To be tattooed is to be both defined and mysterious. It is also to admit
that we are works in progress. As beings who live and grow, we are in many
ways defined by a constant striving to be better. Our scars, chosen or not,
are a record of our lives, our trials and tribulations, and what we have
overcome to be who we are today. To alter the appearance of our own skin
is an act of reclaiming agency over the bodies we occupy and their
appearance to others. In an increasingly image-oriented world of digital
mass-reproduction, to be tattooed is a small act of rebellion. It is one of the
last frontiers of personal adventure—a celebration of risk and diversity, of
living boldly and honestly.
Copyright © 2021 by Emma Grace Larkin. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
