Personal

Tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it.... Tattooing therefore, is a way of keeping the spiritual and material needs of my body in balance.  ~Michelle Delio

"You put a tattoo on yourself with the knowledge that this body is yours to have and enjoy while you're here. You have fun with it, and nobody else can control (supposedly) what you do with it. That's why tattooing is such a big thing in prison: it's an expression of freedom one of the only expressions of freedom there. They can lock you down, control everything, but 'I've got my mind, and I can tattoo my body alter it my way as an act of personal will.' " DON ED HARDY

"If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career life, you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development."
Brian Tracy

"Everyone has their own reasons for wanting a tattoo; after all we're all unique. Some of us are inspired by others, some like the idea of enhancing their body, while others simply wanted to have a visual representation of something that is important to them." -unknown

http://www.tattooartanddesign.com/personal-reasons.html

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http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:-rd10eD4HwoJ:scholar.google.com/+personal+reason+getting+tattoo&hl=en&as_sdt=80000000000000

The bolded site mainly explain's different personal reasons why people get tattooed.  It mentions tattoo artists personal reasons why they believe people get tattooed and even includes from collected interviews with people why people get tattoos.  Overall expresses different personal reasons such as to remember something (event, person, animal or etc), show something they believe in, religious or spiritual reasons, mark a milestone in their life and other reasons to.  This article covered explained all the different personal reasons that people get tattooed today.  It explained more extensively and covered more reasons then any other sites I have read.  From stand point of a tattoo artist to someone getting a tattoo.  I have taken from my own work peoples personal reasons for getting tattoos is to remember, remind, express a love or belief in something or someone, and last no reason at all but there are even reasons why people get "meaningless tattoos" and even then I am interested in why people get those. This quote from the text explains the whole article 

"In conclusion, the reasons for getting a tattoo and the meaning behind what is

visibly seen are as varied as the people involved. Whether a person gets a tattoo

“just because he likes how it looks” or because it symbolizes something for them, the

tattoo is a form of self-expression. The purpose of wearing this art on one’s body

rather than hanging it on a wall signifies a total commitment to what it stands for. It

is the most permanent form of self-expression, with no escape from it. It is

everywhere they go, they carry it with them, and it is a part of them. It is connected

to one’s mind and one’s body for their time spent here on earth, and connected to

their spirit, their inner essence forever."

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There is different reason why the term personal fits my work.  I am finding out through taking photographs why people personally get the tattoos they do and what each of their tattoos personally mean to them.  Through this process I am finding I am getting to know each subject personally through their tattoos.  Learning about peoples individual reasons for getting their tattoos has always been personal interest of mine.  There is a quote that says (rephrased) tattooing is way of personalizing the body and pleasing the spirit that dwells within.  I believe in some way shape or form has applied to all my subjects.  Through my art I want my viewers learn and see my subjects personal reasons for tattooing themselves.  I think this is a area not a lot of people (at least those that are not in the culture or do not have any tattoos) think about.  I want them see why I find it interesting through the portrait's I hope they want to read the writings from the subjects after they see the subjects image.  I want them also hopefully see why I think people use their bodies as their own personal history book of themselves.  This term is probably one of most import ones to my work.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao7ORCfibio&feature=related

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