I started thinking about the similarities between getting inked and blogging:
It Takes Commitment
People (should) get a tattoo with the intention of it being a permanent addition in their life. Although there’s no “no going back now” pressure with a blog, it still takes commitment and dedication to make it worth the while for both you and your readers. You shouldn't get a tattoo you won’t still love at age 60, and you really shouldn't blog if you don’t see yourself keeping up with it.
Put Some Thought Into It
It’s just as easy to tell which tattoos were picked out off of a flash wall as it is which bloggers don’t have a passion for what they’re writing about. Your blog and its subsequent posts should mean something to you the way a sentimental tattoo has meaning to the wearer. Otherwise, your blog will become the equivalent of a middle-aged housewife with Winnie the Pooh on her ankle (I’m looking at you, Kate Gosselin).
Expect and Encourage Engagement
Part of the territory that comes with getting any sort of visible tattoo is that you have to expect and I’d say enjoy having people approach you and start conversations with you about them. Think of your blog as a highly-visible, thought-provoking tattoo: it should encourage engagement and interaction from others and spark a two-way conversation.
So, just as carefully as I write my blogs, I have been very careful in my thought process for my tattoo. I have FINALLY come up with an idea and picture of what I want it to look like. All the "artsiness" of it has meaning and it was been thought about over and over. It took me 2 years to get up the courage to start a blog. Well this tattoo has been a lifetime in the making (and 3 years of planning). I can't wait to find an artist who sees my vision and can portray this wonderful life of mine on my back.
