- The first tattoo that I got was super random.
I hadn't planned it out.
Which is shooting stars, that now over time,
look like tadpoles.
(laughing)
Yeah man, the skin changes.
(tropical music)
- I got my first tattoo when I was 19 years old.
- When I got my first tattoo, I was 18 years old.
It might have been like the day after I turned 18.
I was so thirsty.
- I was 20 years old when I got my first tattoo.
It was a gift from my dad and my stepmom.
They paid for it.
- I got my first tattoo when I was around 18 years old.
I wanted a tattoo for a really long time.
- I think I've always wanted tattoos,
but I waited until I was away at college
and could do it behind my parents' back.
Then just like as my parents continued
to tell me not to get any more tattoos,
it made me want more tattoos.
- I was constantly drawing on myself as a kid.
I was like one of those kids.
I guess when I got older that translated into permanent.
- I knew people who had them.
I was like but mom, other people have them.
She was like well, other people aren't my children.
- This is the first tattoo I got on my arm.
It's the Chicago skyline.
It was drawn by one of my favorite students
when I was teaching in Chicago.
To have like someone that was younger who I taught
be the person that drew it,
to me jut like felt really right.
- This tattoo is obviously a peace sign on my wrist.
It's meant for Lady Gaga, to be honest,
because she has a very small one on her wrist.
I love everything she does and she stands for
and I have loved her for a very long time
so I was like why not?
- I have a tattoo here.
It says I count you twice.
And that's for my mom.
It basically just means every night
when I count my blessings, I count her twice,
because she has influenced me and encouraged me
so far over the moon that I could never just count her once.
- This summer, my twin brother passed away.
And so my dad and I got these matching tattoos.
It's a pepper 'cause we both really like spicy food.
My dad didn't necessarily want to get a tattoo,
but he wanted to have the experience
of getting a tattoo with me.
- This one is warrior.
It's in my friend Ryan's handwriting,
who is one of my closest friends for a really long time.
And I told him like any matching tattoo
you ever wanna get, I'll get with you.
He was like I'm getting the Ke$ha album cover on my calf.
Matching tattoos?
And I was like no, but I will get Warrior
which is the title of her album in your handwriting.
- I'll go to the other ankle.
It's this really cool band.
I count you twice was actually on this ankle
with the band, and I got it done at someone's home for $20
in college and you know, didn't hold up.
So I had to get it covered up with this black band.
And then I got the tattoo redone on this ankle.
- [Jazzmyne] What? - Yeah.
This black band is a cover up.
But honestly, the black band is one of my favorite tattoos.
Also my ex-boyfriend did both of these tattoos.
He also ruined my early 20s.
- The one on my back I have
it says confidence is beautiful.
I was like probably 18 or 19.
I told the guy back at my home tattoo parlor,
his name is Scott.
I said hey Scott, I just want something
super clean that says in a straight line
confidence is beautiful.
That's it.
And so I walked into the tattoo parlor that day
and I was like this is gonna be super simple, super easy.
And then he shows me what it was
and it is this huge tramping mural
that says confidence is beautiful.
It's not even a tramp stamp.
It is a tramp mural.
At that point, I was like this guy
spent so much time drawing this
and making it beautiful that I have to get this tattoo now.
It is beautiful as well.
I really respected my tattoo artist and his art.
- This one I did by myself last year.
I got really stoned in my apartment
and wanted to give myself a tattoo.
So it just says yo.
I just did it with a needle.
I went to Michael's and I got some non-toxic
like calligraphy ink and Jesus took the wheel on that one.
- This is my Bernie Sanders plus Drake tattoo.
This I got because Bernie Sanders was the first
presidential candidate that I ever saw
talk about reparations for indigenous people
of the Americas.
I was like wait a second, it isn't like
an underground thing that only a couple people know about?
Like presidents actually know about this stuff?
Weird they haven't been talking about it.
And then what a time to be alive is Drake lyrics
that just felt right in this moment
and it's in a cloud of marijuana smoke
that also felt right in this moment.
Drake is dating a teenager so we don't like him anymore.
However, what a time to be alive, you know what I'm sayin'?
- My most recent tattoo is right here.
I have been getting tattooed for the last 10 years.
I would never recommend this spot to anybody.
Yes, it looks badass.
Yes, I love it.
Yes, I think it is one of the most beautiful things
that is on my body.
I truly love this.
But man, some of the worst pain I have ever dealt with.
It's rough.
- If you're thinking or considering getting a tattoo,
times have changed so much.
If you're worried about career path
or something like that,
that's a valid reason to be concerned and worried
and still you know be smart about it.
There are people in corporate with finger tats
and hand tattoos and stuff that I've seen.
Like I've been in rooms with people who have tattoos.
- If you wanna get something, you don't really
need to justify that to anyone.
It's an expression of you outwardly.
Just kind of like fashion or makeup or whatever else
that's like it's just an extension
of your insides on your outsides.
- I feel like with tattoos sometimes,
we put ourselves in these boxes
and they have to be a certain this or a certain that.
The thing that I love about my tattoos
is that they all flow with each other,
but they're all different.
Like yeah, I have some like Lady Gaga
and free yourself tattoos,
but honestly, it all kind of vibes with each other.
And that's cool if you want to do it like that,
but if you don't, that's fine too.
- Tattoos to me are so meaningful of like
the time in my life.
So I'm not one of those people where I'm like
my advice is wait for a year
and see if you still like it.
Because I'm like that's my advice for like
people in relationships.
My number one advice for everyone
is ignore the haters and do what you want.
(funky music)