- The chest is definitely not a fun area.
- No, it's not fun.
I can feel it vibrating in my lungs.
(upbeat music)
- So, I hate my thighs.
I have had appetite issues
that stem from being diagnosed with clinical depression.
- I've always felt kind of self-conscious about my arms.
I have very strong Italian genes
that have blessed me with incredibly pale skin
and very dark, thick hair everywhere.
- As a queer, trans, non-binary person,
I draw a lot of attention in the streets.
I'll have my chest out, I'll have chest hair out,
and for a lot of people that makes them uncomfortable.
- When I got to college,
I started binge eating out of boredom.
I gained a lot of weight.
For some reason, after I came back from study abroad
my appetite disappeared.
- My arms just always looked kind of manly.
I make Nifty videos, which means my hands and my arms
are at the forefront of every video that I make.
A lot of the comments that I get are making fun or my arms,
telling my I should shave the hair on my arms.
- In my experience as a Chinese American,
I kind of feel pressure to have thin physique.
In China, random acquaintances will come up to me
and be like, 'your face is so so round.'
- I wear a lot of loose clothing, low-cut dresses and tops.
- My thighs, which I've always been super insecure about,
are actually the thinnest they've ever been.
I wanna feel happy about it,
but it's disappointment in myself
for not treating my body well enough.
- I wanted to have something that makes sure that no one
A, fucks with me, and B, that decorates my outside persona.
- This is my first tattoo, and the fact that I'm getting it
on a body part that I'm insecure about is super important.
- I'm so excited!
(chilling music)
- Hi, my name is Ying and I'm a tattoo artist.
I've been tattooing for five years.
I feel like tattoos can br really transformative,
make them feel better about themselves.
If they have any insecurities about their bodies,
you can always put a piece of art on there
and, you know, make them feel better.
So, tell me about this tattoo.
- I love Disney and Peter Pan.
It's one of my favorite movies.
Tinkerbell was kind of who I related to the most
because she's magical and a little bit sassy.
- So, I really wanna get a Buffy the Vampire Slayer
related tattoo. - Okay.
- I really wanna get her stake.
There's a specific stake that I want.
It's call Mr. Pointy.
It's the stake that she uses in the earlier seasons.
It was given to her by another slayer.
- So, the tattoo I chose
is inspired by Tōyō Miyatake's photograph.
It's a pair of pliers in front of a barbed wire fence
at the Japanese internment camps.
- And where is this going?
- On the outer part of my left thigh.
- So, I want to get it on my left arm,
either here or right here on the inside.
- We're putting it on my chest.
- So...
- Oh my gosh.
I wanted to also incorporate something
that represents my Chinese American heritage.
I want my Chinese name as the stars.
- So, the design I drew up,
I feel like it will look better on the inside of your arm.
- (gasps) That is so cool.
- You like it? - Wait, that's so pretty.
I love that so much. - Yay.
- Oh, that's dope.
Cute. - It's coming out the front.
- [Oscar] Dope, dope, dope.
I love that, that's really dope.
- This woman is a superstar.
- So, are you ready to get tattooed?
- Yeah, let's do it. - Cool.
(hip hop music)
- You ready? - Yes.
I chose Tinkerbell because she just doesn't
take anyone else's bullshit.
That's the sort of attitude I want
when it comes to owning my body.
- [Steph] I'm a huge Buffy fan.
I've always wanted to get this.
I think it's a great symbol of strength
and girl power and independence.
- [Oscar] I do immigrant rights organizing.
The tattoo that I'm gonna get is a chain link fence
with a fist running through it, holding a rose.
- [Sarah] I love that my Chinese name was bigger
and I love the little splashes of color.
- [Steph] I really want the stake
to be surrounded my flowers,
a feminine aspect so it's not just a twig.
- [Oscar] The idea for the rose
is we've clearly noticed that some people
are afforded their humanity and some are not.
It's an indication of the beauty and the resilience
of existence as resistance.
- [Sarah] The pain was actually more manageable
than I thought it would be.
- [Steph] I loved Ying.
She was so amazingly talented.
- I wasn't expecting it to hurt that much.
There were times when I was gritting my teeth,
but she was cheering me on.
- I know it'll be a permanent reminder
that my thighs are beautiful.
Oh my gosh.
(screams)
I like how the colors also go outside a little bit.
- It's not too much, but it's super simple.
- Yeah.
- (screams) Holy shit, man.
Wow, the shading in the stake and the flowers is so good.
This on my arm forever and I'm so happy about it.
- Oh, oh my God, damn!
That's beautiful, wow.
That line work is amazing.
The super femme fingernail, love that.
Yo, Ying, fuck.
- It's been one week since I got my first tattoo.
It still doesn't feel real.
I'll just admire it and I'm like, that really happened.
It's a part of my body.
- Maybe no one will comment about my hairy arms anymore
and instead they'll just be like, 'your tattoo is so cool.'
- I fuckin' love it.
I feel like I can walk down the street confidently.
- I try to avoid looking at my bare body,
especially my thighs, but because of this tattoo
I have something to admire.
It makes me feel proud that my thigh
was able to be the canvas for a piece of art.
- When I look at my arm,
I just see this awesome piece of artwork
and I don't really think about my insecurities
or anything else that I normally would think of.
- Beforehand, it was interesting to see men look my way
and be unsure about their attraction,
especially when I'm expressing my gender
in a non-conforming way.
I've been kind of showing off my tattoo now.
I feel empowered and affirmed in the way
that I'm expressing myself through my tattoo.
- The tattoo, regardless of which thigh it's on
or which body part, definitely serves as a reminder
that regardless of what I put in it or don't put in it,
it's still beautiful and it's healthy
and I should appreciate it more often.
- So, as you may have noticed, Boldly is now As/Is.
- Mhm, but don't worry.
You'll still get all the awesome content you're used to,
but just even more new, great stuff.
- Click here to subscribe.
- Woo!
Clicky, click.
(upbeat acoustic music)