At Lighthouse Tattoo we strive for perfection. It doesn’t exist, of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth obsessing over. To neglect every other aspect of one’s life, to its detriment, for the sake of pursuing one’s art. A more selfless and egotistical thing cannot be found. You have to be kind of crazy to put yourself through this. It shows on every tattoo artist worth their salt the world over. To serve on a platter to the grave a spine twisted by poor posture and eyes blinded by a lifetime of minute detail, all while sacrificing your sanity trying to deliver something life-changing, that is a high ideal.

We cannot stress how important this is: Tattoos are a dichotomy: they are immediately ridiculous and simultaneously one of the most meaningful things that can happen to us in our lives. To take possession of one’s own corpus by adorning it with art, when performed by a master of their craft, is nothing short of lifechanging. We will experience compliments on a well-executed tattoo’s beauty for years to come; pay homage to a hobby or lifestyle; even carry the memory of a lost loved one or commemorate the love of our lives in our flesh. For many, it is the only way we manage to reward ourselves when we are pressed so hard by life that it becomes almost unbearable. A respite for those who serve. Mothers and fathers, students and soldiers. Sometimes a tattoo can make it all seem worthwhile, for a while.

I don’t mean to wax poetic, I really don’t. But I’ve been asked by my editor to experiment and deviate from our usual rhetoric to something perhaps a bit more close to the truth of why we do this. How we feel about it; what makes us tick, so that you can know who you’re dealing with. In a world that seems so ready to convince you of some bullshit or another, we wanted you to hear it from us. Forgive me my love affair with tattoo, it’s the most important thing in my life, sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps me going, and I know that’s true for some of you too.

So indulge. Reward yourself with something a touch more meaningful after the Super Bowl. After all, tattoos are for life. Live it. We’ll be here waiting for you.