For people who want to get tattooed, their 18th birthday is always exciting, because once you reach that milestone you’re able to be tattooed in the state of California. Third-year Zackary Urango was definitely ready for his 18th birthday and finally being able to get a tattoo.
“I got my first tattoo at 18, on my 18th birthday actually,” Urango said. “I currently have four tattoos. Two on my left shoulder, one on my right shoulder and one on my forearm.”
Some people know they want to be tattooed well before they’re legally able to, others decide later on in their life they want a tattoo and some never want to get tattooed. Urango knew from a young age that he would want to be tattooed.
“I’d always wanted tattoos. I used to draw on my arms with a pen, all the way up to the shoulder blade,” Urango said. “I’d walk around with a full sleeve on my left arm. I was coated in ink from time to time, which my parents weren’t so keen on. I’ve always admired the artwork of tattooing, so I knew I needed one.”
Being a writer and poet, Urango chose to dedicate most of his tattoos to his passion.
“The two on my left shoulder are my book covers,” Urango said. “The top rose is my first book, ‘100 Roses.’ The gramophone is the cover of my second book, ‘Epiphany.’ The one on my right shoulder is meant to signify memento mori. The one on my forearm is meant to symbolize my growth as a writer and poet.”
While tattoos look nice after they’re done, it isn’t always the most pleasant process to go through. Depending on where the tattoo is located and the person’s pain tolerance, it can range from feeling mildly uncomfortable to being rather painful.
“I remember the first tattoo I got on my forearm felt way longer than it was and actually ended up hurting the most out of all my tattoos,” Urango said. “The process itself took about an hour to complete. The other tattoos I have took longer overall, I think about two hours for my skull and hourglass. The two tattoos on my left shoulder were both done in one session. The pain for those two was okay, until he started to shade the rose.”
Urango is far from done being tattooed and has plenty of plans in store for future tattoos.
“I am hoping to get my third book cover tattooed alongside my two covers on my left shoulder, then would also like to get some music related tattoos to symbolize my love for artists such as Tame Impala and Childish Gambino,” Urango said.