Written by Katy-Jane, Executive Assistant, Virtually Smart Ltd.
“Whilst researching tattoo taboo’s, I was encouraged to see that this is a conversation which has been started many times in LinkedIn & social media platforms. The discussions were not always positive, but they did open dialogue & debate.
Tattoos can divide opinion. In the workplace, in families & in communities a tattoo can still have negative connotations.
Tattoos are part of many culture’s ancient heritage. Ancient markings are still part of existing cultures & for many the interest in such cultural tattoos from the Maori to the Maasai, still creates intrigue & fascination.
Cultural tattoos & symbols not only tell a story of heritage or explore status, they also keep the traditions of the tribes relevant, century after century, keeping important cultural traditions alive.
Unfortunately tattooing has caused division in many modern cultures & communities due to the connections some tattoos have to gang culture, extreme activists & such acts as human trafficking.
So, how does this translate to a modern context where tattoos are still taboo in many settings & especially in some areas of the professional world?
For a lot of tattooed people the choice of tattoo has a personal relevance, tells a story, has a link to an important event/time in their life or sometimes can honour a loved one. For some, they like the idea of a tattoo, the daring notion of being inked. Whatever the reason, the reason is personal, deeply personal.
My tattoos are all about my interests in Egyptology, my Celtic heritage & my love of literature.
So, have these tattoos ever stopped me from getting a job or held me back in any career choice?
I started my tattoo journey at the age of eighteen. I chose carefully as I knew these marks were a life choice & chose a Celtic knot with a connection to my Welsh heritage. The rest of my tattoos have depicted key points in my life & for me they tell a story.
After I received my degree in 1995, I spent many years working in Purchasing, then trained as a Nail Technician & in 2009 I finally had the opportunity to train as a Secondary School English Teacher.
Throughout my ten years in the classroom, my tattoos were never a problem. I was always considerate in an interview setting (suitably suited & booted for the occasion) but once in the classroom & not always practical to wear a suit & long sleeves; my lower arm tattoos would often be on show.
My tattoos on my lower arms are linked to my passion for literature & in a modern classroom setting with anything up to thirty-four children to a class & not all of them necessarily engaged or some very disaffected by education; my tattoos were not only a talking point, but in some cases, they helped me reach some of the most challenging students.
In my case – & I am only speaking from personal experience – my tattoos not only helped in my work, but it enabled some of my most challenging students to be more engaged, helped break down some anti-establishment barriers & for some of the students, helped them realise that I was actually human & not an enemy.
Tattoos in my case helped me reach some children who could not otherwise engage with education. My tattoos meant I was a bit daring, a bit (dare I say) of a rebel & because of this some of the children who I would otherwise have not been able to reach, would ask questions & the tattoos would open a dialogue.
These conversations were so very vital in a modern education setting when the connection between teacher & student can be fragile. So, in my case, my tattoos benefitted my work & helped me create better relationships with my students.
I am aware that I may be relatively unique not only in opinion but also in experience. I know one woman who has to wear body makeup to cover up the very small part of a tattoo which shows just at her wrist line, as her employer is explicit about body art not being on display. I have read about people being promoted & feeling that whereby their tattoos being on display in another role may have for them been acceptable, an increase in responsibility suddenly made them hide the ink away.
Tattoos will always create debate; they will I feel always be contentious. However, thankfully, in an age of acceptance & dispelling of prejudice, one hopes that the continuing tolerance & understanding of the world of ink will continue & that just because you have inked your own body (a personal choice) does not make you any less intelligent, capable or a decent human being”
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
