Tattoos

[DarkBuddha]

I didn't read this whole thread, but I wanted to offer my perspective on the original question. To be clear, I have no tattoos, mainly because I don't feel a need and don't know what I'd get anyway (probably a bit of fear of regret in there too). Anyway...

I personally have no issue with tattoos showing with folks I work with (either as a customer or associate or boss). But then again, I often make a connection with those people, both from the perspective of culture and from the perspective of being judged. I've spent my whole life being big and/or fat, and I've never exactly had a 100% conventional appearance (whether hair or clothing). The world is both judgmental and prejudiced, and I've experienced it first hand, and I understand that it's not always accurate.

That said, I'm not surprised when others ("normal folks") do have hesitation working with folks with tattoos. We all know that tattoos have stereotypical associations based on historical and cultural examples. The problem is that those stereotypes are not completely inaccurate all of the time. Gang members, convicts, bikers (the non-law abiding type), etc. still wear tattoos and still do bad stuff. Why would any reasonable person want to possibly risk unnecessary interaction with someone that might possibly have bad or dangerous intentions or lifestyle? Seems reasonable to want to avoid such folks.

So what to do... if you're tattooed, don't be surprised or affronted when there are folks that don't wanna deal/work with you. Instead, reconcile yourself to accepting business/work from folks who aren't judgmental or are empathetic to how you present yourself, your work, or your business. It may be a small group, but they aren't isolated. If you demonstrate good work and talent, or whatever, you can hope they'll pass the word on and broaden your appeal to the larger pool of potential customers.



But whatever you do, don't blame others for not sharing your views on tattoos or how they view those with tattoos. Instead, show them and change them.