If you're gonna get ink, be sure to think. Yeah ok, I made that up but honestly it's the truth.

The idea of a tattoo is intriguing for so many people. I remember when I got my first one. I always said any tattoo I get has to mean a whole heck of a lot to me...so my first tattoo was the logo of my favorite baseball team.

I'm super happy with my choice, but to this day I'm not happy with the work. It ended up getting done by an apprentice who simply didn't do a very good job in recreating the logo and getting it on my arm. Sure, I only paid $50 for it, but I would've rather paid double.

If you're headed out the the Amarillo Tattoo Expo this weekend because you wanna get some ink, here's a few tips I highly suggest you follow.

RESEARCH YOUR ARTIST

There are a couple different ways you can do this. Go to the expo, see the artists there and write some of them down. Do Google searches and look for reviews. Also, take a look at the work they've done in the past. Any good artist will have a portfolio of their work and you can see the detail and everything right there. If you run into an artist that doesn't have a portfolio, it MIGHT be a good reason to stay away.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GET?

This one can be tricky. Some people (like me) stick to just simple tats that mean something to us. Then there's those who want some elaborate work done just because it's beautiful. No matter what it is you're looking to do, make sure you're getting something you aren't going to regret down the road. Put some really good thought into the concept of your tattoo, then don't settle for anything less than your vision.

LOCATION OF YOUR TATTOO

Here's the all important question of WHERE you wanna have the ink. Do you want to be able to cover it up easily, or do you want to show it off at all times? Are you going for an extreme location or a pretty "normal" spot? What's your pain tolerance, because areas that don't have a lot of flesh are typically going to hurt quite a bit more.

SIZE OF THE WORK

Some pieces by nature are going to be bigger than others, so even though that flying eagle sounds sweet, it's probably going to take up a good amount of space. Think about whether you're going for something elaborate and bold or for something that can be shrunk down in size, yet still carry the detail and meaning for you. Again, this is a personal preference and is not a one size fits all kind of thing. Go with what you want, just make sure you've given it enough honest thought.

So there you have it, just a few things to make sure your first tattoo experience is a good one. I can tell you from experience, these things are addictive. Once you get one, you start thinking about the next one. I've got 5 of them personally, and truthfully never thought I'd have more than one or two of them. Enjoy the experience and show me your work once it's done!

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